April 18, 2019 – Maundy Thursday: May God’s words alone be spoken, may God’s words alone be heard. Amen.
Oh what can be found between the lines.
Tonight we hear about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, and giving us a new commandment. In fact, that is where we get the name of this night – Maundy Thursday – from the Latin Mandatum or Mandate. Jesus gives us all a mandate – to love one another as he loved us. But as I pointed out a few years ago, between the example of servanthood and love found in the foot washing, and the mandate, there are verses missing from our reading tonight. You don’t hear them, unless of course you were at our Healing Eucharist yesterday evening.
We hold this intimate and moving service on the day known as Spy Wednesday. Why is it nicknamed that? Because it is when we hear of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas. A story so common that the name Judas is associated with any act of betrayal today. It is a story that resonates with us, and because of that, as we enter into this Triduum, it is important that it is not ignored. So for those of you not at the service yesterday, let me tell you what was in those verses between the two we heard tonight…this is what was missing:
“After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, ‘Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish. So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, ‘Do quickly what you are going to do.’ Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival’; or, that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.”
And it was night.
Why was that little detail about the time included? Why did the authors of this gospel find that so important to tell us? Because they understood the power of metaphor – this gospel is filled with it, and it is part of the beauty of the narrative woven by the Johannian community.
And it was night.
Indeed – it was, for Jesus knew the pain that lay ahead for him – and for Judas. It is night whenever one is betrayed, denied, or hurt – whenever one is in grief for what is lost, or in the loneliness of despair – it is night. The darkness that enfolds our very soul, that sends us to the depths of a hellish night, seems to be never ending. It is night too for those whose heart has turned away from the light, who are the betrayers, the ones who cause pain.
And yet, we heard tonight in the passages that bookend this one, Jesus commands his disciples to love one another just as he loved them. In the midst of his own betrayal, his own night of pain and grief, he tells us we must love. That in itself is difficult to imagine, but we might also be wondering – isn’t love an emotion we must feel before we can act on it? Isn’t it something esoteric – something one can’t command?[1]
That would depend on what we mean by love, which is why it is important to understand the particular kind of love Jesus is speaking about here. The authors were choosing their words carefully, using the Koine Greek word agape, not eros for romantic love, or philios for brotherly love, but agape.
I normally am not a Wikipedia fan, but in this case, I love the definition for agape that is provided on that site, as it reflects the deep and powerful meaning of this word: “Agape embraces a universal, unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance… [and] is considered to be the love originating from God or Christ for humankind…it refers to the covenant love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God…”
The love God has for Jesus, and for all of us. A universal, unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of circumstance. That is what Jesus is demonstrating for his disciples. That is what Jesus is commanding them, and all of us, to extend in our lives to all of God’s creation.
It is a choice. And it isn’t an easy one.
Because to love – really love – even agape love – we open ourselves up – we are vulnerable…it is the ultimate act of selflessness. Jesus knew that – for he loved Judas. Judas had to be near to Jesus for him to be close enough to hand him the bread. Being close to the master was considered to be a place of honor. Not only that, but it was Judas who was entrusted with the common pool of money. Jesus loved him – all of them, really, even knowing that it would make him vulnerable to pain.
And knowing all of that, given the risk of being hurt, it might make one wonder why Jesus would give this commandment to us in between two acts of betrayal. Yes, two – Judas…and also Peter. Because following the commandment to love one another, Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him three times. Yup…another part left out tonight. It follows the last passages of tonight’s gospel. And we know that he does exactly that when confronted by accusers in the courtyard outside the place where they are holding and trying Jesus after his arrest.
Perhaps we focus most on Judas because we find it easier to see that as a betrayal. But Peter? Make no mistake about it – to deny another human being is to betray them. Yet, Jesus shows us that whether it is Judas or Peter, both are worthy of love – he loved them both – washed the feet of both. Now THAT is unconditional love…THAT is also what Jesus is calling us too tonight.
And in this deeply divided and troubled world, where hate is on the rise, and pain is abundant, where so many are pushed aside and forgotten, Jesus needs us to choose to do as he commands. But first we must see the Judas and Peter in ourselves, and turn from the night back to the light.
You see, when we betray or deny one another, we do what Judas and Peter did so many years ago. When we turn our backs on others, we turn our backs on Christ, and all that he taught us. In everyone- the friend and the stranger, the homeless and the wealthy, the strong and the weak – we look into the eyes of Christ. Betrayal comes in all shapes and sizes…it comes when we push others to the margins – denying their humanity as equal to our own, it comes when we exploit others for our own gain, it comes when we value expediency over compassion, when we turn our backs on our brother or sister in need.
And when we betray Christ, we too walk out into the night. We too deny Christ.
We make a choice – not to love – not to follow Jesus and what he commands.
That is why he makes this commandment on such a night as this – when he is faced with the pain that awaits him – when he loves so abundantly even Judas and Peter. Because he knows that if we can choose to love as he does, then we can truly come to understand what it means to love God as God loves us – universally, unconditionally, transcending and persisting regardless of circumstance.
On this Maundy Thursday, we are entering into night – the darkness of Jesus’ betrayal, of his loneliness in the Garden of Gethsemane, of Peter’s denial, and of the shadow of the cross. This is a time when we need to consider the darkness of our own world, and of our own heart. Darkness born of pain, darkness that enfolds us in ignorance, darkness that can leave us feeling vulnerable, cold, alone, darkness that we bring to others when we deny them, when we betray them.
It is night.
Yet in Christ, who walked this long journey to the cross, we are assured that darkness never has the last word. In Christ, we are healed of our pain. In Christ we are given a model of love and service that can, if we only choose to embody it, bring light into our hearts, and into the world that so longs for it.
So, go boldly into this most holy time.
Feel the darkness.
For it is night – and you have a choice.
As it was for him on that night, the rest is up to you.
Amen.
For the audio from the 10:30am service, click below, or subscribe to our iTunes Sermon Podcast by clicking here:
[1]From the conceptual framework offered by the Rev. Dr. David Lose.
The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox
Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge
April 18, 2019
Maundy Thursday – Year C
1st Reading – Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
Psalm 116:1, 10-17
2nd Reading – 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel – John 13:1-17, 31b-35
