Daily Images of God--Lent 2022
Day 43 Maundy Thursday
April 14
THE BODY SERVANT
Today is Maundy ("new commandment") Thursday, the traditional Christian memorial day of Jesus’ final meal before his death. In the synoptic Gospels, this is a Passover meal characterized by Jesus changing the blessings over the unleavened “Bread of Affliction” and the festal wine to suggest that they are, in fact, his own body and blood, about to be violently separated to cause his death. In the Gospel of John, however, the meal is one last supper >>before<< the Passover which in John occurs as Jesus is "lifted high" on the cross. In John, the only mention of bread at the meal is that Jesus dips the (presumably leavened) loaf in gravy and shares it with the one who is about to turn him in. Much of the meal is taken up with a long intercessory or high priestly prayer. But before any of this, Jesus is portrayed as performing an act most often done by menial household servants: washing the feet of the dinner guests, dirtied by walking to the meal in sandals on the packed dirt paths that served as ancient Palestine’s “paved” roads. Here is what John 13 says:
Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. The Accuser had already put it into the heart of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to turn him into the authorities. So Jesus during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, rose from supper, took off his outer garments, and took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Sir, are you actually going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but later on you will.” Peter replied, “There is no way you are going to wash my feet!” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” Simon Peter replied, “Sir, if that is so, have at it—not only my feet, but my hands and head as well!” Jesus replied, “If you bathe regularly, you don’t need to wash except for your feet, since everywhere else you are clean. That’s what it’s like for you all: most of you are clean, but not everyone.” For he knew who it was who would hand him over—that is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” When Jesus had finished washing their feet, he put his clothes back on, reclined at table with them again, and said, “Do you realize what it is I have done for you? You call me 'Sir' since I'm your teacher, and rightly so, for that is indeed what I am. However, if I—the teacher you call “Sir”—have washed your feet, how much more should you wash each other’s feet! I have given you a model here to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. Truly I say to you, there is no slave who is greater than master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent. If you understand this, blissful you will be if you actually put it into practice. (John 13:1-16; The Ashland Bible)
Image: Jesus Washing His Disciples' Feet by Bhanu Dudhat, 30" X 24" Acrylic on Canvas
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