Maundy Thursday

Here is the passage of Scripture that takes place on Maundy Thursday:

"It was just before the Passover Feast.  Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love.

The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.  Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist.  After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, 'Lord, are you going to wash my feet?'

Jesus replied, 'You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.'

'No,' said Peter, 'you shall never wash my feet.'

Jesus answered, 'Unless I was you, you have no part in me.'

'Then, Lord,' Simon Peter replied, 'not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!'

Jesus answered, 'A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.  And you are clean, though not every one of you.'  For He knew who was going to betray Him, and that was why He said not every one was clean.

When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned back to His place.  'Do you understand what I have done for you?'  He asked them.  'You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

'I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen.  But this is to fulfill the Scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'

'I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He.  I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.'
John 13:1-20

Immediately following this passage Jesus shares and explains the Last Supper with His disciples.  During this meal Jesus identifies Judas as His betrayer and Judas leaves to do what he was going to do.

I don't want to say much about this passage but I do want to point out one thing that many of us miss when we read this.

Jesus showed the full extent of His love by being a servant to those He was far greater than.  This is an amazing act of love and service that we are commanded (Maundy means commandment... therefore Maundy Thursday is Commandment Thursday) to copy.  When you read this you must see that we're commanded to love through obedient servanthood to even those we don't feel "below."

But don't miss this.  Jesus washed Judas' feet.  Jesus washed the feet of the man He knew was going to betray Him.  John makes it very clear that Jesus was not blindsided by Judas, yet He showed Him the same love He showed the other eleven.  We must copy this as well.  We must be loving servants to our enemies as well as our friends.

This is the Maundy of Maundy Thursday.  Show Jesus' love for the world, even our enemies, through acts of service today.