A Servant Lesson
Maundy Thursday
Ven. John Motis
4/17/25
Come, join with me, let us join the disciples as they enter the upper room for their Passover meal, this meal would also be the last with Jesus before He went to the cross. Jesus was the only one in the crowd that knew it.
Let’s imagine that evening, let’s imagine what was probably on the minds of Jesus’ disciples. I’m guessing that their first thought was who would sit where? Perhaps, even pushing and bumping each other out of the way to get the preferred seat. Who would be in the “honored” seats?
They all knew where Jesus would be reclining, the 2nd seat on the left side. The seat of the host. The question on their minds was, who would be sitting in the most honored guest’s seat on Jesus’ right and then who would be the second honored seat on his left? Does this seem a little familiar? How times have you wondered where you might be seated at a wedding reception? How many of you remember arguing with brothers or sisters about who called “shotgun first?” I kind of liked sitting in the middle in the pickup. Thereby avoiding opening or closing the gate. The shotgun seat had its privileges, opening the gate wasn’t one of them! Still, everyone scrambled for the chosen seat.
The disciples had been arguing about who was the greatest among them. James and John had asked Jesus to “Grant us to sit one on your right and one on your left, in your glory.” Making the other 10 angry. None, even aware of what was going on or what was going to happen over the next hours. I wonder if they felt somehow special. They were the ones chosen by Jesus; they were the ones He chose to spend His time with. They had witnessed crowds of people trying to just get near Him, however, He chose them! I must admit that I have felt special when given the opportunity to serve in Bishop Holcomb’s altar party, or His Consecration.
I wonder if it was like a Black Friday Sale when everyone rushes into the store when the doors are finally opened? With all this scrambling going on, I don’t think anyone gave it a thought that all their feet were dirty. Or I would bet that they didn’t even consider taking the time to wash, they were in a hurry, because one of the other disciples might just get ahead of them to the chosen places at the table.
This is the scene that Jesus walked into that night when He entered the upper room with His heart full of selfless love. The disciples clomped into the room with soiled feet and self-serving attitudes. Walking right past the bucket of water. They did observe the custom of leaving their sandals near the door. I can imagine that they probably scattered all over the floor right in front of the door, just like at my house.
Customarily, the first guests to arrive washed the other’s feet if no servant was present. Each man, however, considered himself too important for this lowly task. Perhaps, not my job! I have walked down the street many times with my friend Rob Quam; never once did he not stop and pick up a piece of trash. Interestingly, trash that I hadn’t even seen. Is this the excuse for the disciples? Did they not see that no one had washed anyone’s feet. Were they too caught up in the moment?
These are the same men that Jesus had spent 24 hours a day 7 days a week with, these are the men that He would trust His church to. While watching His disciples act this way, I wonder what might have been His thoughts? Was He thinking about what lie ahead for him this night. Was He thinking that in a few short hours He would Drink the Cup of God’s Wrath? To endure the punishment meant for all of us. Or, was He thinking, Oh Boy! There is so much more to teach them and I’m out of time!
We know that His betrayer Judas was among them. As astonishing as it may seem to us, Judas had a place of honor, next to Jesus. Was he there because of self-importance or did Jesus give him that place as an expression of love for the one who would betray Him?
Nothing that evening happened by accident.
The disciples had seen many strange things; miracles, healings, even a man walking on water. But nothing could have prepared them for this- Jesus kneeling down like a servant, holding a towel and a basin.
Clearly the disciples had not taken His previous teaching to heart. He said, “I am humble.” The word humble means to bow low, to stoop and to serve. Jesus is the 2nd member of the Trinity, and He chose to bow low with the attitude of gentleness. Our God the creator of the universe stooped down and changed everything!
Humbleness, the beautiful quality that characterizes our Savior, the true Servant.
Here we are, in Jesus’ final hours, His humility took center stage.
Without saying a word, “Jesus, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.” Did you notice that Jesus got up and began without saying a word? Jesus didn’t call attention to what He was doing. He didn’t shame the disciples. You see, if Jesus had called attention to His actions, it would have ruined it. The objective of the lesson would have been lost. I don’t think that it was about embarrassing His disciples. Jesus was emphasizing that the ways of God’s kingdom, the kingdom that He came to advance, were not the ways of the world. Most Rabbi’s taught using words and actions, Jesus demonstrated this truth by washing His disciples’ feet. Demonstrating true humility! (Unannounced – not a word was said.)
I think the words of a poem by poet Ruth Calkins describes the heart and humility Jesus is calling us to:
I Wonder; You know Lord, how I serve you with great emotional fervor, in the limelight. You know how eagerly I speak for you at a women’s club. You know how I shine when I promote a fellowship group. You know my genuine enthusiasm at a Bible study (my hand always raised). But how would I react, I wonder, if you pointed to a basin of water and asked me to wash the calloused feet of a bent and wrinkled old woman, day after day, month after month, in a room where nobody saw and nobody knew. (pause)
In Mark’s Gospel on Ash Wednesday at the beginning of Lent. Jesus said, “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” “Do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.”
Jesus’ calls us to imitate him. We know that you cannot imitate what you don’t know. A parrot doesn’t learn to swear on his own. He imitates his owner’s example. Children repeat what they hear and see at home. To imitate by definition implies that there is an original to go by. Jesus is the original. “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord-and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you wash one another’s feet.
He didn’t say “Watch Me.” “He said, “Follow Me.” This is more than foot washing. It’s a call to live a lifestyle of humility, sacrifice, and radical love.
How ironic it is that Jesus’ disciples argued about their greatness during the meal at which Jesus established a memorial celebration of His sacrifice to redeem undeserving, selfish, and sinful people.
Jesus and His disciples gathered that night to keep with God’s command to “remember” the Passover, doing so to highlight God’s amazing promises of redemption and relationship in Exodus. Jesus used the cup and promise of redemption to help introduce the fellowship meal of the new covenant that He instituted this night. Just as God commanded the Hebrews to remember the Passover, Jesus commands his followers (them, you and me) to remember the body and blood of his sacrifice.
Jesus used the elements of the seder to present himself – His body as the “unleavened bread” and His blood represented in the cup as the long -awaited Messiah/Redeemer. Jesus invites us to share in a “reliving” experience when we receive the cup and the bread each time we come to His table.
After the meal Jesus led His disciples across the Kidron Valley up to the Mt of Olives. The Gospel writers tell us that Jesus faced intense struggles that night. Like the first “Passover” in Egypt, death stalked in the moonlight. The blood of the Lamb of God would be required to redeem God’s people from the bondage of sin into which all have been born. For this purpose, Jesus entered the world.
Peter, James and John had seen Jesus, the divine Son of God, in all his glory during the transfiguration. This night, they will see Jesus’ humanity fully displayed. This night, the Passover Lamb commanded, “Watch with me,” and they would see their Messiah – our Messiah – face his destiny.
God looked down through time and saw all the evil, hate, immorality, deceit, greed, pride and the selfishness of each one of us. He knew we would reject Him, ignore Him and worship ourselves over Him, yet in His great love, He humbled Himself and provided for our salvation. He sent His Son in the form of a man (in a body that could suffer, bleed, and die) as an atonement for our sins. He stooped down to do all this, and sacrificed Himself, so that we could come into His presence and have a relationship with Him.
Jesus has shown us love. He has washed us clean. Jesus told Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” What part of you do you need to allow Jesus access to? What part of you needs washing by Jesus?
He has given us a model. Now, He invites us to go and do likewise.
Where is God calling you to kneel? Who is He asking you to serve, forgive, or love? What pride needs to be laid down so Christ’s love can shine through you?