Put on the Love Goggles

The Holy Gospel According to St. John, the  13th Chapter

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 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. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “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 also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Tonight is Maundy Thursday.  The word “Maundy” comes from the same root word as the word “mandate” and a mandate is, of course, something we are told to do.  Many people think that the mandate Jesus gave on Maundy Thursday was to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, but that’s not it.  Jesus gave the disciples that mandate AT the Last Supper all those years ago but what Jesus commanded his disciples to do, both then and now, is to love one another.  

That Last Supper and this mandate came at the end of a very strange and amazing journey.  The disciples had seen miracles, healings and demons cast out.  They had even seen the dead raised.  They had heard teachings in the synagogues and preaching in the countryside.  They had seen tears shed, voices raised and Pharisees and scribes taught lesson after lesson.  They’d even seen Moses and Elijah on a mountaintop! 

But through that whole strange and different journey, one thing stayed the same.  Jesus always saw all the situations and all the people he encountered in a very special and unique way.  It was as if he had a special set of glasses through which he saw the world.  No matter where they went, he saw things and people differently than anyone else.  But now, as Jesus faced the end of his time on earth, he wanted to pass on to the disciples his special set of glasses... He wanted them to take on his unique and holy way of looking at the world.  

His unique vision... the special way he saw the world was to see the world through the lens of love.  “Just as I have loved you”, he said, “you also should love one another.”  Love was the special set of lenses through which Jesus saw everyone and all of God’s creation.  Now, on Maundy Thursday he gave the mandate that when his disciples look out at the world around us, we too are to see the world through the lenses of that new commandment of self-giving love.  

In essence, this was Jesus’ last will and testament.  It was the way he wanted the disciples to both remember what he did AND was also his vision for how he wanted them to live into the future.  This message... this mandate to live lives of self-giving love was so important that Jesus didn’t just TELL them that night... he also SHOWED them.   

Silently, Jesus took off his outer robe filled a basin with water, tied a towel around his waist and knelt at the feet of the disciples.  Jesus was acting out this life of self-giving love... the servant life he wants us all to live.  He physically DID what was in his neighbor’s best interest, no matter what society would say about it.  The senior was serving the junior.  The teacher was serving the student.  The Lord was serving the commoner.  This was Jesus’ acted-out last will and testament:  The disciples lives... our lives were to be lived out and understood from this servant perspective... On our knees, staring at the dusty feet of those around us, serving and loving in everything we say and do.  This is what Jesus wanted his disciples to know before he walked the path to his death.  This is what Jesus wanted his disciples to see before he was nailed to the cross.  This is how Jesus wanted his disciples to live, from that time forever more.  The thing about this mandate... about Jesus’ call to selfless love, is that it’s timeless.  

Love works no matter what else changes in the world.  As technology and society and culture changes and we look around and see things those first disciples could never have imagined... one thing doesn’t change....  the power of generous, self giving, servant love is the same love that always has and always will lead Jesus’ disciples in the right direction.  Of course Jesus’ disciples back then didn’t remember that when Jesus was taken away and crucified, but as Jesus’ disciples here in this place, we’ve got one up on those disciples from back then... we know that Easter is coming!

Easter is coming and no matter how things might change in our personal lives or in the life of our church that fact... that Easter is coming... can give us the courage to hold tight to Jesus’ mandate of selfless love in even the hardest and darkest times.  It is easy when things get hard to forget about love.  It is easy in those Good Friday times to forget the mandate and Jesus‘ call to see everything and everyone though that unique lens of selfless love he passed on to us disciples on that first Maundy Thursday... but Easter is coming!  So remember... Jesus, with his last will and testament, has given us the power both to see and transform the world into the Kingdom of God.  He has given us the gift of his vision... the gift of his lenses that allow us to see the world with love... even as everything else around you changes and shakes and even fades to darkness... remember... you have been given the greatest power in all of creation... the power of selfless love.  So as Jesus first loved you also should love one another.  Amen.