Whom Should We Serve?

Maundy Thursday 

St. Paul’s, Smithfield, NC 4/2/2015

Jim Melnyk:

 “Whom Should We Serve?”

The Apostle Paul reminds us: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of one bread.”  On the night he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread.  And when he had blessed it, he broke it…

Jesus breaks bread, and we remember his body broken.

Jesus breaks bread, and we remember a world that is broken.

As we break bread this night we participate in the brokenness of Jesus,

As we break bread we recognize the brokenness of this world,

And we recognize our own brokenness.

Jesus says “Do this in remembrance of me…

do this and I will be present with you –

and all that I have taught you will be present with you –

Jesus says do this in remembrance of me and I will be a present reality for you –

I will be a present reality for this broken world.

As I have loved you – even to the point of being shattered on the cross – so you must love one another.

After supper, having loved his disciples so much, he loved them to the end.           

Jesus stripped off his outer garments, and laying his robe aside, he tied a towel about his waist.  Then kneeling before his friends, Jesus washed each disciple’s feet.

If I, your Teacher and Lord, was your feet, you also must wash one another’s feet.  I have set you an example this night.

As we wrestle and argue in this age over what is broken and what is not…

As we wrestle with who is welcome at the table and who is not…

As we wrestle in this world with who we should or must serve and who we might desire to not…

As we wrestle with our own brokenness and wonder would God love even me as I am in this moment…

We must remember just who it was at table with Jesus that night....

           

It is good for us to remember that at table Jesus says, “One of you will betray me this night.” And in Matthew’s and Mark’s gospels the disciples all wonder if it could be one of them….

“Who could it be?”  “Is it I, Lord?”  Each one understood they could just as easily betray Jesus as the next.   We must ask, “Could it be one of us…?”

           

It is good for us to remember:

Jesus broke bread with his betrayer.

Jesus washed Judas’ feet.

And I have to ask myself this question? If Jesus could sit at table with his betrayer… if Jesus could break bread with him…if Jesus could kneel before Judas and wash his feet… Whom can I refuse to serve in Jesus’ name?  Whom do I have the right to deny?  I have to ask myself, and I know the answer…we know the answer….

I give you a new commandment, says Jesus – that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.

For this reason, Jesus went to Jerusalem…

For this reason, Jesus said, This is my body…

For this reason, Jesus said, wash one another’s feet…

For this reason, Jesus willingly went to the cross…

For love.  For love.   For love.