Maundy Thursday

Together
John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Our worship during Holy Week draws us into the experience of Jesus’ final days. What was it really like to be at the gathering of Jesus and his disciples that we remember tonight?

In the collect for Maundy Thursday we pray in thanksgiving that Jesus “instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.” And we talk about the “holy mysteries.” It gives it all a very churchy feel. And the gravitas of this service contributes to a sense of mystery and solemnity.

But Ched Myers in his commentary on Mark points out that this was a group probably in hiding, in danger, undercover, anxious. Fear and uncertainty might well have been their dominant feelings.

The church invites us to consider several messages this night. We do consider Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist. There is the foot washing and the call to servant ministry. And there is Jesus’ command to love one another. All of these messages are good.

But at the most basic level I’m struck by one thing. The fact that they were together. It was an intense and dangerous time. The disciples didn’t back away. It might have been safer to disperse, but they were all together.

Jesus certainly knew things were coming to a head. As John tells it, he knew his “hour” had come. And he spent his last hours with his followers. There are a lot of other things he could have done. But he wanted to be with them.

And he wants to be with us. With the same passionate intensity. Tonight.

And we’re reminded of the importance of coming together with one another. The epistle for tomorrow, Good Friday, includes the injunction in Hebrews: Do not neglect to come together.

Thinking about all of the traditional teachings of this night… They all involve a community gathered. A shared meal. Acts of service. Even Jesus’ command to love one another.

I know this is one of my soap boxes, but the people who say they can be good Christians without the church… How do you love one another without the church? How do you share a meal without the church? How do you wash one another’s feet without the church?

There is an oft-repeated story about the American evangelist Dwight L. Moody. Moody was trying to bring a man to Christ. The gentleman expressed belief in Christ, but no interest in the church. They were seated in front of a fire. Moody took the tongs and removed one burning coal from the fire. It doesn’t take long for a single isolated coal to go cold.

The Gospel reading for Maundy Thursday is actually two parts from the 13th chapter of John. We heard verses 1-17 and 31-35. The omitted section was last night’s Gospel. It is the story of Judas’ betrayal. “He immediately went out. And it was night.”

The only disciple who was alone this night was Judas.

Maundy Thursday is about being together. With Jesus and with one another. Jesus wants to be with us. We need one another in order to be Jesus’ disciples.

There is no dismissal tonight. For that matter, none tomorrow either. Liturgically these three services (through the Vigil) are all one.

Because there is no dismissal, we don’t say good-bye to one another. We will go home to our own beds this evening, but in another sense we will stay together. We will stay together until we know Christ risen in our midst.