The Gospel Lesson                                                      John 13:1-17, 31b-35

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…

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.”
Sermon Text – Maundy Thursday

There are many things that Christ does for us, but the one that is shown throughout scripture is the act of a divine washer. Christ washes away Sin – both cosmically from the universe and personally within ourselves. Christ washes aways tears from our eyes. Christ washes dust and dirt from the feet of his followers. Simple as the sing may be, it was a statement that was clear – I am here to clean up the mess that has been made by those who went ahead of me.

Thirteen disciples had their feet washed as they came to dinner that night. These were not nearly enough people to be emblematic of all human sins, but we can imagine them all the same. A disciple comes near, and Jesus washes away pride. A disciple comes near and Jesus washes away hate. Jesus washes away jealousy. Jesus washes away greed, lust, apathy, theft, murder, lies, cheating, subterfuge, cruelty, and even betrayal. Christ’s washing away of sin was complete to make a few things clear – as Christ said to Peter, “One who has bathed has no need to wash, except for his feet.” The disciples had known Christ’s redemptive work already, meaning that the Sins they committed so soon after this dinner was over were all their own. It also meant that all those gathered in this room were part of Christ’s kingdom.

Peter, the one who denied him three times was as much a part of Christ’s Kingdom as John who never left his side. Judas who betrayed him to death was a part of his Kingdom as much as Thomas who found faith in the Upper Room just a week later. We as God’s people are part of God’s kingdom, but we decide whether we are part of it in name only or in our hearts. We have been washed in the blood, yet our feet are constantly made dirty by the same foul ground we walked through before we were saved. Today we recreate the act of service Christ showed his disciples, the simple act of washing feet. Let it be for us a reminder to start new. – Amen.