Tag: Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday: Hands & Feet

St Nicholas
Maundy Thursday
28/3/24

Exodus 12:1-14
Psalm 116;1, 10-end
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-17, 31-35

I would like to spend a few minutes looking at the hands and feet in the readings this evening. There are over 560 Biblical references to hands and some 260 mentions of feet. These numbers aren’t significant other than that is a lot of hands and feet!

In Exodus, God gives specific instructions to Moses and Aaron about how the Passover meal is to be prepared. Hands were needed to prepare the lambs and make the arrangements. Sandals were to be on feet, staff in hand and the food eaten quickly. The lamb’s blood needed to be painted over the doorposts.
They were to be ready! Things had to be done.

Maundy Thursday is a day of preparation. There are physical as well as spiritual preparations to be made as we move into Good Friday. In a few minutes we will invite you to come forward to have your hands washed. Following on from this we will celebrate our last communion before Easter Sunday. At the end of the service we will strip the altar and then sit in silence to keep watch. All of these actions, however ceremonial we make them, should help us to turn our hearts, hands and feet to Jesus as he goes to Gethsemane and then onto the cross.

Paul is reminding the Corinthians about how they are to celebrate the Eucharist. Seriously, simply and holding to the words of Jesus. Paul says he received this from the Lord and is handing it on. What we have received from the Lord needs to be handed on too. This is not a passive passing on of only words but of action. The actions of Jesus and his hands: taking the bread, lifting it to give thanks and then breaking it to be shared. This is the new Passover meal.

Jesus’ breaking the bread is a violent action. Jesus is breaking his own body. Jesus’ body is broken for us on the cross. Not because of anything that He did – NO. But for what we have done. This is the drama that is played out on the altar each time we take communion together. Do this in remembrance of me, he says. Remember my broken body and my blood spilled for you. You. Remember me.

There is so much that we want to forget. The news, the weather, those things that have gone wrong. There are things, I am sure, that we want other people to forget we have done or not done. Then we forget the easy things and seem to never forget the things that should be forgotten.
What then should we know and remember?

Verse 3 – Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God.’

Amen! Jesus knows what is going on. As we read again the accounts of the Last Supper and Good Friday, Jesus has been given all things. Not only that, Jesus remembers and knows. Whatever it is, is in his hands! The relief this has brought me time and again has been amazing and transformational. Even in the darker and difficult times and I forget; Jesus has not. It’s in His hands. I’m in his hands; You are in his hands.

Because it is in his hands, we can get our feet (okay hands) washed. That is what John is telling us. Jesus knew he was going to God, so he got up from the table (verse 4), tied a towel, poured the water, and began to wash the disciples’ feet.
Jesus’ foot washing is an act of service and of love. The ultimate victory is knowing that Jesus was going to God. He can then do the menial job; the job of a slave. This foot washing shows us what humble service and true greatness are.

Maybe we have a Peter or two in the congregation tonight. You want all of yourself to be washed: feet, hands and head. Maybe there are a few anti-Peters who are saying ‘No. I will not be washed!’ Our hearts and hands pick up stuff along the way that they really should not or lead to where we do not want to go. Our feet can step in it sometimes too.

If we believe, deep down, that it is really in His hands then hand washing is not that big of a deal. It is a sign of humble acceptance of all that has been done for you. Jesus has set us an example as he has washed our feet, we are to wash the feet of others. We can do this in our acts of love and service to each other however unglamorous or menial they might be.

Tonight, though, is about the literal washing of hands as an outward sign that we believe we are in His hands.
The hands that healed the blind and raised the dead.
The hands that broke the bread and poured the wine.
The hands that have our names written on them.
The hands that were nailed to the cross for the dirt on ours.
The feet that walked thousands of miles to heal and teach the least, the lost and the last.
The feet that brought the Good News.
The feet that walked up the hill under the weight of the cross.
Will you let the things that have been picked up in your heart, hands and feet be washed away tonight?

Loving Lord, you served your disciples in washing their feet: serve us often, serve us daily, in washing our motives, our ambitions, our actions; that we may share with you in your mission to the world and serve others gladly for your sake. (based on a prayer by Michael Ramsey)

Maundy Thursday: Hearts, Hands & Feet

Thursday April 1st, 2021

1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 13:1-17, 31-35

I did my first assembly at the Frieth School today and it was great fun. I talked to the pupils about Maundy Thursday and I asked to reflect on their feet. This was met with a mix of reactions! Had we been meeting in a church tonight I would have included foot washing as part of the service. Again I expect this might produce a mix of reactions!

Maundy Thursday is a very bodily experience. Hearts, hands and feet feature prominently tonight in our readings.

What comes out of our hearts will directly affect our hands and feet and what we do with them, who we help with them and where we go with them. I would like to spend a few minutes looking at the hands and feet in the readings this evening. There are over 560 Biblical references to hands and some 260 mentions of feet. These numbers aren’t significant other than that is a lot of hands and feet!

In Exodus, God gives specific instructions to Moses and Aaron about how the Passover meal is to be prepared. Hands were needed to prepare the lambs and make the arrangements. Sandals were to be on feet, staff in hand and the food eaten quickly. The lamb’s blood needed to be painted over the doorposts.

They were to be ready! Things had to be done.

Maundy Thursday is a day of preparation. There are physical as well as spiritual preparations to be made before heading into Good Friday. In a usual Maundy Thursday service I would have invited the brave and bold to come forward to have their feet washed. Following on from this we would celebrate our last Communion before Easter Sunday. At the end of the service we would strip the altar and then sit in silence to keep watch.

All of these actions – however ceremonial we make them – should help us to turn our hearts, hands and feet to Jesus as he heads to Gethsemane and then the cross.

Our Corinthians reading has Paul handing to us what he received from the Lord. What we have received from the Lord needs to be handed on. Paul is handing on what he knows of the Last Supper; these are the familiar words of our Eucharistic Prayers. The actions of Jesus and his hands in taking the bread, lifting it to give thanks, blessing and then breaking it with his hands. This is the new Passover meal.

Jesus breaking the bread. This is a violent action. Jesus is breaking his own body. Jesus’ body is broken for us on the cross. Not because of anything that He did but only for what we have done. This is the drama that is played out on the altar each time we take communion together. Do this in remembrance of me, he says. Remember my body broken and blood spilled for you. You.

This is the Good News.

As I was preparing for this sermon, a line from John jumped off the page. Verse 3 – Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God,’

Amen! Jesus knows what is going on. He has been given all things. Whatever it is, is in his hands! The relief that this has brought me has been amazing! I am careful to say that the ‘bad stuff’ is still happening and it is still difficult. But it’s in His hands. I’m in his hands; You are in his hands.

Because it is in his hands; we can get our feet washed. That is what John is telling us. Jesus knew he was going to God, so he got up from the table (verse 4), tied a towel, poured the water, and began to wash the disciples’ feet.

Jesus’ foot washing is an act of service and an act of love. The ultimate victory is knowing that he was going to God is completely in Jesus’ hands. He can then do the menial job of foot washing. This foot washing shows us what humble service and true greatness are.

Maybe we have a Peter or two in the congregation tonight. You would have wanted all of yourself to be washed – feet, hands and head. Maybe there are a few anti-Peters who are saying ‘no! I will not be washed!’

Feet, like the heart, pick up stuff along the way. They go places maybe the shouldn’t. Lead to where we don’t want to go. We step in it sometimes too. If we believe, deep down, that our lives are really in His hands then feet washing isn’t that big of a deal. It is a sign of humble acceptance. Humble acceptance of all that has been done for you. Jesus has set us an example as he has washed our feet, we are to wash the feet of others. We can do this in our acts of love and service to each other however unglamorous or menial they might be.

Jesus’ hands healed the blind and raised the dead.

Jesus’ hands broke the bread and poured the wine.

Jesus’ hands have our names written on them.

Jesus’ hands were nailed to the cross for the dirt on ours.

Jesus’ feet walked thousands of miles to heal and teach the least, the lost and the last.

Jesus’ feet brought the Good News.

Jesus’ feet walked up the hill under the weight of the cross.

Jesus’ heart beats for you and for me.

Jesus’ heart breaks over the lost souls of the world.

Jesus’ heart loves beyond what we can ask or imagine.

Will you let the things that have been picked up in your heart and on your feet be washed away tonight?

Loving Lord, you served your disciples in washing their feet: serve us often, serve us daily, in washing our motives, our ambitions, our actions; that we may share with you in your mission to the world and serve others gladly for your sake. (based on a prayer by Michael Ramsey).