In the business of feet....Day 38 Lent 2015 Maundy Thursday

Day 38 Lent 2015 Maundy Thursday

"For you are all children of light and children of the day;
we are not of the night or of darkness."     1 Thessalonians 5.5

On Maundy Thursday we remember Jesus giving us the sacrament of Holy Communion, the foot washing and the betrayal of Jesus.   John in his Gospel makes the point that as Judas was leaving to go and betray Jesus--it was night.  Night in John's Gospel especially is a vivid metaphor for all those things that run counter to God.   Judas of course goes out to betray Jesus at night, because he has been overcome by the darkness of this world.    This is not our lot!



BABUREN, Dirck van Christ Washing the Apostles Feet
c. 1616

Paul is convinced that we on the other hand are children of the light and children of the day!   This means that we are reflecting the life of Jesus in all that we do.  Since Jesus is the light of the world (John 8.12) so we are to reflect this light as we live in the fullness of his presence.  What does that mean.  First and foremost it means that we are to find the time to come to the family table.  To gather with the other people of God around the sacrament of Holy Communion and once again hear the words that this Jesus has been given for us!  Not just for our own salvation; but that we might participate in the salvation of the whole world through him!   

This happens when we follow his example of washing feet.  That is, to serve each other, and to find in service to the other the highest calling of the Christian life.  This reality gets shown in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats which suggests that the mystery of the incarnation (God come to us in Christ) continues to be lived out in the love that we show for one another.   Tonight at worship I'll undoubtedly talk about the sacrament and about what it means to come to the family table of our Lord; but I'll probably also call us back to the family business....we do feet.   That's what it means to be a child of the light. 

A prayer:  "Dear Lord, help us to let our light so shine before others that they might see you reflected in what we do.  Amen"