Imitating the loving servant-heart of Jesus

Sermon for Holy Thursday

1 Corinthians 11:23-32  +  John 13:1-15

Every year on Maundy Thursday, we rightly commemorate the institution of that great Sacrament of the Altar, the New Testament in Jesus’ blood that He instituted and gave on this night, for us Christians to eat and to drink, proclaiming His death, and our faith in His death and resurrection, until He comes again in glory. This New Supper takes over for the old Passover meal. The Passover meal had a lamb on the table commemorating Israel’s divine deliverance from slavery in Egypt. But finally, on this Holy Thursday, the lamb on the table, together with the rest of the Old Testament symbols and pictures, fades away like a shadow, as the Christ, whom they foreshadowed, to whom they pointed, fulfills over the next 24 hours all that was written about Him.

But our Gospel this evening reminds us of another strange event that took place on Maundy Thursday either after, or more likely before, the institution of that Supper: the washing of the disciples’ feet, where we see the love and the humility and the servant-heart of Jesus on full display.

John tells us that Jesus knew His hour had come. And soon, already in this upper room in Jerusalem, His soul would be troubled and sorrowful. But before that happened, as the Old Testament Passover part of the supper came to an end, John tells us that Jesus was thinking about something else. He was thinking about how He had come from the Father, how the Father had placed all things into His hands, and how He was just about to leave this world and return to His Father. And, He was thinking about His great love for His disciples. “Having loved his own who were in the world, He loved them until the end.”

He would demonstrate that love throughout the next night and day in countless ways. He would teach His disciples some final teachings. That was love. He would pray for His disciples and for us who would believe through their preaching. That was love. He would warn His disciples about falling into temptation. He would ask for them to be let go as the guards came to take Him away. He would not stop Judas from betraying Him, or defend Himself before the Jews or before Pilate. He would not save Himself and get down from the cross. That was love.

But see how John highlights this other act of love that Jesus performed on that night—something only he records in his Gospel. He got up from supper, set aside His good clothes, wrapped a towel around Himself, poured some water, got down on His knees, washed His disciples’ feet, and wiped them with the towel He was wearing around His waist. Of all the pictures we have of Jesus during Holy Week, isn’t this one strange?

It isn’t strange at all, if you think about it. As Jesus said not long before this, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Jesus is the Servant of the Lord, as Isaiah calls the Messiah several times. He came to serve sinners, in humility and in love. His service was genuine, because His love was genuine. He really put His disciples ahead of Himself, not only in His actions, but also in His heart. When we remember that Jesus came from the Father and was returning to the Father, and that the Father had given all things into His hands, it makes His humility and His willingness to serve all the more amazing.

There is also some context to this foot-washing that John doesn’t include, but that Luke does. Luke tells us that, during this Thursday evening meal, there was also a dispute among [the disciples], as to which of them should be considered the greatest. But Jesus scolded them. He who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

That dispute may have happened before Jesus washed their feet. Or it may have happened shortly after, which would be all the more amazing and shameful on their part, and yet not so unfamiliar to us. While the disciples are arguing about who’s the greatest, reaching for the position of honor, Jesus—the very Son of God—dishonors and humiliates Himself in front of them all, not in anger, not in passive aggression, but in love, to show them the sin of their pride and how their flesh would always do this, would always shun the servant-role in favor of the worship of self. Then, as Jesus serves them, He demonstrates their need to be served by Him because of their sins, their need to be washed continually by God of their pride, forgiven continually by God for their self-serving nature, even though they have already been baptized and made into believing Christians (except for Judas, who, though baptized, was by this time unbelieving).

But Jesus’ service toward His disciples is also intended as an example, “that you should do as I have done to you.” This isn’t about washing other people’s feet once a year. It’s about Christian humility throughout the year. It’s about Christians, who claim Jesus as their Lord, behaving humbly, like their Lord, toward one another, serving one another in meekness, even as the Lord has served us in meekness.

Jesus knows that our sinful flesh doesn’t want to humble itself, and doesn’t want to play the servant. We think, by nature, that we’re above that kind of menial service, that we should be the ones being served by our fellow Christians instead of the other way around, or at very least, we think it should be 50/50. Parents grow weary of changing diapers and serving their children throughout their childhood years. Children feel entitled to the service of their parents, and complain about the chores they have to do, rather than willingly volunteering to serve their parents or their brothers and sisters. We all think we deserve to be served. Such is our ugly, fallen nature.

But here is Christ, the Lord of all, on the night in which He was betrayed, getting up, putting on a towel, and washing His disciples’ feet, teaching us, first and foremost, about our desperate need to receive His service in the washing away of our sins. And then this feet-washing serves to set a pattern for us of humble, loving service to one another.

The love of God is fully on display on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday as Jesus humbles Himself further and further and further. Let His humble servant-love serve both for your comfort and for your example. And let His Holy Supper serve to forgive your failures and to add strength to your service. Amen.