April 2, 2026 – Maundy Thursday
Kenny Faught
In the name of the God who serves, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
PRESIDENTS THOMAS JEFFERSON AND JOHN ADAMS, once friends, became bitter political enemies. They did not speak to each other for ten years. In 1812, Adams (age 76) wrote a letter to Jefferson (age 68) in which he said, “You and I ought not to die before we have explained ourselves to each other.” They renewed their friendship, and between them wrote over 150 letters during the next 14 years, before they both died . . . on July 4, 1826. “You and I ought not to die before we have explained ourselves to each other.”
IN JOHN 13 WE HAVE the dramatic culmination (the acting out) of Jesus’ basic teachings during his earthly ministry. He is explaining himself to his closest followers in the hours before his death – giving them one more review before the comprehensive final exam which will begin with His arrest.
THE KEY TO THIS TEXT is in its ending: The New Commandment: LOVE.
This is the “Maundy” (command / mandate) part of Maundy Thursday.
Not the Eucharist. Not the Foot-washing. The Commandment to love.
So, where does this love lead?
IN THE TEACHING / EXAMPLE OF JESUS, LOVE LEADS TO SERVICE. (Service is a favorite theme of Jesus.) He said, “Whoever will be greatest among you must be your servant.” In the Sermon on the Mount he taught that we should “Give away our cloaks, turn the other cheek, go the second mile, and pray for our enemies.” What all this boils down to is love manifested in service.
In the Gospels, Jesus himself is the “Deacon” – the Servant – the Minister. Now, here He is . . . washing feet. The lesson is more important than the action – If HE serves, then we are to serve (14). This is why He later said to Peter, “If you love me, feed my lambs.”
IN THE TEACHING / EXAMPLE OF JESUS, LOVE LEADS TO SACRIFICE. In Philippians 2:5-11 we have one of the earliest hymns of the church:
“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
8 he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.”
His rights – sacrificed. His position – sacrificed. His prerogatives – Sacrificed. His liberty – sacrificed. Sacrifice without reservation leads to The Cross.
In an interview the pop singer, Madonna (Can we quote Madonna in church? Sure we can!), observed: “I want to be like Gandhi and Martin Luther King and John Lennon. But I want to stay alive.” That’s kind of funny. But mostly it’s serious. Truthfully, aren’t most of us like that? We want service without sacrifice (or inconvenience). We disciples are often like the young man in love who told his girlfriend, “For you I’d swim the widest river, climb the highest mountain, and cross the hottest desert. And by the way, I’ll be over this evening if it isn’t raining!”
Jesus symbolized the meaning of sacrifice in the meal he instituted. Sacrifice is about “body” and “blood”. Having skin in the game. John doesn’t specifically mention Holy Communion, though he twice refers to “The Table”. John’s focus is on the meaning – service and sacrifice – a towel and a table.
IN THE TEACHING / EXAMPLE OF JESUS, LOVE LEADS TO WHAT THOMAS MERTON CALLED “THE TRUE SELF”. I.E., A strong, healthy sense of personal identity. We Christians often live in the tension between who we are and whom we are called to be. Jesus knew who He was!
At His baptism, He heard the words, “This is my beloved Son.” At Caesarea he heard Peter say, “Thou art the Christ.” Again at the Transfiguration, He heard the affirmation, “This is my beloved Son.” Throughout the Gospel of John Jesus kept affirming, “This is who I AM.” The Bread of Life. The Light of the World, The Living Water, The Door, The Good Shepherd, The Way / Truth / Life, The Vine, The Resurrection and the Life.”
Now, in John 13, Jesus is saying, “THIS is who I AM.” I am a Servant. I am a Sacrifice. When we are quite young it’s okay to be “a promise, a possibility.” But we must become someone . . . someone like Jesus. Albert Schweitzer, the great doctor, theologian, philosopher, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, gave away his life in Africa as a missionary. He once told a group of young people: “The only ones of you who will be truly happy are those among you who seek and find how to serve.” The poet Carl Sandburg said sometimes he would pack a sandwich and go sit on a rock near his North Carolina home and ask himself, “Carl, who are you, anyway?”
The poet, Mary Oliver, in her Six Recognition of the Lord, wrote:
. . . help me to hear and to hold
in all dearness those exacting and wonderful
words of our Lord [Christ] Jesus, saying:
Follow me.
–from Thirst (2006)
SO, ONCE AGAIN, HERE IS JESUS EXPLAINING HIMSELF
BEFORE HE DIES ON THE CROSS.
And leaving us with questions:
Where / how / whom are we serving?
What, if anything, are we sacrificing?
Do we know who — and whose — we are?
AMEN.