Maundy Thursday Sermon – St. Philips in the Hills 04-09-09

By the Rev. Allen Breckenridge

Scriptures: Ex. 12:1-4, 5-10, 11-14; Ps. 116:1, 12-19; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Summary of Scriptures:

Exodus – The institution and commandment of the Passover – the paschal feast and memorial of God’s saving love and action for the Jewish community and later for the Christian paschal meal, Holy Communion or Eucharist (Thanksgiving).

1 Cor – Paul describes and models a different way of being community to a church stratified and divided by classism, sexism, power, religiosity, family one-upsmanship and theological divisions. He calls the church of Corinth, and us, to a single-mindedness and unity in Christ, calls them to pass on a way of being community modeled by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, especially seen in the Christian paschal feast of the Eucharist.

John – Before the Passover, Jesus gives a living commandment – sacramentally enfleshing to the community of disciples gathered – “Love one another.” Serve as I serve and love you! He invites and commands them to become living bread and manna, saving blood to one another – loving sacraments of presence to the world.

Tonight we celebrate Maundy Thursday – from the Latin term “Mandatum”- ie. “Do this!”

We make Eucharist, we wash feet, and we remember our calling as baptized Christians.

Audrey West, Associate Professor of New Testament Studies at Chicago Lutheran School of Theology says of John’s story, “It may be useful to consider, what exactly, is Jesus calling his followers to do here, in the institution of the Holy Communion meal, and in the institution of a living and loving way of serving as he has done for them? “

1. To display an attitude of humble service – as in washing the disciple’s feet?
2. To treat one another in such a way that love is more important then life itself?
3. To have one’s own life and the life of a congregation or community modeled after the life of Jesus?
4. To treat one another with love even if it’s difficult or runs counter to prevailing (social or religious) norms or if we cannot see the outcome or even if doing so does not entirely make sense?

She says yes, at least these things, Jesus meant, and more it would seem!

“Mandatum – do this” – Passover, Holy Communion/Eucharist meal, foot washing, priestly living, service – do this!

The problem or dilemma –Episcopalians have a bit of a problem, perhaps like most Christians of social standing and history, with a little thing called – “free will.” We don’t do well with mandates! There is historically, theologically, and socially a bit of a rebel in all of us Anglicans – especially the American ones! You can see this in the history of Holy Week itself, Maundy Thursday especially.

- We do ok with meals, though we struggle with Seder/Passover notions like salvation, history of God’s mighty actions and sacrifice. We struggle with regular learning and remembering what binds us together and saves us.

- The Eucharist/Holy Communion gets a fair shake – though we still argue or debate between our church leanings – high or low church, memorial remembrance or real presence, every week or once in a while, relaxed atmosphere or stiff resolve and formal piety?

There’s a story of a Jewish Rabbi who was invited to a college student Canterbury Christian association gathering of young adults who were doing a Seder or Passover meal for Maundy Thursday. They were pretty solemn and formal about it. Finally the rabbi had had enough. He told them that the meal is usually done in a family atmosphere and if they continued they way they were going they’d be through with it in half an hour and would miss the fun and learning as a family. With that, they relaxed like a family, had some wine, told the stories of God’s love and power, and lived into being saved as a family of God.

The Christian admonition here is to remember that Jesus and his disciples were doing just this together as they had no doubt done many times before on that late Thursday evening. Yet Jesus was passing on to them the duty to remember what God has done and we are to do to share with one another, to love one another, especially the stranger!

In the beginning of Lent, and at other times, we often teach the Catholic admonition about private confession (yes, Episcopalians have confession too!). We say about making confession:

“All can, some should, none must!” No one is going to force or compel you to make a confession.

But in the actions of Maundy Thursday, Jesus gives no such leeway here – we have three commands, mandatums, Jesus has given his followers then and now:

1. To take, bless, break, and share the meal in equal fellowship and sustenance, as we’ve been fed – we are to feed others – manna in the wilderness for all.
2. To wash each others’ feet – a pattern of sacramental caring and servant living as shown and commanded by Jesus in the foot washing of the disciples.
3. And we are given the mandate we often overlook on Maundy Thursday where we are called to celebrate – to be priestly – as “I have done for you.” In the institution of the whole priesthood of God we are called, mandated to be like Jesus, each and everyone of us - man, woman, child, adult, gay, straight, rich, poor, highly educated or not, weak or strong, clergy or laity – each of us is called to a royal priesthood!

Fr. Ron Rolheiser tells this story:

“A friend of mine, an alcoholic in recovery, likes to explain the dynamics of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in this way: ‘It’s funny, the meetings are always the same – the exact same things get done or said over and over again. Everything is pretty predictable; everyone, except those who are there for the first time, knows what will be said. And we’re not there to show our best side to each other. I don’t go to AA meetings to share my talents, or to be a nice guy. No, I go because, if I don’t go, I know, and know for sure, that I will start drinking again and eventually destroy myself. It’s that simple. I go there to stay alive!’”

Fr. Ron goes on to say: “in a curious, but accurate way, that can also be a description of the Eucharist (and I’d add of the sacramental life and priesthood of all believers that Jesus mandated and gifted us with by his very life blood and example). Among many other reasons, we go to Eucharist, we wash each other’s feet, we serve and love as Jesus did, to “stay alive” – truly alive! These are the nourishment, the way of being Jesus people in our own lives and places of living and being.

There is a principle of art that holds true for worship and priesthood and servant-hood as well – it says:

“Form follows function.”

1. Bread and wine, beer and potato chips, coffee and snacks at the table of fellowship follow the call to be living bread and life-giving blood to the world and each other.
2. Foot-washing, holding hands at a sick one’s bedside, visiting the shut-ins or dying or those in prison, listening to a friend’s or stranger’s story – these follow the call to serve as Jesus did, even unto death on our cross.
3. Being people who celebrate and manifest the story of God’s love for all creation and blessing all who come seeking God and a loving community, the family of God – this follows the priestly call we all have received from Jesus in our baptisms.

Yes we say – “All can, some should, none must!” but I wonder?

On the other hand – perhaps free will isn’t all it’s cracked up to be! Perhaps these are “mandatums” we can live with! Perhaps they are the way we can only truly and freely be alive!

Jesus said – “Do this for the remembrance of me.” Amen!