Note: You can watch this teaching on CrossWalk’s YouTube channel.
The Apostle Paul, in his letter first to the Corinthians (11:23-25 |MSG) reminds us of what happened on this night 2,000 years ago:
Let me go over with you again exactly what goes on in the Lord's Supper and why it is so centrally important. I received my instructions from the Master himself and passed them on to you. The Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having given thanks, he broke it and said,
“This is my body, broken for you.
Do this to remember me.
After supper, he did the same thing with the cup:
This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you.
Each time you drink this cup, remember me.”
Maundy Thursday commemorates what is called the Last Supper, which was true – it was the last meal Jesus and the disciples would enjoy together since Jesus would be arrested later that very night. By the next afternoon, Jesus would be dead. I wonder what the dinner-table conversations were like that evening? I wonder if it would have been similar to conversations we may be having this week, in 2021.
This week marks the beginning of the trial of Derek Chauvin for killing George Floyd, who died while being taken into police custody last Memorial Day. Floyd’s death sparked a global movement decrying racism. We have not witnessed such a movement since the Civil Rights movement a generation ago. Depending on who is invited to dinner, you may or may not talk about what happened to George Floyd and the trial. If you are all on the same ideological page, it will be an unpleasant yet unifying dialogue. Yet many will be reluctant to allow the conversation to begin because it represents a larger, extremely divisive issue that often falls along party lines. Black Lives Matter finds itself in a head-on collision with Blue Lives Matter. There is no shortage of strong opinions on either side.
For Jesus and his closest followers, this week was similarly charged. They made the trip from the northern region of Galilee where they were from to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast that remembered the miracle-laden drama that led to Israel’s release from Egyptian captivity. Jewish people – especially those outside of Jerusalem – were hoping and praying for history to repeat itself where God might free them the oppression of the Roman Empire. Jesus and his disciples anticipated some fireworks that week, knowing that Jesus was seen as at least an upstart if not the very person God would use in Moses-like fashion to free Israel yet again. There would be talk of Pilate, the Roman Governor ruling over the entire region that included what we call Israel. He likely couldn’t have cared less about the Jewish people, their traditions, or their land. He made sure things were kept quiet by ruling with an iron fist. The disciples would also be criticizing Caiaphas, the Jewish High Priest who was a Sadducee, one of the primary sects of Judaism that primarily found adherents in and around Jerusalem. They were known for their legalism, which was a practical pursuit – if they kept Jewish people obeying the law of God, they would not have to endure as much harsh treatment from Rome. The Sadducees were an elite group of Jews, too – richer and more educated than the other sects. They saw their wealth as a clear indication of God’s favor, blessing, and endorsement. They also believed that there was no hope beyond the grave – once dead, that was it. Perhaps their belief was allowed, in part, because their current life was luxurious and there was little need for correction after death? The poor followers of Jesus had little respect for the Jewish elite and were more than ready to see them topple. The signs of their corruption were everywhere. They were ready to be part of a new exodus. Lucky for them, they sat very close to the new Moses. Life would soon be good for them. It would be animated conversation about what they saw as the problems of the world and how to solve them. Not unlike conversations we might have today.
Do you recall how long George Floyd struggled to breathe? Many of us have memorized it: eight minutes and forty-six seconds. In fact, that answer is wrong. The more accurate answer is that George Floyd struggled to breathe since 1619, when Africans were taken from their continent and shipped to our land to provide cheap labor that would eventually allow our economy to be sustainable beyond the British crown. Global protests didn’t arise because of one case of police brutality, but rather the ongoing treatment of people of color – especially black people – in the United States and around the globe. The case now being tried regarding George Floyd’s death is really about a system that contributed to George Floyd’s struggle with crime and drugs up to and including the last day of his life. This wasn’t simply a story about one “bad dude” who met his demise because of one “bad cop” – this is more complex, with centuries of stories that lead up to and include what we are still seeing today. George Floyd has come to epitomize the plight of the black lives, and Derek Chauvin (who kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8:46) has come to represent oppression.
The disciples knew they were oppressed, and they knew who was doing the oppressing. They had their strong opinions about what needed to happen, and for many of them it involved a long-overdue revolt led by their leader, Jesus. The names of the characters have changed, but I imagine the themes of the conversation were not too different. I also think that their reaction to Jesus’ words that night was as challenging as they are for us today.
Jesus washed their feet – something nobody else was willing to do – a clear and bold identification with servanthood. He told them that what he did was a model for them to follow. The disciples were quieted and humbled by Jesus’ gesture. They were so caught up in their passionate conversation that they failed to do what needed to be done, even and especially for the one they honored as their leader.
Jesus then gave them a new commandment, that they love one another the way Jesus loved them. They would forever tie that command to the experience of their feet still drying from being washed. To love as Jesus loved was to humbly serve the other.
Jesus’ mandate here is where we get the term, Maundy (mandate) Thursday. We remember who we are called to be and what we are called to do.
The next day is so well remembered because Jesus followed his own command. He chose not to add to the violence and instead absorb it while the world watched in horror. This is nonviolent resistance at its best. An innocent victim of centuries of injustice played out in the life of one poor Jewish peasant at the hands of Church and state in collaboration.
We need to remember this night in history so that we can more adequately see what is happening now and decide whether or not to hear and heed the invitation of Jesus to be who God calls us to be and what God calls us to do. To see, hear, and understand. To be wise in the way we shine a light on the deep and complex challenges we face today. To help shoulder the burden, even taking our licks, so that the world may see it, too.
As you take the bread, remember the body of Jesus that took a knee to wash feet. Remember the blood that coursed through his veins as his heart rate rose as he went from disciple to disciple, foot to foot, toe to toe. Remember the body of Jesus that he willingly offered that was subjected to unjust, harsh treatment from his arrest all the way to his death. Remember the blood he shed, the beatings he suffered as a sign of all that is unjust in the world. Remember that because he chose not to respond in similar retaliation, the world is still captivated and drawn to him as the model for change.
Even if the world around you clamor for violence and violent response, remember Jesus, and be a part of the way forward that leads to peace, lest his flesh and blood be wasted and our communion an offense to his name, as Paul instructed to the Corinthians below:
What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt.
Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of "remembrance" you want to be part of? Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe.
If you give no thought (or worse, don't care) about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you're running the risk of serious consequences. That's why so many of you even now are listless and sick, and others have gone to an early grave. If we get this straight now, we won't have to be straightened out later on. Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later.
So, my friends, when you come together to the Lord's Table, be reverent and courteous with one another. If you're so hungry that you can't wait to be served, go home and get a sandwich. But by no means risk turning this Meal into an eating and drinking binge or a family squabble. It is a spiritual meal—a love feast. – 1 Corinthians 11:26-34 (MSG)