When you had a party or dinner who did you invite?
Family, probably really good friends.
Now I want you to sit with something for a moment as you think about a past party and all of the people you invited.
Judas Iscariot was invited to Jesus’ last party, last supper— not only is he invited, but The man who will turn in Jesus has his tenderly washed feet washed by this man—the man who will set in motion the events that will nail Jesus to a cross— was welcomed ate the last supper with Jesus—sit with that for a moment.
Can you imagine inviting someone like that to your party? I can’t.
And Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him.
In the middle of the last supper—in a part we don’t read today—Jesus announces one of you is going to betray me. As you can imagine this causes a stir- as people are whispering and wondering -one of the disciples whispers in his ear—which one—Jesus whispers back the guy I had a piece of bread to.
And it happens he dips the bread and passes it to Judas.
It’s powerful to think about that he washes Judas feet knowing what he knows. It’s powerful but not unexpected cause this is Jesus and he does things that you and I don’t do.
But in John’s Gospel part of the focus of the Last supper is all about teaching his disciple about what it looks like to love one another the love—but he doesn’t just teach he gives them a new commandment I give to you—love one another.
Maundy comes from the word Mandatum—commandment mandat—that the focus tonight is around that mandate.to love one another.
I want to tell you about someone who knew about sharing this kind of love---his name was Phocas the Gardener-if you’ve been playing Lent Madness you will have probably heard of Phocas. For those who don’t know Phocas was a hermit lived in the early days of the church just outstide of town called Sinope on the southern coast of the Black Sea. Given that his name was Phocas the Gardner you can imagine what he did for a living—he had a Gardener- Phocas sold his produce to make ends meet but also got a reputation for sharing his fruits and vegetables with the needy and poor.
During one of the persecutions in the early church—Phocas came under scrutiny for both his great generosity and for sharing his Christian faith—it so angered the authorities that a detachment of soldiers were sent to Sinope to kill him—because he was a hermit and lived just outside by the gate of the city the detachment of soldiers showed up at his house first and began asking about this Phocas guy. But at first he didn’t tell them that it was him. That night before he revealed his identity he cooked them supper and gave them a place to sleep. He promised to lead them to Phocas in the morning. That night while the soldiers slept he dug his grave in his garden and when morning arrived he revealed who he was to soldiers. Shocked and not wanting to execute this very generous man they asked him to recant his faith, but he wouldn’t.
He was executed and buried in his garden.
That is the love that Jesus commands—a love that provides radical hospitality even in the face of great danger-even with those who might be seeking to kill you. That is the love that is different than the love of the world—the love that Jesus commands will be so radical that it will set his followers apart—look that must be a Christian because only Christians love like that.
Ted Williams the great Red Sox baseball player used to say that when someone saw him on the street he wanted them to say Look there goes the greatest baseball player who ever played the game. And that drove him to practice and work hard and to try to be the greatest baseball player.
I think Jesus in this passage essentially says when people see his followers on the street they would say—Look that must be a Christian, that must be a follower of Jesus because only followers of Jesus love like that. That is the love that we work toward—that is the goal of our lives.
The love that Jesus commands is almost impossible to live out—and maybe it is, but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t called to try it.
Nobody said following Jesus would be easy- for how many times have we heard him say something that in following him you will have to deny yourself, or in following him you will have to give up everything— that following him its about picking up your cross.
Bishop Michael Curry in his Easter message this week—said that this unselfish sacrificial love is the only hope this world has—it is the only hope for the human family—it’s the only kind of love that can remake the world.
Today Jesus shows us that love
Today we receive that love and today we go with that love.
A new commandment I give to you. Love one another. AMEN
No comments:
Post a Comment