The Living Lord's Supper

Maundy Thursday, April 9, 2009

On Maundy Thursday three congregations hosted "A Living Lord's Supper," in our sanctuary. This presentation included drama, narration and music. Host congregations were First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), United Methodist Church, and C.H.R.I.S.T. Missionary Fellowship. Eight denominations were represented in actors, musicians, and narrators.

The drama was a compilation of events from the gospels. After Jesus washed the disciples' feet he went to the table, explained his actions and then announced the betrayal before sharing the bread and cup with them. Communion by intinction was then offered to the gathered congregation. The evening concluded with the following homily.


On this night Jesus went to the table with dirty feet! It appears that not one of the persons in the Upper Room even thought to offer to wash the dust of the road from Jesus’ feet. No one had the humility or forethought to minister to Jesus on that night. So Jesus went to the table with dirty feet.

Actually, Jesus went to the cross with dirty feet! The dirt of betrayal and denial, the dirt of rejection and fear, the dirt of abuse and humiliation. Before his death Jesus will be forced to walk into places of power and take the dirt of false judgment upon himself. He will stand before the religious leaders of his day and receive their scorn, their false testimony, their accusations. Jesus will be brought before the political powers and asked to give an account of himself.

In a few minutes Jesus will leave this room, only to agonize in prayer in the garden while these men sleep, weary from waiting. Then he will be betrayed with a kiss, the traditional sign of friendship and peace! Then, condemnation and death—a shameful death—crucifixion on a Roman cross.

Jesus went to the cross with dirty feet, a bruised back and a bleeding brow. He was whipped and slapped and spit upon—and a crown of thorns was forced on to his head. He was mocked and bullied. Jesus endured the scorn and the shame. With the dirt of this world covering him, Jesus went to the cross.

Later the Apostle Peter would remember these events and write about them.
When they hurled their insults at him, Peter writes, [Jesus] did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to [the One] who judges justly. Jesus entrusted himself to the Father.

Think about this. When his message was rejected, Jesus could have shaken the dust off his feet and gone on to find a people more receptive to his message—but he didn’t. Jesus persevered and endured all that this world threw at him in order to demonstrate the Father’s love. 24 [Jesus] …bore our sins in his body on the tree, Peter writes, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness… 1 Peter 2:23-24

On this night Jesus went to the table with dirty feet—but a few nights earlier, in another room at another gathering, there was one who came and bathed his feet with a very expensive ointment and wiped them with her hair. Just as there was disapproval tonight when Jesus humbled himself and washed the feet of his friends, there was even more disapproval on that night. No one in the room approved of this woman’s extravagant gesture—no one except Jesus!

Jesus defended her extravagance—her use of this anointing balm that cost a year’s wages. He acknowledged her faith. So instead of rebuking her—as some of the men suggested—Jesus rebuked them! On that evening Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing… She has prepared my body for burial.”

It would seem that this woman understood that death waited around the corner for Jesus. She seemed to know that her opportunities to express her love for him were limited. So while the other disciples criticized and condemned her, Jesus received her.

And it is worth noting, it was this extravagant expression of faith and love that sent Judas to the chief priests to plot the betrayal. On that night as this woman caressed his feet and rubbed the ointment into his calluses Jesus drew strength from her simple gesture. Her forethought communicated to him that there was at least one person who had some understanding of what was happening. Fragrance filled the air on that night. But tonight Jesus came to the table with dirty feet. No one had had the forethought to minister to him.

Turn to go to the pulpit—then stop & turn back to the congregation.

But we have the opportunity to minister to Jesus—now—here in the 21st century, in El Dorado Springs—because Jesus said as you do a good deed for the least of these, you do it unto me! You and I still have the opportunity to minister to Jesus—if we have eyes to see Jesus in the face of the least of these who are in need!
Isn’t that amazing? An amazing opportunity! Amazing love!

Gospel accounts Anointing in Bethany: Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50; John 12:1-8