A New Way

Sermon preached Thursday, April 1, 2021, Maundy Thursday, at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Littlestown, PA.

As I was preparing my sermon for tonight, I was really struck by the Gospel story in a new way.

I don’t say that lightly. The story of the Last Supper, Jesus’ last evening with his disciples, is incredibly well known. Not only do we hear it every Holy Week on Maundy Thursday, but we hear segments of this Farewell Discourse throughout the year, and we are reminded of it each time we partake in communion.

Even still, I heard it anew, especially the ending.

Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Even here, even at the end of it all, even though he’s about to be betrayed and denied and beaten and executed—he still has love on his mind.

That’s what this meal is about: love.

And this love is for everyone.

This love is for Judas, who we know is secretly plotting. He is going to tip off the chief priests and lead them to Jesus. And still, Jesus washes his feet. And still, Jesus offers him the same bread and wine.

And this love is for Peter, who we know will end up resorting to violence and denying him. Still, Jesus washes his feet. Still, Jesus offers him the same bread and wine.

And this love is for all those disciples in the upper room, the ones who will hid until Jesus appears to them and struggle to find their way forward.

Still, Jesus washes their feet. Still, Jesus offers them the same bread and wine.

And what’s more?

This love is even, miraculously, blessedly, thankfully, for us, too.

We, who will value power or money over God.

We, who will deny God when things get tough.

We, who will hide when we are afraid.

We, who will hurt our neighbor and be selfish and ignore the injustices around us.

Somehow, God’s abundant, unending love is for us—for us to receive and for us to share. To share freely—with no litmus test to judge another’s qualifications or divisions set up by our politics.

Love—God’s love—is above it all.

Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Let’s be sure that’s what others see.

Amen.