Walking the Path of Passion WeekSample

Maundy Thursday

"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:17)

Maundy Thursday might be the most poignant day on the Christian calendar to be a disciple of Jesus. The original events of Thursday in Holy Week serve to remind us just how easy it is to fall away from being a friend of Jesus. Judas betrays him tonight. The inner circle of disciples despair him when they fall asleep—again and again and again—while Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane tonight. Peter denies Jesus, not once, not twice, but three times, and all before the cock crows at night’s end. Tonight, the disciples who ministered with Jesus help set into motion events that will culminate in the pathos and passion of Good Friday.

And, just like the first disciples, each of us have known moments in which we have betrayed, despaired, and denied Jesus.

Yet, despite knowing the deception, abandonment, and desertion that awaits him, Jesus acts with love. He does this in order to have relationship with his disciples—his friends who are about to betray, despair, and deny him.

It is necessary, if we are to grow in our friendship with Jesus, to come face to face with those moments when we’ve betrayed, despaired, or denied him. Not to grovel in it, but to realize that Jesus offers us his divine grace and love. Jesus’ act of love in cleansing the disciples’ feet profoundly demonstrates the depth of Christ’s love despite the revilement to come. Christ’s actions in the foot washing (as well as the Last Supper) demonstrate a way to live that we might have relationship with God and with one another. Then, we might know true blessing that can only come from God.

If we as Christian disciples are to be servants to others, we must be filled with God’s grace and love. Then, it is possible to know and share the kind of agape love for the very same persons who will likely (knowingly or unintentionally) betray, despair, and even deny us.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me grow in steadfast friendship with you. Please grant me your divine grace so that when my friends betray, despair, and deny me, I might boldly proclaim, “Now I begin to be a disciple of Christ!" Amen.

Written by Rev. Dr. Tammie Grimm (Wesley Seminary Associate Professor of Congregational Formation)