“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday."

– Isaiah 58:9,10

Day 38 : Maundy Thursday

Today, we observe Maundy Thursday, the day that Christ celebrated Passover with his disciples and washed their feet, before he was betrayed by Judas.

If you are newer to Anglicanism, you might be wondering about the meaning of "Maundy." It comes from the Latin word for mandate, meaning "command," and refers to Jesus' words after he had finished washing his disciples' feet:

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." – John 13:34

A new commandment... a new mandate.... Maundy Thursday.

Foot washing was a standard practice when entering a home at this time and place in history. People wore sandals, the streets were dusty and dirty, and so feet became quite filthy very quickly. Therefore, shoes were removed and feet were washed upon crossing the threshold. It was a very practical custom of sanitation.

In the average home, people washed their own feet, but in a wealthy home, a servant or slave would wash the feet of guests. The job was considered disgusting, and was only given to the lowliest of servants.

"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." – John 13:14

Yet here we see our Lord and Savior, King Jesus, stooping in humility to wash the dirty feet of his disciples. This is love – demonstrated in action, in practical caretaking, in literally "getting his hands dirty."

Setting aside his own comfort and pride, he assumes the role of the lowliest servant on behalf of his friends, in order that they – that we – might have a living illustration of how to treat each other. How to serve each other. How to love each other.

"In humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others." – Philippians 2:3,4

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." – John 13:34

In God's upside-down Kingdom, where the first shall be last and the last shall be first, our King humbles himself to be a servant to all, and tells us to love each other in the same way that he has loved us. What does this mean for us today, in North America in 2024? How can we "wash each other's feet?"

The answer brings us back to Isaiah 58. We can love others the way Christ loves us when we:

loose the chains of injustice
break every yoke
set the oppressed free
share our food with the hungry
provide the poor wanderer with shelter
clothe the naked
satisfy the needs of the oppressed

Over the past six weeks, we've learned about and prayed about human trafficking, food insecurity, homelessness, creation care, and community development.

How is God calling you to "wash the feet" of those who are hungry, without shelter, or living under the weight of being neglected or those who require effort to be seen?

"Washing of Feet," from Giotto's fresco series "Scenes From the Life of Christ", in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padova, Italy, 1304 AD