Holy Week: Thursday

Today is called Maundy Thursday, originated from the latin word of mandate — taken from John 13, after Jesus washes his disciples feet he says this: “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. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn. 13:34–35)

Francis Schaeffer, a missionary and theologian who knew a lot about God — someone who could debate and defend the existence of God and the truth about Jesus with some of the most intellectual people on earth — he still concludes in one of his most famous books, “We must never forget that the final apologetic (meaning a reason to believe in God / evidence for existence of God) which Jesus gave us, is the observable love of Christians.”

I’ve seen this to be true as well… 1) people walk away or stay away from Christianity because of the lack of experienced love from Christians, and 2) people come to saving faith through the truth of God being experienced alongside the love of Christians.

So what does this mandated love look like? Well Jesus says, “just as I have loved you” we are to love. This comes off the back of His foot washing, where the King of the Universe gets on his knees with a towel around His waste, and on his final night with His friends, He washes their feet. Even the feet of Judas who will soon betray Him. This demonstrates the essence of true love, which is humility. What did Jesus deserve on his final day before His death? He deserved to be served! Instead, He served.

My concern for our society today is that we are all wanting — and expecting — to be served. We are all consumers. In college, this sort of mindset is particularly developed and catered to. What can this person, this group, or this school, do for me? This thought is never called into question — equipping you to believe that life is all about you. And Jesus — on this day — gives us a new mandate: Love one another. Serve and bless others, even those you might consider an enemy. Don’t sit around waiting for others to do that to you.

idea: what if today, or this weekend, you think of one person that you want to bless. write them a letter telling them how much you appreciate them. bake them some cookies. help someone with homework. coordinate a friend hangout. buy someone a smoothie or coffee.

how can you wash the (figurative) feet of someone today?

Compelled by the love of Christ, we love. (2 Cor. 5:14)