Sermon for Maundy Thursday 2022 - They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love
GOSPEL: John 13:1-17, 31b-35
The holy gospel according to John.
Glory to you, O Lord.
1Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”
31b“Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34I 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.”
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love,
by our love,
yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
These days,
I’m not so sure this is the case.
In 2007, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons,
with the Barna Group
Conducted surveys
of young, unchurched North Americans.
(Kinnaman & Lyons. “UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity… And Why It Matters. Baker Books: Grand Rapids, MI. 2007.)
They were asked if certain words or phrases describe
present day Christianity.
When asked “Consistently shows love for other people.”
only 16% said yes, that’s present day Christianity,
55% said that describes some Christians.
The same survey says that
modern day Christians are known,
not so much by their love,
but by being judgmental, 57%
hypocritical, 54%
and anti-homosexual - 66%.
The survey says that,
according to those outside the church,
Christians are more boring than loving,
more insensitive than loving,
more unaccepting than loving.
Only 16% have a good impression of Christianity.
Ouch.
How do people know that you are Christian?
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love,
by our love,
yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
On this Maundy Thursday -
Maundy meaning commandment,
we remember Christ’s commandment
to love one another as Christ first loves us.
Jesus shows the disciples - and us - great love
in humble service -
through washing feet.
washing feet is about hospitality
washing feet was the slave’s job,
the servant’s job.
washing feet told people that you were lower
than them on the social totem pole
showing hospitality for someone greater.
Jesus reverses roles.
Jesus washes the disciple’s feet
to show them God’s kind of hospitality
God’s kind of love
- even to Judas, his betrayer -
love shown in humble service
love shown in justice.
God’s kind of love leads to justice.
Jesus Washing feet says
the master is no greater than the slave,
and the slave no greater than the master.
Jesus washing feet says that,
in the kingdom of God,
all are equal,
are all servants,
all are loved.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love,
by our love,
yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
Some of the Christians I admire most,
don't go to church,
not even at Christmas.
They don’t wear cross necklaces
or have a Jesus fish bumper sticker.
They just simply make a point of loving,
making a point of showing hospitality,
even when it gets difficult;
even when they don’t really want to.
The people I’m thinking of
would not even consider themselves Christians;
but I do -
I see Jesus in them;
I know them by their love,
I’ll tell you about one person I’m thinking of,
we will call him Jordan.
Jordan is a tattoo artist.
He is quite talented:
gifted in various styles of artwork,
tattooing included.
Jordan does not have much love for the church.
It is hard for Jordan to get past
the many accounts of sexual abuse
at the hands of priests,
and lack of action from the Vatican.
If anything, Jordan is anti-church.
But I know Jordan by his love and hospitality.
In his home and in his work,
Jordan stands up for minorities and those in need,
especially the vulnerable and sexual minorities.
If you go to Jordan’s very popular tattoo parlour,
you will find a rainbow flag in his store window;
a small sign so that people
in the LBGTQ2SIA+ community
know they are welcome there.
Years ago, Jordan opened his home
to some kids who desperately needed a foster parent.
This was incredibly challenging for the family
and I know he thought about sending them
away at various times.
But he didn’t.
Jordan decided to show these difficult teens
hospitality and love
by being a foster parent for them
as long as they needed it.
I’m not saying that to follow Jesus
we all need to adopt orphans.
On the other hand,
if we take God’s call to care for
the widows and orphans seriously,
maybe we really should.
There are a few other stories about Jordan I could share,
the point is:
Jordan isn’t Christian,
yet I have seen Jesus in and through Jordan
by his love.
I see God at work in and through him.
Jordan, the non-Christian
has shown me what it means to be Christian,
to show radical hospitality,
inclusivity and love
to all people,
especially those most vulnerable.
How do people know that we are Christian?
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love,
by our love,
yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
I have Good News for us today,
a very Christian,
very Lutheran truth:
we are not saved by our good works.
Jordan is not saved by the love that he has shown
to the vulnerable people he has crossed paths with.
You and I are not saved
because of those times that
we showed people hospitality and love.
We are saved by God’s grace.
We are saved by Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.
We are saved by Christ’s outpouring of love.
With salvation,
with the privilege of being followers of Jesus
comes the privilege of loving as Christ loves us.
God is love,
so we love one another as God loves us.
That’s why we wash feet.
We wont do this in our service tonight,
just as a loving precaution
amidst a prolonged pandemic.
But you’re invited to wash one another’s feet
in your homes this evening.
Wash your spouse’s feet,
your children’s feet,
whoever is in your home - wash their feet
and let them wash your feet too.
If you’re alone at home;
wash your own feet.
Washing feet is an invitation,
an opportunity to practice
the kind of hospitality and service and love
that Jesus shows:
that Jordan shows.
Remember that it is Jesus washing your feet tonight.
And when you take the water and the towel,
remember that you are Christ
to your family or yourself tonight.
We love as Christ first loved us,
so that others may experience God’s love.
Tonight is practice,
so you might - by God’s love
take your water and towels
and love and serve
your neighbour selflessly
tomorrow.
I mentioned that survey…
it wasn’t too friendly to Christians.
But it is a hard truth for us who follow Jesus.
We Christians have been known for many things,
and too low down the list
is being known for our love.
It is time to change the narrative.
By God’s grace,
by the love of Jesus Christ,
by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
May they know we are Christians by our love,
by our love,
yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
