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| Maundy Thursday 13 April, 2006 The Rev. Robert C. Granfeldt |
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In secular society, as an event approaches its climax, and nears its end, it’s common
to say, “It’s all over but the shouting.”
That’s almost literally true, tonight, as we near the end of Holy Week. But we need
always to bear in mind that this week BEGINS with shouting! The people of Jerusalem
lining the streets, shouting “Hosannas” as Jesus road by mounted on a young ass.
Not that it was a particularly spontaneous event, as there are ample signs that Jesus’
followers were ready for it, ready with cut branches to cast before him, and ready
with their cloaks to cover the way!
Nevertheless, it is equally certain that the people of Jerusalem – some of whom,
surely, had no idea who these crazy people were, or who that odd-ball on the ass
was; while others had probably heard of this itinerant preacher, this “hick”, who had
come in from the countryside with his rag-tag band of followers to kick up a fuss and
irritate the “establishment” types, and were curious – certain that many of them,
always on the lookout for a chance to raise some hell join and irritate the Romans and
the Religious types, joined in. Shouting “Hosanna” with the best of them!
So the week did begin with shouting. And of course, it would end with shouting, too.
People crying out for the blood of this rabble-rouser; people crying out for the
release of the rebel, Barabbas, and let this newcomer be hanged! And, of course, it
can also be assumed with a high degree of certainty that many of the same people
who had joined in the Hosannas on Sunday would be joining in the cry to “crucify
him,” on Friday, jeering and deriding him on his way to the Place of the Skull!
But on this night, we’re not quite ready for the end, not quite ready for the final round
of shouting!
On this night, the man who came into town on the back of an ass, and who would go
out of it bloody and in rags, had one more thing to do!
He was always an odd one, that Jesus. He had put together quite a band of followers,
certainly, but they didn’t understand him – didn’t understand what was going on most
of the time – if at all!
And tonight’s no different. Just see how, at the end of the Passover meal, they get
into that old argument, again, disputing which among them was to be the greatest
when Jesus came into his kingdom!
The foot-washing episode, which story is told in the alternate gospel for tonight, was
a kind of last-ditch effort to get through to them, at last, I think! To try to show them
that being the “greatest” was not what it was all about, but serving and giving –
giving one’s self! That was an odd thing for Jesus to do, too – stripping down,
wrapping in a towel and washing the feet of his followers. Still the odd one! Still the
weirdo!
But there was something odder, still, that he did that night!
In the course of the Passover meal, he took the bread to bless it, as was customary,
but what he said, then was different – not at all a part of the standard Passover ritual.
As he passed the bread to his friends he told them, “eat this – because this is my
body, my flesh! When you eat this bread you will be eating me!”
And then, at the end of the meal, at the final cup, a similar thing: he blessed it, as
usual, too, but as he passed it to them, he told them, “Drink this, because this is the
cup of my blood! When you drink this cup, you will be drinking my life!”
“My Body and My Blood are given for you – my life poured out for you!”
“And,” he told them, “whenever you come together like this, as my friends, my
disciples, do this same thing - share in the bread of my body and drink the cup of my
blood; and I will be with you!”
I have told you, in the past, how I feel about making this night about footwashing! It
has always struck me as something of a sham – with the “leadership” – from the Pope
on down, at each level – the “leadership” making a thing about their “humility” by
washing feet. Of course, in doing so, they’re playing the part of Jesus – and they
generally, of course, wash the feet of only “the best” people – their own people!
It doesn’t really matter, I suppose, and I wouldn’t object if not for the fact that it takes
attention away from the REALLY important thing Jesus did that night: which was
offering his body and pouring out his blood for his people!
Just one more of the many odd things Jesus did over the time of his ministry – and
like so many of those things, beyond the understanding of his followers! The
argument about who should be top dog, after all, came AFTER the bread and wine bit!
They obviously hadn’t a clue, at the time.
But, when it was all over, we can be sure – and know for a fact – that as weird as that
bread and wine/body and blood thing was, they did do as they were told! In the days
and weeks, and months, and years after Jesus was finally gone to his Father, when
they gathered they did as they were told: they ate the bread and drank the cup in his
name!
And we can be certain, also, that the awareness of what that was about dawned on
them only slowly, slowly over time. But over time, it did dawn…; it did come to them
that when they did as Jesus told them, a very special thing happened, a peculiar
thing…. Kind of hard to explain, but…, but it was almost as if he was still there, still
with them!
And it made them…., what?... feel better? Feel stronger? Feel empowered? Feel, in
fact, as if he was still there, with them? Indeed! All of those things.
And, today, nearly two thousand years later we still do as Jesus told us. We still, when
we come together, bless the bread and the wine, and share it. And we still find, in the
doing, that Jesus the Christ is with us; that he is truly present in us and among us;
still strengthening us; still empowering us; still leading us! Still Really Present.
Yes, it is all over but the shouting. Tomorrow comes the shouting in the courtyard of
the palace, in the streets of the city and on the hillside where the crosses stand. But
tonight…
Tonight we have the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of his Body and
Blood…, just as he promised us.
And, until we join him that’s enough. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
to say, “It’s all over but the shouting.”
That’s almost literally true, tonight, as we near the end of Holy Week. But we need
always to bear in mind that this week BEGINS with shouting! The people of Jerusalem
lining the streets, shouting “Hosannas” as Jesus road by mounted on a young ass.
Not that it was a particularly spontaneous event, as there are ample signs that Jesus’
followers were ready for it, ready with cut branches to cast before him, and ready
with their cloaks to cover the way!
Nevertheless, it is equally certain that the people of Jerusalem – some of whom,
surely, had no idea who these crazy people were, or who that odd-ball on the ass
was; while others had probably heard of this itinerant preacher, this “hick”, who had
come in from the countryside with his rag-tag band of followers to kick up a fuss and
irritate the “establishment” types, and were curious – certain that many of them,
always on the lookout for a chance to raise some hell join and irritate the Romans and
the Religious types, joined in. Shouting “Hosanna” with the best of them!
So the week did begin with shouting. And of course, it would end with shouting, too.
People crying out for the blood of this rabble-rouser; people crying out for the
release of the rebel, Barabbas, and let this newcomer be hanged! And, of course, it
can also be assumed with a high degree of certainty that many of the same people
who had joined in the Hosannas on Sunday would be joining in the cry to “crucify
him,” on Friday, jeering and deriding him on his way to the Place of the Skull!
But on this night, we’re not quite ready for the end, not quite ready for the final round
of shouting!
On this night, the man who came into town on the back of an ass, and who would go
out of it bloody and in rags, had one more thing to do!
He was always an odd one, that Jesus. He had put together quite a band of followers,
certainly, but they didn’t understand him – didn’t understand what was going on most
of the time – if at all!
And tonight’s no different. Just see how, at the end of the Passover meal, they get
into that old argument, again, disputing which among them was to be the greatest
when Jesus came into his kingdom!
The foot-washing episode, which story is told in the alternate gospel for tonight, was
a kind of last-ditch effort to get through to them, at last, I think! To try to show them
that being the “greatest” was not what it was all about, but serving and giving –
giving one’s self! That was an odd thing for Jesus to do, too – stripping down,
wrapping in a towel and washing the feet of his followers. Still the odd one! Still the
weirdo!
But there was something odder, still, that he did that night!
In the course of the Passover meal, he took the bread to bless it, as was customary,
but what he said, then was different – not at all a part of the standard Passover ritual.
As he passed the bread to his friends he told them, “eat this – because this is my
body, my flesh! When you eat this bread you will be eating me!”
And then, at the end of the meal, at the final cup, a similar thing: he blessed it, as
usual, too, but as he passed it to them, he told them, “Drink this, because this is the
cup of my blood! When you drink this cup, you will be drinking my life!”
“My Body and My Blood are given for you – my life poured out for you!”
“And,” he told them, “whenever you come together like this, as my friends, my
disciples, do this same thing - share in the bread of my body and drink the cup of my
blood; and I will be with you!”
I have told you, in the past, how I feel about making this night about footwashing! It
has always struck me as something of a sham – with the “leadership” – from the Pope
on down, at each level – the “leadership” making a thing about their “humility” by
washing feet. Of course, in doing so, they’re playing the part of Jesus – and they
generally, of course, wash the feet of only “the best” people – their own people!
It doesn’t really matter, I suppose, and I wouldn’t object if not for the fact that it takes
attention away from the REALLY important thing Jesus did that night: which was
offering his body and pouring out his blood for his people!
Just one more of the many odd things Jesus did over the time of his ministry – and
like so many of those things, beyond the understanding of his followers! The
argument about who should be top dog, after all, came AFTER the bread and wine bit!
They obviously hadn’t a clue, at the time.
But, when it was all over, we can be sure – and know for a fact – that as weird as that
bread and wine/body and blood thing was, they did do as they were told! In the days
and weeks, and months, and years after Jesus was finally gone to his Father, when
they gathered they did as they were told: they ate the bread and drank the cup in his
name!
And we can be certain, also, that the awareness of what that was about dawned on
them only slowly, slowly over time. But over time, it did dawn…; it did come to them
that when they did as Jesus told them, a very special thing happened, a peculiar
thing…. Kind of hard to explain, but…, but it was almost as if he was still there, still
with them!
And it made them…., what?... feel better? Feel stronger? Feel empowered? Feel, in
fact, as if he was still there, with them? Indeed! All of those things.
And, today, nearly two thousand years later we still do as Jesus told us. We still, when
we come together, bless the bread and the wine, and share it. And we still find, in the
doing, that Jesus the Christ is with us; that he is truly present in us and among us;
still strengthening us; still empowering us; still leading us! Still Really Present.
Yes, it is all over but the shouting. Tomorrow comes the shouting in the courtyard of
the palace, in the streets of the city and on the hillside where the crosses stand. But
tonight…
Tonight we have the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of his Body and
Blood…, just as he promised us.
And, until we join him that’s enough. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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| Calvary Episcopal Church, Rockdale |
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