5 April 2012

5 April 2012



"You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.
If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, 
you also ought to wash one another's feet."


Jesus is the LORD and master and yet he comes to be a servant to all.  Jesus knows who he is in both contexts, LORD and servant, because he knows that he is from the Father.  He knows that he "he had come from God and was going to God" and can therefore lay aside his garments to wash us clean from our sins knowing that this doesn't compromise who he is.  In fact it exemplifies it.


Jesus lays all he has aside when he hangs upon the cross for our sake.  He lays all he has 
aside when he takes himself in his hands and gives himself to us as bread.  Therefore
"as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."  His offering of himself is one.  He gives us himself as food and gives his life for us on the cross as one offering.  His most profound gift to us is also the only thing we can offer him in thanksgiving.  With his life now in us we are empowered to lay our lives down "to wash one another's feet."  We both surrender our own will to him and love him in others when we do this. Therefore, it is our most true thanksgiving. 


For all of the LORD's bounty to us this is what we offer in return.  "I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD."  He is given to us for our healing and he is at once our most true thanksgiving for that healing.  He is the blood on the signposts of our hearts which saves us.  He is the lamb on which we feast.  He is at once our freedom and the memorial to be celebrated forevermore.  


So let us remember him as we do this.  Let us remember the whole history of salvation wherein the LORD gives himself for our sake.  Let us see this gift veiled in the appearance of bread and, as we receive it, let our remembrance bring that very gift from the outside to the depths of our hearts so that he may be our all in all.