Maundy Thursday

The hour has come.  The Son of Man will be lifted up.  While the betrayer gathers his associates, Jesus offers final words of comfort to the remaining eleven.  The Gospel of John offers us a unique glimpse into something sacred:  the holy intimacy between the Son and the Father.  They are one in mission:  to give eternal life- the life of the age to come- expressed in relational knowledge of the Father and Son here and now.

As the prayer begins, both the disciples and we, the readers millennia into the future, feel outside the conversation.  This is a sacred interaction within the triune Godhead.  They are bound together in eternal love, mutual submission, and an enduring mission to redeem creation.  But within a few verses, the divine circle opens, and the disciples are brought into our inclusion goes beyond experiencing the joy of divine love; it is also an invitation to join the divine mission.  Jesus prays not that his followers will be taken out of the world – the metaphor John uses to represent rebellious, sinful humanity.  Rather, he prays that God the Father would protect us as we are in the world.  He asks that we might be sanctified by the truth of God as we are sent into the world.  The intent is clear:  we are on a mission with the true God to redeem the world.

Jesus goes on to pray for the unity of believers.  How often this verse has been cited during a contentious board meeting or church conflict.  Yet this verse is less about “getting along” and far more about the oneness in mission and purpose.  As the Father and Son cooperate in love to redeem the beloved world, so too the church as a reflection of the Trinity cooperates in love to participate in that redemption.

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day on which we remember the mandatum, or commandment, of Jesus at the Last Supper:  “ A new command I give you:  Love one another: By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another”.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another. “

As we seek to live into the holy invitation to join the triune God in mission, this commandment serves as our firm foundation.  We begin in love- and not the romanticized teamwork in which everyone always agrees.  The love Jesus invites us to pursue is the self-giving love that he himself exemplified.  This love heals our sin-sick hearts, restores our faith communities, and gives us the impetus to go out into the world in service.

May we bear Christ’s love to the world in tangible, practical, and transforming relationships with those around us.

Taken from “Sacred Invitation” Lenten Devotions inspired by the Book of Common Prayer.