Maundy Thursday: A New Commandment
Tomorrow is Maundy Thursday!
Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, is a significant day in the Easter calendar.
It is the day that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples. It is often a night where churches celebrate the Lord’s Supper which Jesus commanded to be repeated and they engage in the practice of footwashing in order to replicate Jesus’s example which Jesus also commanded.
The term "Maundy" comes from the Latin word "mandatum," meaning "commandment," referring to Jesus' commandment to his disciples to love one another as he loved them, as demonstrated in the foot washing story.
Hence those famous words in John’s Gospel:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:33, NIV)
Whenever I think of this passage, I’m reminded of the challenging exposition of Francis Schaeffer who said this:
The church is to be a loving church in a dying culture. How, then, is the dying culture going to consider us? Jesus says, “By this all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” In the midst of the world, in the midst of our present dying culture, Jesus is giving a right to the world. Upon his authority he gives the world the right to judge whether you and I are born-again Christians on the basis of our observable love toward all Christians.
Think about that!
Either the pagan and secular world will say in awe, “See how these Christians love each other!” Or else, they will say with mocking derision, “S/he is no Christian because Christians are known by their love for each other.”
Even worse, they world will judge whether Jesus really did come from the Father on the basis of our love for each other!
This day is about obedience, love, authenticity, and witness.
I particularly like Francis Schaeffer's statement, which rings true in everyday society.
May we follow this command and declare the Kingdom of Heaven has come to the glory of God!