Lord of all days; this day is special, make it more so for the needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
It's almost like our day of Thanksgiving here in this country. You awaken early in the morning and in some homes you smell the roasting of the holiday bird, perhaps the smell of pies that are also being prepared. Your mind races to that time later when you will sit and feast with family and friends and enjoy conversation, some football games, maybe a parade or two. This day was a day of thanksgiving for Jesus and all of His faith. The Jews remembered the passing over of their homes by the angel of death. This was the last contest between God and Pharoah and God won. That night the firstborn of those whose homes did not have blood on the doorposts were killed. That was more than Pharoah could take and so he ordered the Jews to flee Egypt. The preparations for that night allowed the Jews to be ready and God ordered that every year after that they were to remember that once they had been held in bondage, now they were free. The Scriptures tell us that on that day of remembrance, Jesus added to the celebration with two different things; one was to wash the feet of the disciples, and then the additon to the remembrance meal that which established our Communion service.
The act of washing the disciples' feet was something that caught all of them off-guard, especially Peter, who protested such an act. In that culture for a man to wash another man's feet was too demeaning. Only those who were considered "beneath" you in class or standing in a society could do such a hideous thing. But Jesus wanted to demonstrate the power of humility and servanthood to them. This act was one that showed how much He loved them. The story is found in John 13:4-12. After the supper, Jesus taught them about what was to happen the next day saying, "This is my body and my blood, given for you out of love and for the forgiveness of sins." What a change for the better Jesus brought to the entire world by this simple but powerful act.
Tonight we have a chance to participate in a service to remember that. Many churches will call it Maundy Thursday, referring to the new commandment (Maundy=commandment) that Jesus also gave: That you love one another. The service focuses on the love that God has through Jesus in this sacrament of Holy Communion, and besides our receiving love, we must show love to everyone else.
PRAYER: Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
