Maundy Thursday is the day during Holy Week that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus and is when the Love Feast and the Washing of the Feet act of service are practiced in some Christian churches. Churches observe Maundy Thursday in various ways.
Love Feast. The Love Feast was a fellowship meal eaten by Christians in the early church for the purpose of fellowship and usually ended with sharing in the Lord’s Supper (Communion). At the services I’ve attended there was a light meal of soup and bread followed by the foot washing and then the observance of the Lord’s Supper. In the verses below Paul was exhorting the Corinthians to come to the Lord’s table in the right spirit which some of them weren’t. They were coming on empty stomachs and thinking only of themselves. The Love Feast is meant to give Christians a time of fellowship over the meal and unite them as they eat together. Once this takes place, they are prepared spiritually to serve each other as Jesus did.
“When you meet together,
you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper.
For some of you hurry to eat
your own meal without sharing with others.
As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk.
What? Don’t you have your own homes
for eating and drinking?
Or do you really want to disgrace
God’s church and shame the poor?
What am I supposed to say?
Do you want me to praise you?
Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!”
1 Corinthians 11:20-22, NLT
Foot Washing. I have been to a couple of Foot Washing services, and it is humbling to get down on your knees and wash someone else’s feet and then have them wash yours, yet that is what Jesus did for His Disciples at their last meal together. It would do us all good to participate at least once in a lifetime in such a service to experience what the Disciples were experiencing when Jesus washed their feet.
“Jesus got up from the meal,
took off His outer clothing,
and wrapped a towel around His waist.
After that, He poured water into a basin
and began to wash His disciples’ feet,
drying them with the towel
that was wrapped around Him.
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet,
you also should wash one another’s feet.
I have set you an example that
you should do as I have done for you.”
John 13:4-5, 14-15, NIV
Washing your guest’s feet when they arrived after a long dusty walk in sandals was a common courtesy but one the Disciples hadn’t thought about in preparation. Jesus demonstrated servanthood and washed their feet which also showed them in a tangible way that spiritual cleansing was needed as well.
The Last Supper. After these acts of fellowship and service were done, Jesus continued teaching and preparing His Disciples for what was to come next. He shared His last meal with His Disciples which has become known as The Last Supper or Communion, and is our way of commemorating Jesus death, burial, and resurrection until He comes again for us in the clouds.
“He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it.
Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples,
saying, “This is my body, which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
After supper he took another cup of wine and said,
“This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—
an agreement confirmed with my blood,
which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.”
Luke 22:19-20, NLT
Garden of Gethsemane. Upon finishing up their time of fellowship with singing a hymn, they walked out to the Mount of Olives. The Garden of Gethsemane is a garden that sits at the base of the Mount of Olives. Jesus and His Disciples spent a lot of time there praying, teaching, and fellowshipping together because it was a quiet place where they could rest without being disturbed…until this night. Jesus asked His friends to stay and watch and pray while He went a little further to pray alone, but as we know they fell asleep more than once. Finally, it was time for things to start heating up. Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss and Jesus was dragged away which began the physical abuse at the trials that started that night and concluded the next day.
“And when they had sung an hymn,
they went out into the mount of Olives.”
Matthew 26:30, KJV
Reflection. What can we learn from the events of this Maundy Thursday? Look back at each of the pieces of that day…which was really only an evening…and listen to what Jesus is telling and showing us here.
PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, You were busy right up to the end teaching and demonstrating love and servanthood to those around You. May I be able to do the same until You call me home to Heaven.
- Week 1 – temptation
- Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
- Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
- Week 4 – God’s love for us
- Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
- Week 6 – suffering (W), pain (T), and struggles (F-S), rejoicing (Palm Sunday), Trials (M-T-W), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Silent Saturday
- Easter – resurrection and salvation