Before the Cross and Grave

In a generation obsessed with This is Us, let me pull a trick from their storytelling - a flashback to 2000 years ago today.

Disclaimer: This is just my interpretation of how Mark 14 and John 13 happened.  Actual dialogue is cited below.

“Wow what a week!” He kicks a stone as he walks and reflects on his way to the house in the city Jesus told him to meet Him at.. “We started with a grand parade for Jesus, my Messiah, as we entered Jerusalem.”  The stone goes off course and he kicks it back on the path.

“Then two days ago, Mary anointed Jesus with that oil.  She just poured it right out without thought. That stuff is worth more than a year’s wages!”

As he kicks the stone and dust, he finally reaches the house and knocks on the door.  A man answers the door.

“Uhh, yes, hi.  I’m Peter. Two of my friends are here.  There is, uh, I guess a guest room for us to eat Passover at.”  He looks around nervously, “I think I’m at the right place.”

The man smiles and leads Peter to meet the others. He gets upstairs and hugs his brothers. He looks around and confirms the room is exactly how Jesus described it.

“Yet again, He doesn’t fail us,” he thought.  The others show up with unleavened bread and wine. They set the table in anticipation of yet another good meal and chat together with Jesus.

Then Jesus enters and a peace covers the room.  They eat the meal as they planned. But then, something happens.

Jesus stands up and takes off His outer garments.  Standing in undergarments, vulnerable, He takes a towel and wraps it around Himself.  He pours water into a basin and walks to each seat to wash the feet of His beloved.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” (John 13:6-8).

Today, 2000 years ago, this is what happened. Jesus tells two of His disciples to go to a house and ask about their guest room.  They go and it’s ready for them.

The rest meet up with them there to celebrate the Passover together.  I’d imagine over their three year ministry, they’ve done this together before.  They eat and expect the Seder to continue, as usual. Jesus stands up and starts filling a basin.  Again, nothing too out of the ordinary, as washing of the hands is part of the traditional Seder dinner.

But then ....Jesus does a strip tease!  Okay, maybe that’s not how the story goes, but He does take everything off but His underwear.

Woah! Jesus!  This isn’t the locker room.  We’re having a holy moment together, keep your clothes on!

Okay, let’s stop right here.  Let’s have a conversation about the fact that Jesus isn’t following the “modest rules” of church camp right now.  I know I sound silly, but this situation is a little weird. My family lights the advent candles together, and you don’t see me taking off my jeans and sweater and chilling in my underwear at Christmas (and ew, my family doesn’t want to see that). Nor I’ve never heard a pastor talk about Jesus in His underwear, so let’s have that conversation.

“...so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing…” (John 13:4)

Earlier in His ministry, the disciples ask Jesus why He speaks in parables.  He explains it to them in Matthew 13. But His actions were also parables.  And this (thankfully) is one of those “parable actions.”

He sheds off his outer layer.  He takes off all the things others have said or thought about Him and gets down to the raw vulnerable parts of Himself.  He doesn’t just do it in terms of His clothing, but in terms of His inner self.

He wraps a towel around Himself (makes it a little less awkward) and gets down on His knees at the feet of His disciples.  He takes their nasty feet (I mean have you ever walked animal waste ridden dirt streets in sandals?) and His gently cups them in His hands.  And He washes them - dirt, poop, and all - and dries them with the towel.

And when He is done, He says, “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. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:14-17).

The “parable action” here was this - humility. And, I think, secondary to that humility breeds vulnerability.

When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet He foreshadowed the lesson of the Last Supper and later the events on the cross.

It’s easy this week to solely focus on the cross and the grave.  I’m not saying to forget that, but don’t forget what happened today.  Don’t forget the lessons of Maundy Thursday.

Though, I might encourage you to keep your clothes on.