Day 38 of Lent, Maundy Thursday: April 17, 2025

Scripture: John 13:1–17, 31b–35

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” – John 13:34

From traditional interpretations and artistic renditions of this text we have been given the image of The Upper Room as a quiet, intimate place with folks speaking in hush tones and the room softly lit and full of shadows.

Jesus has gathered with his disciples to share a final meal. The room is heavy with anticipation. And then suddenly into this scene, Jesus does something entirely unexpected—he kneels.

With a basin of water and a towel, Jesus washes the feet of his friends, one by one. The King becomes the servant. The Teacher takes the role of the lowest household slave.

It is not just unexpected, it is shocking. Peter protests. But Jesus is unwavering. In this moment, the heart of God revealed—not in displays of grandeur, but in the humility of service and sacrifice.

And then, after washing and breaking bread and blessing wine, Jesus speaks: “A new commandment I give to you.” This isn’t a new in concept—love has always been central to the law—but this is new in its scope and depth. “Just as I have loved you,” Jesus says, “so you must love one another.”

This is Maundy Thursday. The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin mandatum, meaning “command.” And the command is simple, yet endlessly challenging: Love one another—not as the world loves, but as Christ loves.

And as Father Henri Nouwen wrote, “Jesus did not just speak of love; he enacted it—in bread broken, in feet washed, in betrayal endured.”

What does that look like? It looks like foot washing. Like kneeling before those who misunderstand you. Like offering bread to the one who will betray you. Like staying at the table with imperfect people. Like love that knows no pride, no limits, no conditions.

Jesus knows what lies ahead. He knows the cross is coming, the agony in the garden, the denials, and the abandonment. Still, he chooses love.

Maundy Thursday calls us to that same choice. In a world where it’s easier to walk away, avoid, or retaliate, we are called to wash feet. To feed the hungry. To love sacrificially, even when it costs us something.

Holy Week turns here—from public ministry to private grief. But it is not a downward spiral—it is to a deeper understanding of the very nature of God. And this command to love is the hinge on which all of Holy Week turns.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Alleluia Amen.

Reflection Questions: