This sermon was preached on Maundy Thursday, 28th March 2024 at All Saints Church, Oakham.

Reading John 13:1-17, 31-35

What does it mean to follow Jesus? It’s a big question. Too big to answer fully in the time we have together. But start this evening by asking yourself ‘What does it mean to follow Jesus?’ Where do we start? Do we start with prayer, bible reading, charity, at home or at work? If only we had some way of knowing what it would be like to act like Jesus….🤔 Of course, we do have a way to know, by looking at the person of Jesus himself. We can look at Jesus being Jesus to show us how to follow Jesus and act like Jesus. Does that make any sense? Or did I lose half of you by saying Jesus far too many times in one sentence? 

To follow Jesus, is to share the path of his first followers. On the night of Maundy Thursday, Jesus gathered with his followers, whom he called his disciples. To be a disciple was to spend every minute of every day with your teacher, your Rabbi, learning everything you could from them, essentially fashioning yourself after their example. You could say that’s what I do with Stephen, as I follow his example and try to replicate it in my own life and ministry.  So, we do the same with Jesus. 

So, when we look at Jesus and think, ‘What Did Jesus Do?’ what do you say? (Besides saying, ‘Wow, that is such a throwback to the nineties when everyone had those WWJD bracelets.’) What did Jesus do? This is an important question for us tonight as we ask ourselves what it means to follow Jesus. 

Thankfully, not only can we look at Jesus’ life and actions to show us how to follow him, but Jesus expressly asked his disciples this question on Maundy Thursday. Jesus says to his disciples, ‘Do you know what I have done to you?’^[1] I love how direct Jesus is. He says look what I have done. I am showing you what it means to follow Jesus, to be like Jesus. And Jesus’ question extends to us as well. Do you know what Christ has done for you? Christ has set an example for you. 

Jesus says, ‘For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.’^[2] As followers of Jesus, as his disciples, we are to follow the example of what Jesus has done for us. But also look closely at what Jesus has said. We should do not only what Jesus has done for us, but to us. Jesus has done something to us. It feels like it is so much more concrete and resolute. What Jesus is talking about is not about something he does to offer up for us as an option for us to say ‘yes, no, or maybe later’ to it. Jesus has done something to us. It has already happened. And we are to follow Jesus’ example, to do as he has done to us. 

So, what has Christ done to you? What has Christ done to us? At this Easter weekend, we could be tempted to come up with all sorts of complex, theological answers to this question about the resurrection and atonement. But Jesus is talking to his twelve disciples in response to what he has just done. Simply put, what has Jesus done to us? Jesus has washed our feet. He washed your feet; he washed my feet. He is the teacher, the Rabbi, the Lord, the Son of God. He was too great to stoop down to the level of servant to wash feet. These were not nicely washed and pedicured feet, nor did these feet have a pre-wash before Jesus washed them (you know who you are). Yet still, Jesus washed his disciples’ dirty, dusty and sweaty feet. ‘For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.’ 

It’s not the words we want to hear. Two reasons, first, who wants to wash others’ feet? I don’t. They are gross, hot, and sweaty. Second, Jesus, I feel really uncomfortable with you washing my feet. That isn’t right. You shouldn’t wash my feet. But I could deal with washing other peoples’ feet as a way of loving and serving people like you do. I’ll wash the feet of others but don’t wash my feet. You shouldn’t have to.  

This sounds like a humble answer on our part. But if we are honest, there is a degree of pride and shame. There is shame in having our Lord, Teacher, King and God wash our feet. It doesn’t feel right. I don’t deserve this kind of love and service because I know what kind of person I am, and I know that you, Jesus, are far better than I could ever be. And in this, there is pride in being happy to be the one serving others, serving many people, and taking pride and satisfaction of being the best servant, serving the most people, with the most disgusting feet like it is some competition. 

But Jesus says to Peter, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.’^[3] Why is that the case, how does that make sense Jesus? Surely my service is done in your name? At this point I think it is important to remember that the ways of Jesus are not right in the eyes of the world, they don’t make sense. That is why it is called grace.

We cannot serve others without being served ourselves. When we are not served, it allows us to fall into the trap of being a proud servant of all who is proud of their acts of humility. But a humble heart is humble because it serves knowing that it has been served also. We serve not for the pride of our hearts but in thankfulness for the grace we have received. And that is what it is all about. Grace. If I wash all your feet tonight, but do not let someone wash my own feet, then I am denying the need for God’s grace in my life. I too must lay down my defences and let others serve me. It is this posture in my heart of being open to receiving Jesus’ grace and his grace through others that allows me to follow him and become his disciple. 

We started by asking ourselves what does it mean to follow Jesus, and we see that Jesus gave us clear instructions. Jesus says, ‘For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.’^[4]

What has Christ done to you? He has washed your feet, so wash the feet of others. He has loved you, so love others. He has healed your soul, so heal others. He has provided for your needs, so provided for the needs of others. He gave his life for you, so you give your life for others and him. This is amazing grace. 

Amen. 

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^[1] John 13:12 [NRSV].

^[2] John 13:15 [NRSV].

^[3] John 13:8 [NRSV]. 

^[4] John 13:15 [NRSV].