This sermon was preached to a particular people in a certain place, in a certain time. But we believe in a God who transcends time and space, so I hope that it might speak to you here and now. You can read my manuscript below or listen to the audio recording (with infusions from the Spirit) at this link.
I read something on Facebook a few years ago… it was one of those things that you know probably isn’t actually true, but it kind of makes you go “awww” and feel good anyway. I did try to look it up and see if it was true, but I wasn’t able to find anything. In any case, it’s something that I have thought about quite often over the last few years, and especially during Holy Week.
Here’s what it said: a recent study showed that the three things people most want to hear from their loved ones are “I love you,” “I forgive you,” and “supper is ready.”
I love you, I forgive, and supper is ready.
It strikes me, then, that on Maundy Thursday, we hear the story of Jesus and his loved ones gathered around in his very last moments with all of them. And in an incredible and sure sign of love, he undresses himself and washes their feet, like a servant would do for their master. And Simon Peter, recognizing exactly what kind of act of love this was, insisted that Jesus wash all of him— love me even more, he seems to plea to Jesus— not just my feet but my hands and my head also— pour your love so fully out to me. And Jesus insists, oh I have, dear one. You are clean. I love you.
And we hear that even Judas was present at the gathering, the one who would betray him. The one who would trade in his Lord and Savior, his beloved teacher, for a couple pieces of silver— Jesus even allowed him to stay with them there, washing his feet and eating dinner. Before the betrayal even happened, Jesus seemed to say to Judas, “I forgive you.”
And then, what we celebrate each Sunday morning and especially tonight, we hear about Jesus sitting with his disciples for a meal. He is there at the table with his closest friends and institute a new ritual with them— one centered around the dinner table, one gathered around food. Of course, this was already a common ritual for Jesus’ time and for he and his closest friends— they were Jewish and there were all sort of beautiful religious holidays and gatherings that centered around food. But this was a bit different… this is how you are going to remember me, Jesus said… with this food and this drink. This is me, Jesus said… the bread and the wine is my body and blood. And he created something new in these last moments, something that would nourish them for centuries to come. “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” Supper is ready.
These are the words that carry us through these next three days… on Maundy Thursday, “supper is ready.” On Good Friday, as our savior hangs upon a cross, listening to those who mock him, beat him, scorn him and he says, “I forgive you.” And then, in the silence and the waiting and the anticipation, we can hear the soft sure whisper of “I love you.”
These are the words that we hear every week when we gather together in this place. Through the readings and the sermon on Sunday mornings, we hear God say to us, “I love you.” In our confession and God’s proclamation of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we hear “I forgive you.” In the invitation to this holy table where we feast on the body and blood of our Lord and Savior every single week, we hear “Supper is ready.”
And these are the words that Jesus commands that we proclaim to the ends of the earth when he gives us the new commandment on this night: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. It is no small thing that Jesus gives a new commandment to his disciples at the Passover— it’s explicit and intentional. He knows that over the next several days and truly for the rest of their lives, they will need something concrete to hold them together, to give them identity. So much was bound up in their relationship to him, now he would bind them in relationship to one another. In the same way he does for us. Love one another, he commands.
And we demonstrate that love in the same way that Jesus did throughout his life and in his last days, by inviting people into this relationship with our savior, by providing for them their deepest needs in the words we long to hear. So come and eat, come and be forgiven, come and come and be loved. And go out into the world to declare it to the world: “I love you, I forgive you… supper is ready.” Amen.
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