April 2nd, 2026

Read: John 13; Luke 22:7-30 

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day we remember the Last Supper and all the events associated with the disciples’ experience with Jesus in the upper room. Today, we reflect on Jesus’ commandments about love (maundy comes from the Latin word for commandment!), the symbol of the communion meal, and the humble act of foot washing.

One of my favorite authors, Skye Jethani, explores in one of his books the power of symbols. He argues that a symbol of something is equally, if not more, powerful than the actual thing. Companies have symbols that communicate everything about their brand and their products, and they invest large amounts of money in designing an effective one. The symbol that Jesus gave us with communion is intended to elicit strong cognitive and emotional responses because it is intended to help us experience the sacrificial love of God every time we partake in it. 

In Scripture, especially in the Old Testament, the word “remember” is often used to describe active, embodied remembrance rather than intellectual awareness. For example, the Passover Feast was a multi-day festival because God wanted his people to experientially remember how he delivered them from Egypt.  When we celebrate communion, we experientially remember Jesus’ giving of himself for us. At the last supper, Jesus gave his disciples the gift of a symbol on which the rest of their ministry would be based.

Another one of my favorite authors, Henri Nouwen, uses Jesus’ four actions in Luke 22:19 to describe our lives as Christians. We are taken, blessed, broken, and given. Today, take some time to rehearse that four-part symbolic story. Remember that you, like the disciples, have been taken – called – to follow Him because of unmerited favor (Grace!). Receive the blessing of His faithfulness and care for you. Surrender yourself to the reality of suffering and the God who meets you in it. Then, finally, imagine yourself sitting at that table as Jesus washes your feet. As he humbles himself, he invites us to go and do the same – humbly giving ourselves in service of others. If there ever was a moment where the upside-down Kingdom was evident, this was most surely it.

Pray: Lord, grant me the humility to let you wash my feet, the courage to receive your redemption, and the boldness to offer it to others.