Today is what many followers of Christ refer to as Maundy Thursday. Have you ever wondered what Maundy actually means. You would be stunned to find out. I know I was. Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum from which we get the word mandate. In the Latin Vulgate translation of the scriptures, after Jesus washes the feet of the disciples it says, novum mandatum, a “new mandate” or “new command” do I give you. That command was that we are to serve one another and love one another as Jesus has served and loved us. Maundy Thursday was named as a reminder to all followers of Jesus that we are to serve and love one another just as He did. Somewhere along the way we have completely forgotten that aspect of being Christ followers, at least as it relates to Maundy Thursday.
With the expection of the ritual washing of feet performed by the Pope each year on this date, you rarely if ever hear of foot washing as an act of service for others. I have had the privilege of being on both the receiving and the giving ends of foot washings and can tell you that it is humbling from both directions. But it is also incredibly freeing. To serve and allow yourself to be humbly served is an amazing experience.
When I look at our contemporary methods of holding communion services I have often wondered why we simplified it down to a piece of bread and some juice when it was originally a full blown meal. I sometimes also wonder why we have simplified it by eliminating the foot washing. This may be the only instance in all the history of the church in which we simplified something instead of complicating it. We would have been better off to have left it in it’s original form.
Every year churches around the world with commemorate the Last Supper that Jesus had with his disciples. They will have a simplified communion service that will point them to the coming crucifixion and the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf. In many cases churches will have a Seder Meal, a Christian interpretation of the Passover, focusing on Jesus as the unblemished lamb that was slain. We will rightly look to the suffering savior and the incredible and unique way in which he served us.
Yet in spite of the name Maundy Thursday and the clear example that Jesus gave as a servant, and his New Mandate that we serve on another and love one another as he has demonstrated, I rarely hear us being called to that outward focus on this day. For some reason we have taken this event that Jesus intended to be used to direct us to the serving of others and we have truncated it into be about how he has served us. Yes it is about how he has served us by his life, teaching, foot washing, serving the meal, and eventually going to the cross. But it must not stop there. He said that he has given us, his followers, and example to in fact follow. We are to look to Jesus as the one who so sacrificially served us and we are to in turn do likewise for others. The day was given the name, New Mandate in order to remind us of that crucial truth. Maybe if we still had to learn Latin we would remember that. But I suspect that in our self-centered way we would still find a way around the New Mandate to serve on another. After all the first disciples did just that at the Last Supper. Jesus rebuked them because none of them were willing to serve one another. Not only would none of them wash the feet of the others. No one so much as got water for them to wash their own feet. Each one sat around waiting for the other to be the servant. So Jesus became the servant and showed them a better way.
Maundy Thursday is the day of the New Mandate, the New Command that Jesus gave. Love one another as I have loved you. Serve one another in the same way that you have seen me, the Master, serve you. In this way you will glorify my Father in Heaven. It is not just about remembering a last meal. Today is about remembering the last commands given us by the Lord.
Dan Lacich: Provocative Christian Living 
An inspiring, sobering and convicting post, Dan. I pray that we focus on this mandate especially, and hopefully every day thereafter.
Dan, this is a great post. I heard on the news today that the Denver Rescue Mission had homeless people in, washed their feet and gave them new shoes and socks and some products to make their lives a little easier. I guess that they got the message! We participated in a foot washing service once when we lived in Harrisburg, PA and it was indeed both humbling and freeing. Jesus set the Supreme Example that we should definitely try to emulate.
Very meaningful post! I have often wondered why this was not practiced in the church in which I grew up. The answer I got was that this was a powerful example left to us by Christ to willingly, humbly serve one another, but that it did not necessarily mean washing feet. Our servant heart was to see people’s needs in all areas of life and willingly and humbly meet those needs!
Thanks again for your inspiring post.
Did not know the origin of this word and never even tried to find out. Thank you for doing so. A timely reminder for sure
I thank Carol for sharing what the mission did. Washing the feet was a job done by the lowest slave in the house. What Jesus did was identify Himself with that “slavehood”; the earnest desire to serve. Washing the feet of the poor may not mean very much to us who don’t know what it’s like to be a slave, but to then give them shoes; how utterly marvelous. I’m sure our Lord smiled when He saw this
Seventh-day Adventists practice the ordinance of foot-washing about 4 times a year. All are welcome to come and participate.
We had to wash the feet of the saints in the week proceeding our ordination as a constant reminder to us that we are called not to be served but to serve. This act was in no way humiliating to me because we had lived in community so many years. I had not only had already washed the feet of many of the people when they were ill and could not do it for themselves, I had washed the behinds of many of them- like my husband, mother in law and the children. I think the reason why we tend to neglect foot washing is that we see church as a place where we go once a week to listen to music and preaching so we can get pumped up to go out and live for Jesus on our own until we meet to get pumped up again. We think that being a good witness is quoting Bible verses to people and showing them what good people we are so they’ll like us and want to be like us. Jesus told us how He wanted us to witness immediately after He washed the disciples feet- ” A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. BY THIS ALL MEN WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES, IF YOU HAVE LOVE ONE FOR ANOTHER.” (John 13:33-34) We think it’s “all about me” individually instead of “it’s all about we” as one body so we often get so focused on ourselves and our own relationship with Jesus that we neglect service to other members of the body. Jesus didn’t pray in His High priestly prayer that He prayed immediately following the foot washing that God would give each of of us the strength to stand individually and apart from each other but that we “all may be one,.. that the world may believe that You sent Me.” God isn’t glorified most by our rugged individualism- He is glorified most when we are united in one Body under One Head and each member is functioning as God created them to function and we are serving the other members of His Body in love.