Sermon Illustrations for Maundy Thursday (2024)
Illustration
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
A recounting of the first Passover is so vitally important to our Jewish siblings and us Christians. That God would choose the downtrodden, the enslaved, and the exploited to be freed, to be spared, and to be the foundation for our church is amazing. And it speaks to us of the call on our lives. We are called to care for those who are downtrodden, enslaved and exploited. We are called to love and to offer ourselves to those who least expect our care and love. God assures that the people are freed and can live. We are called to ensure that the lives of those around us are nurtured. We are not called to pass over those who need us. We are called to love and to act for the good of all.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Leader of the Jewish refugee agency HIAS, Hark Hetfiled, describes the meaning of the Passover so well in this era of turbulence in the Holy Land and the increased antisemitism worldwide. He wrote:
The Passover story is the Jewish people’s original story of becoming strangers in a strange land. It is the story that reminds us that we, too, have stood in the shoes of refugees and asylum seekers in search of safety and liberty. As we lift our voices in song and prayer, we call out together with those who long to be free. This year, there are still many who struggle towards liberation; next year, may we all be free.
The people of Israel and their Christian heirs belong on the side of refugees. For Christians, we see God having used the blood of the lamb to protect the Jews in the first Passover, rendering them allies of those needing freedom, so Christ’s blood well protects us today and is the way to freedom.
Of course, we Christians believe that the l amb’s blood has cleansed us, so that with medieval theologian Albertus Magnus we can sing: “O adorable blood of Jesus, wash our stains, save us from the anger of the avenging angel...” As early as the first century the Apostolic Father Clement of Rome wrote:
Let us look steadfastly to the blood of Christ, and see how precious that blood is to God, which, having been shed for our salvation, has set the grace of repentance before the whole world.
Albert’s famed student Thomas Aquinas claimed that “The blood that is but one drop has the power to win all the world forgiveness of its world of sin.”
No accident that the blood of Jesus the Passover Lamb is present in The Lord’s Supper whose institution we commemorate this day. Early theologian Justin Martyr nicely explained this point, commenting in the sacrament:
Not as common bread or as common drink do we receive these... We have been taught that the food that has been Eucharistized by the word of prayer, that the food which by assimilation nourishes our flesh and blood, is the flesh and blood of the Incarnate Jesus.
As wine can inebriate, so can Christ’s blood drive us out of our mind, compel us into a drunken passion to serve God and to love. Thus, St. Ignatius of Loyola prayed, “Blood of Christ, inebriate me.” The blood of the Passover lamb, present on the cross and in The Lord’s Supper, is a powerful, compelling, healing thing.
Mark E.
* * *
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Rereading this passage for the umpteenth time one aspect, which I (and you) know quite well, jumped out at me — “If a household is too small for the whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one….” (v. 4)
It makes good sense. The whole point of the first Passover meal is to get everyone fed and ready to go, without any leftovers to worry about. Cook the meal, eat it, and do it standing up and ready to bolt out the door when the time is right.
But the account is also looking to the future, when this meal, both in its commemoration among our Jewish cousins, and in our own festival observances, like the love feast, Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas dinners. If there are individuals or a small family unit who would otherwise observe the holiday by themselves, we’re to invite them over, widen the circle, and get everyone around the table! Passover, and our own Christian celebrations, are family observances, and we are invited — hmm, really commanded — to widen our definition of family to include others.
Fifty years ago, when my wife and I, Californians, attended seminary in the Chicago area, it was not possible for us to rush back west for Thanksgiving, or most other holidays, for that matter. One professor, with his librarian spouse, made it a point to have us all over as family for these important holidays. And we might consider challenging our congregations and ourselves to be intentional in redefining the family that meets around the table in these celebratory occasions like Easter.
Frank R.
* * *
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
In 1990, Jermaine Washington worked at the D.C. Department of Employment services. One of the co-workers he had lunch with each day was a young woman named Michelle Stevens. They became friends. There was nothing romantic between them, just a friendship. In conversation, Stevens told Washington how depressing it was to spend three days a week, three hours a day, on a kidney dialysis machine. She said she suffered from chronic fatigue and blackouts and was losing her balance and her sight. He could already see that she had lost her smile.
Washington later told The Washington Post, “I saw my friend dying before my eyes. What was I supposed to do? Sit back and watch her die?"
Stevens’ mother was ineligible to donate a kidney and her siblings couldn’t or wouldn’t. Washington decided he would. In April 1991, Washington and Stevens went to the hospital where Washington donated a kidney to Stevens. A spokesman for Washington Hospital Center said the Washington-to-Stevens gift was the hospital's first "friend-to- friend" transplant. About twice a month, Stevens and Washington get together for what they call “a gratitude lunch.” When asked why he did it, Washington gave this simple answer, “"I prayed for it. I asked God for guidance and that's what I got."
A “ gratitude lunch,” that’s a good phrase. It describes very well what Michelle Stevens has for her friend, Jermaine Washington. It is a time that they remember their friendship, Washington’s sacrifice, and Stevens’ thankfulness. Isn’t that what Christians do as we take the Lord’s Supper? It is a time for us to remember Jesus’ love and sacrifice for us when he gave his body and blood. As Jesus told the disciples, “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” Will we share a “gratitude lunch” with our Lord?
Bill T.
* * *
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
This first phrase establishes a chain which begins with our Lord Jesus, and continues through Paul and the apostles, to our present day. In Jewish thought it was important that the practices of our faith be passed down accurately from one generation to the next, certified by the worthies of that era. This differs from what we sometimes call “ apostolic succession,” in which the important customs are legitimized by some sort of unbroken chain from one chief apostle to the next in each generation. On the contrary, the conduit for this revelation can be anyone, such as the family matriarch, for instance, especially one who is respected for the faithful of their practice, not because of any hereditary chain or a supposed unbroken succession of apostles and church leaders, one after the other. The Corinthian Christians came from every imaginable ethnic and religious background and could not point to a string of ancestors who had access to faithful living. Instead, these outsiders who became part of the chain of witnesses, integral links in the chain of transmission of the bread and cup.
That includes us. That includes you.
Frank R.
* * *
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
American life is infected by the malady of self-promotion. It is thought to be the only way to succeed in American life. Just google “ self-promotion as a key to success” to see the astounding number of sites devoted to this topic. By contrast John Wesley noted that in this lesson with Jesus washing the disciples’ feet we find him teaching a lesson of “humble love.” (Commentary On the Bible, p.466)
Sociologist Alan Wolfe has noted something wonderful about humility. He contends you can’t have forgiveness without it, because without humility we play god, taking a position of moral superiority to the offender, which makes real forgiveness impossible (Moral Freedom, p.163). There is wisdom in an anonymous saying circulating on the internet: “Swallow your pride occasionally; it’s non-fattening.” Augustine beautifully elaborated on how often beset by our cares and concerns about ourselves, we cry with a humility which would have Christ increase in us. He wrote:
Cramped is the dwelling of my soul; do thou expand it, that thou mayest enter in us. It is in ruins, restore thou it... for thou hast formed us for thyself, and our hearts are restless ‘til they rest in thee. (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol.1, pp.45-46)
Mark E.
* * *
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
As a church pastor one of the most meaningful celebrations of H oly Week is the recounting of Jesus’ washing the feet of his disciples, and my own action of washing the feet of those in the congregations I serve. There is something profound about kneeling before a person and washing their feet with warm water and then drying them. There is a profound sense of holiness in this act. Sometimes people are reluctant, as Peter was, to have their feet washed by their pastor. Yet, it is a gift offered both to the recipient and to the pastor. The profound act of emulating the actions of Jesus is a part of our everyday journey of faith, but serving, remembering we are all servants of the one God, is profoundly demonstrated in the act of foot washing. Praise God for that opportunity.
Bonnie B.
A recounting of the first Passover is so vitally important to our Jewish siblings and us Christians. That God would choose the downtrodden, the enslaved, and the exploited to be freed, to be spared, and to be the foundation for our church is amazing. And it speaks to us of the call on our lives. We are called to care for those who are downtrodden, enslaved and exploited. We are called to love and to offer ourselves to those who least expect our care and love. God assures that the people are freed and can live. We are called to ensure that the lives of those around us are nurtured. We are not called to pass over those who need us. We are called to love and to act for the good of all.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Leader of the Jewish refugee agency HIAS, Hark Hetfiled, describes the meaning of the Passover so well in this era of turbulence in the Holy Land and the increased antisemitism worldwide. He wrote:
The Passover story is the Jewish people’s original story of becoming strangers in a strange land. It is the story that reminds us that we, too, have stood in the shoes of refugees and asylum seekers in search of safety and liberty. As we lift our voices in song and prayer, we call out together with those who long to be free. This year, there are still many who struggle towards liberation; next year, may we all be free.
The people of Israel and their Christian heirs belong on the side of refugees. For Christians, we see God having used the blood of the lamb to protect the Jews in the first Passover, rendering them allies of those needing freedom, so Christ’s blood well protects us today and is the way to freedom.
Of course, we Christians believe that the l amb’s blood has cleansed us, so that with medieval theologian Albertus Magnus we can sing: “O adorable blood of Jesus, wash our stains, save us from the anger of the avenging angel...” As early as the first century the Apostolic Father Clement of Rome wrote:
Let us look steadfastly to the blood of Christ, and see how precious that blood is to God, which, having been shed for our salvation, has set the grace of repentance before the whole world.
Albert’s famed student Thomas Aquinas claimed that “The blood that is but one drop has the power to win all the world forgiveness of its world of sin.”
No accident that the blood of Jesus the Passover Lamb is present in The Lord’s Supper whose institution we commemorate this day. Early theologian Justin Martyr nicely explained this point, commenting in the sacrament:
Not as common bread or as common drink do we receive these... We have been taught that the food that has been Eucharistized by the word of prayer, that the food which by assimilation nourishes our flesh and blood, is the flesh and blood of the Incarnate Jesus.
As wine can inebriate, so can Christ’s blood drive us out of our mind, compel us into a drunken passion to serve God and to love. Thus, St. Ignatius of Loyola prayed, “Blood of Christ, inebriate me.” The blood of the Passover lamb, present on the cross and in The Lord’s Supper, is a powerful, compelling, healing thing.
Mark E.
* * *
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14
Rereading this passage for the umpteenth time one aspect, which I (and you) know quite well, jumped out at me — “If a household is too small for the whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one….” (v. 4)
It makes good sense. The whole point of the first Passover meal is to get everyone fed and ready to go, without any leftovers to worry about. Cook the meal, eat it, and do it standing up and ready to bolt out the door when the time is right.
But the account is also looking to the future, when this meal, both in its commemoration among our Jewish cousins, and in our own festival observances, like the love feast, Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas dinners. If there are individuals or a small family unit who would otherwise observe the holiday by themselves, we’re to invite them over, widen the circle, and get everyone around the table! Passover, and our own Christian celebrations, are family observances, and we are invited — hmm, really commanded — to widen our definition of family to include others.
Fifty years ago, when my wife and I, Californians, attended seminary in the Chicago area, it was not possible for us to rush back west for Thanksgiving, or most other holidays, for that matter. One professor, with his librarian spouse, made it a point to have us all over as family for these important holidays. And we might consider challenging our congregations and ourselves to be intentional in redefining the family that meets around the table in these celebratory occasions like Easter.
Frank R.
* * *
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
In 1990, Jermaine Washington worked at the D.C. Department of Employment services. One of the co-workers he had lunch with each day was a young woman named Michelle Stevens. They became friends. There was nothing romantic between them, just a friendship. In conversation, Stevens told Washington how depressing it was to spend three days a week, three hours a day, on a kidney dialysis machine. She said she suffered from chronic fatigue and blackouts and was losing her balance and her sight. He could already see that she had lost her smile.
Washington later told The Washington Post, “I saw my friend dying before my eyes. What was I supposed to do? Sit back and watch her die?"
Stevens’ mother was ineligible to donate a kidney and her siblings couldn’t or wouldn’t. Washington decided he would. In April 1991, Washington and Stevens went to the hospital where Washington donated a kidney to Stevens. A spokesman for Washington Hospital Center said the Washington-to-Stevens gift was the hospital's first "friend-to- friend" transplant. About twice a month, Stevens and Washington get together for what they call “a gratitude lunch.” When asked why he did it, Washington gave this simple answer, “"I prayed for it. I asked God for guidance and that's what I got."
A “ gratitude lunch,” that’s a good phrase. It describes very well what Michelle Stevens has for her friend, Jermaine Washington. It is a time that they remember their friendship, Washington’s sacrifice, and Stevens’ thankfulness. Isn’t that what Christians do as we take the Lord’s Supper? It is a time for us to remember Jesus’ love and sacrifice for us when he gave his body and blood. As Jesus told the disciples, “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” Will we share a “gratitude lunch” with our Lord?
Bill T.
* * *
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
This first phrase establishes a chain which begins with our Lord Jesus, and continues through Paul and the apostles, to our present day. In Jewish thought it was important that the practices of our faith be passed down accurately from one generation to the next, certified by the worthies of that era. This differs from what we sometimes call “ apostolic succession,” in which the important customs are legitimized by some sort of unbroken chain from one chief apostle to the next in each generation. On the contrary, the conduit for this revelation can be anyone, such as the family matriarch, for instance, especially one who is respected for the faithful of their practice, not because of any hereditary chain or a supposed unbroken succession of apostles and church leaders, one after the other. The Corinthian Christians came from every imaginable ethnic and religious background and could not point to a string of ancestors who had access to faithful living. Instead, these outsiders who became part of the chain of witnesses, integral links in the chain of transmission of the bread and cup.
That includes us. That includes you.
Frank R.
* * *
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
American life is infected by the malady of self-promotion. It is thought to be the only way to succeed in American life. Just google “ self-promotion as a key to success” to see the astounding number of sites devoted to this topic. By contrast John Wesley noted that in this lesson with Jesus washing the disciples’ feet we find him teaching a lesson of “humble love.” (Commentary On the Bible, p.466)
Sociologist Alan Wolfe has noted something wonderful about humility. He contends you can’t have forgiveness without it, because without humility we play god, taking a position of moral superiority to the offender, which makes real forgiveness impossible (Moral Freedom, p.163). There is wisdom in an anonymous saying circulating on the internet: “Swallow your pride occasionally; it’s non-fattening.” Augustine beautifully elaborated on how often beset by our cares and concerns about ourselves, we cry with a humility which would have Christ increase in us. He wrote:
Cramped is the dwelling of my soul; do thou expand it, that thou mayest enter in us. It is in ruins, restore thou it... for thou hast formed us for thyself, and our hearts are restless ‘til they rest in thee. (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol.1, pp.45-46)
Mark E.
* * *
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
As a church pastor one of the most meaningful celebrations of H oly Week is the recounting of Jesus’ washing the feet of his disciples, and my own action of washing the feet of those in the congregations I serve. There is something profound about kneeling before a person and washing their feet with warm water and then drying them. There is a profound sense of holiness in this act. Sometimes people are reluctant, as Peter was, to have their feet washed by their pastor. Yet, it is a gift offered both to the recipient and to the pastor. The profound act of emulating the actions of Jesus is a part of our everyday journey of faith, but serving, remembering we are all servants of the one God, is profoundly demonstrated in the act of foot washing. Praise God for that opportunity.
Bonnie B.
