Maundy Thursday
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle A
The church year theological clue
Thursday of Holy Week originally was celebrated as a feast of reconciliation, long ago when sin was taken seriously by the church; the penitents, who were excluded from the congregation during Lent were brought back and joined the congregation in the sacrament. They would come to the closed door of the church, knock and seek entrance, only to be turned away by an official of the congregation. They returned a second time, knocked and were turned away again. The third time, the bishop went to the door, opened it, listened to their petition, accepted it, embraced them, and led them to the front of the nave where they were formally received back into active membership in the congregation. That kind of ceremonial would not be feasible today, because no one is expelled from the church during Lent. (Congregations want everyone they can possibly get to attend worship services during Lent.) But there are sinners in church, who have been separated from the Lord by their sin, and they need a word of forgiveness and reconciliation. Holy Thursday takes on added significance (beyond a memorial supper) when this theme is developed in the worship and preaching of Holy Thursday. The preacher has to preach both law and gospel to proclaim the Last Supper as "the feast of reconciliation" to the people.
The Prayer of the Day (the LBW supplies two) - The first collect is addressed to the Holy God, who is the "source of all love," saying that Jesus, on the night "of his betrayal," gave a new commandment ("love one another as I have loved you") to his disciples. The petition asks, "by your Holy Spirit write this commandment in our hearts."
The second prayer is related to the Eucharist - "in a wonderful Sacrament you have left us a memorial of your suffering and death," and asks, "May this Sacrament of your body and blood so work in us that the way we live will proclaim the redemption you have brought." This prayer suggests that Lent is best fulfilled when people repent of their sins, are reconciled to Christ, and serve God and human beings in love and humility. Neither prayer speaks directly about reconciliation.
The Psalm ofthe Day (LBW) - Psalm 116:10-17 - The first part of the psalm (verses 1-8)
is most appropriate for Easter; the selection chosen for Holy Thursday is also suitable for
this occasion -
How shall I repay the Lord for all the good things he has done for me. I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.
Verse 12 is a refrain that is repeated exactly in the next to the last verse of the psalm. Verses 13 and 14 give added significance to this choice: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his servants. O Lord, I am your servant and the child of your handmaid; you have freed me from my bonds." The church has good reason to apply this text to the contemplation of the Passion and death of the Lord, especially to Maundy Thursday.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
God of power and mercy, through the Passion and resurrection of your Son you have freed us from the bonds of death and the anguish of separation from you. Be with us on our pilgrimage, and help us offer you a sacrifice of praise, fulfill our vows, and glorify you in the presence of all your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The readings:
Exodus 12:1-14
This is the account which tells of the instructions that God gave to Moses and Aaron about the Passover that he would use to soften Pharaoh's heart and bring about the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. After speaking about the sacrifice of lambs, putting the blood on the two doorposts and the lintel of the door of the house in which the lambs will be eaten, God says:
I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
The resemblance of the Passover to the institution of the Holy Communion on the night when Jesus was betrayed is obvious, which, of course, influenced the church to remember what happened on this special night:
This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever
Passover, for the Jews, even today; but the Lord's Supper, the Eucharist, for Christians.
1 Corinthians 11:17-32 or 23-26
The significance - beyond the obvious description of the institution of the Eucharist by the Lord - is that numerous congregations continue to have divisions and disunity among the members, which are similar to those that were occurring in the church at Corinth. On the other hand, few congregations, if any, are confronted with the problem of gluttony and drunkenness in the worship service or the confines of congregational property, though one might discover some overeating at congregational dinners or potluck suppers today!
In the second reading, Paul tells the Corinthian congregation how the Lord's Supper is to be done and instructs them in the meaning of what they do: "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." Participation in Holy Communion proclaims Christ's death on the cross as an act that gains the forgiveness of sins and reunion with God for all repentant sinners.
John 13:1-17, 34
John's account of the Last Supper portrays Jesus as the servant who is about to suffer; Christ washes the feet of the disciples so that they will understand that he came into the world as the servant who, alone, is able to deliver humanity from sin and death. To Peter's objection, "You shall never wash my feet," Jesus replies, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in me." Still not satisfied, Peter requests, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Again, Jesus instructs him, "He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over." The parallel to baptism in this statement may be more significant for most congregations than actual foot washing is today.
A homily based on the three lessons, with proper emphasis on the Gospel - "Christ, Our Passover, Reconciles God to Us."
This is the night on which a feast is to be kept with joy and thanksgiving; indeed, Christ, our Passover has been sacrificed for us. Alleluia!
1. Passover - Then and Now: Then a lamb had to be sacrificed. Now the Lamb of God must be slain to effect the New Passover, the reconciliation of God and his people.
2. Passover - Then and Now: Then the blood saved the people of Israel from death. Now the blood of Christ makes people clean, washes them and removes their sin:
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
3. Passover - Then and Now: Then only the flesh was eaten; the blood was spilled on the doorway. Now the body and blood of the lamb must be consumed in this Passover meal. Participation in this meal completes the "washing" and renews the gifts received in baptism.
4. Passover - Then and Now: Then the Passover commemorates an event of the past to the Jews. Now the Eucharist proclaims that which is yet to come: "As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again."
Thursday of Holy Week originally was celebrated as a feast of reconciliation, long ago when sin was taken seriously by the church; the penitents, who were excluded from the congregation during Lent were brought back and joined the congregation in the sacrament. They would come to the closed door of the church, knock and seek entrance, only to be turned away by an official of the congregation. They returned a second time, knocked and were turned away again. The third time, the bishop went to the door, opened it, listened to their petition, accepted it, embraced them, and led them to the front of the nave where they were formally received back into active membership in the congregation. That kind of ceremonial would not be feasible today, because no one is expelled from the church during Lent. (Congregations want everyone they can possibly get to attend worship services during Lent.) But there are sinners in church, who have been separated from the Lord by their sin, and they need a word of forgiveness and reconciliation. Holy Thursday takes on added significance (beyond a memorial supper) when this theme is developed in the worship and preaching of Holy Thursday. The preacher has to preach both law and gospel to proclaim the Last Supper as "the feast of reconciliation" to the people.
The Prayer of the Day (the LBW supplies two) - The first collect is addressed to the Holy God, who is the "source of all love," saying that Jesus, on the night "of his betrayal," gave a new commandment ("love one another as I have loved you") to his disciples. The petition asks, "by your Holy Spirit write this commandment in our hearts."
The second prayer is related to the Eucharist - "in a wonderful Sacrament you have left us a memorial of your suffering and death," and asks, "May this Sacrament of your body and blood so work in us that the way we live will proclaim the redemption you have brought." This prayer suggests that Lent is best fulfilled when people repent of their sins, are reconciled to Christ, and serve God and human beings in love and humility. Neither prayer speaks directly about reconciliation.
The Psalm ofthe Day (LBW) - Psalm 116:10-17 - The first part of the psalm (verses 1-8)
is most appropriate for Easter; the selection chosen for Holy Thursday is also suitable for
this occasion -
How shall I repay the Lord for all the good things he has done for me. I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.
Verse 12 is a refrain that is repeated exactly in the next to the last verse of the psalm. Verses 13 and 14 give added significance to this choice: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his servants. O Lord, I am your servant and the child of your handmaid; you have freed me from my bonds." The church has good reason to apply this text to the contemplation of the Passion and death of the Lord, especially to Maundy Thursday.
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
God of power and mercy, through the Passion and resurrection of your Son you have freed us from the bonds of death and the anguish of separation from you. Be with us on our pilgrimage, and help us offer you a sacrifice of praise, fulfill our vows, and glorify you in the presence of all your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The readings:
Exodus 12:1-14
This is the account which tells of the instructions that God gave to Moses and Aaron about the Passover that he would use to soften Pharaoh's heart and bring about the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. After speaking about the sacrifice of lambs, putting the blood on the two doorposts and the lintel of the door of the house in which the lambs will be eaten, God says:
I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
The resemblance of the Passover to the institution of the Holy Communion on the night when Jesus was betrayed is obvious, which, of course, influenced the church to remember what happened on this special night:
This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever
Passover, for the Jews, even today; but the Lord's Supper, the Eucharist, for Christians.
1 Corinthians 11:17-32 or 23-26
The significance - beyond the obvious description of the institution of the Eucharist by the Lord - is that numerous congregations continue to have divisions and disunity among the members, which are similar to those that were occurring in the church at Corinth. On the other hand, few congregations, if any, are confronted with the problem of gluttony and drunkenness in the worship service or the confines of congregational property, though one might discover some overeating at congregational dinners or potluck suppers today!
In the second reading, Paul tells the Corinthian congregation how the Lord's Supper is to be done and instructs them in the meaning of what they do: "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." Participation in Holy Communion proclaims Christ's death on the cross as an act that gains the forgiveness of sins and reunion with God for all repentant sinners.
John 13:1-17, 34
John's account of the Last Supper portrays Jesus as the servant who is about to suffer; Christ washes the feet of the disciples so that they will understand that he came into the world as the servant who, alone, is able to deliver humanity from sin and death. To Peter's objection, "You shall never wash my feet," Jesus replies, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in me." Still not satisfied, Peter requests, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Again, Jesus instructs him, "He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over." The parallel to baptism in this statement may be more significant for most congregations than actual foot washing is today.
A homily based on the three lessons, with proper emphasis on the Gospel - "Christ, Our Passover, Reconciles God to Us."
This is the night on which a feast is to be kept with joy and thanksgiving; indeed, Christ, our Passover has been sacrificed for us. Alleluia!
1. Passover - Then and Now: Then a lamb had to be sacrificed. Now the Lamb of God must be slain to effect the New Passover, the reconciliation of God and his people.
2. Passover - Then and Now: Then the blood saved the people of Israel from death. Now the blood of Christ makes people clean, washes them and removes their sin:
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
3. Passover - Then and Now: Then only the flesh was eaten; the blood was spilled on the doorway. Now the body and blood of the lamb must be consumed in this Passover meal. Participation in this meal completes the "washing" and renews the gifts received in baptism.
4. Passover - Then and Now: Then the Passover commemorates an event of the past to the Jews. Now the Eucharist proclaims that which is yet to come: "As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again."
