Welcome To The Banquet
Preaching
The Life Of Christ And The Death Of A Loved One
Crafting The Funeral Homily
A Funeral Homily For Maundy Thursday
On the night before Jesus died, he gathered with his friends in an upper room. In that sacred space, three things happened that Christians have remembered and celebrated ever since.
Jesus Washes Our Feet
First, Jesus got up from the table. He took off his outer garment, and put on a towel. He put on the clothing of a servant. Scripture tells us that he could do this because ''he knew that he had come from God and he was going to God.'' In other words, he knew who he was, and what he was about.
Then Jesus poured water into a wash basin and began, one by one, to wash the disciples' feet. When he got to Peter, Peter refused. ''No,'' he said, ''you're not going to wash my feet.'' Jesus insisted. Peter gave in.
A Japanese Christian named Koyama has suggested that when we die, Jesus will be with us as he was on this last night before he died. He will be waiting for us with a towel tied 'round his waist. He, the master, the ruler of the universe, will be on bended knee awaiting us. He will pour water into a basin. He will offer to wash our feet and wipe them with a towel. He will look deeply inside us.
Jesus will ask, ''You've had a difficult journey, haven't you? You must be exhausted and dirty. Let me wash your hands and your feet. Let me be your servant'' (borrowed from Mark Dyer in Episcopal Life, April, 1993).
Jesus Invites Us To Servanthood
The second thing that happened on this special night was that Jesus gave them a new commandment, a new mandate, which is why we call this ''Maundy (or mandate) Thursday.''
Jesus said to them, ''If I, your Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.''
What does it mean to die and enter the nearer presence of our Savior? What does it mean to spend eternity in heaven? It means a place where people act as servants toward one another.
There is an old story about a fellow who visited a town. There was a large pot of stew, large enough to feed everyone in town, and the smell was delicious, but around the pot sat desperate, starving people. They all had spoons with very long handles which reached into the pot, but because the spoons were longer than their arms they couldn't get the stew into their mouths. So they went hungry.
Then the man visited another town, just like the first one, again with a pot of stew big enough to feed everyone. The people had the same long--handled spoons, but they were all well nourished, talking away, and very content. The fellow was confused. How could this be? ''It's simple,'' said his guide, ''for they have learned to feed one another'' (borrowed from Brian Cavanaugh in The Sower's Seeds, page 33).
At our death, Jesus will invite us to live in love and servanthood toward one another for all eternity. That is what we call being in heaven.
Jesus Invites Us To The Banquet
The third thing that happened on that particular night was that Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, ''This is my body, which is given for you.''
Then he took the wine, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, ''This is my blood which is poured out for you.''
During our lives on earth, we are nourished Sunday by Sunday with the body and blood of our Lord. At our death, Jesus will welcome us to our place at the table in the heavenly kingdom. ''Come,'' he will say. ''The banquet is ready.''
And on that mountain the Lord of hosts will make for
all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well--aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well--aged wines strained clear.
And Jesus will take bread and wine, and bless it, and sit down to feast with us in the kingdom ... as it says in Revelation,
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun
will not strike them, nor any scorching heat, and he will
guide them to springs of the water of life ....
Christ Awaits Us
On this night, Jesus washed feet; he gave a new commandment to love one another; he fed them with his own body and blood. We who have been washed in baptism, lived in love, and been nourished by Christ's body and blood will find at our death that Christ awaits us. Christ washes our feet. Christ invites us to servanthood. And Christ will welcome us to heaven, saying, ''Welcome to the banquet.''
Amen.
_____
Originally published in The Word Is Life: An Anthology Of Funeral Meditations by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio, 1994.
On the night before Jesus died, he gathered with his friends in an upper room. In that sacred space, three things happened that Christians have remembered and celebrated ever since.
Jesus Washes Our Feet
First, Jesus got up from the table. He took off his outer garment, and put on a towel. He put on the clothing of a servant. Scripture tells us that he could do this because ''he knew that he had come from God and he was going to God.'' In other words, he knew who he was, and what he was about.
Then Jesus poured water into a wash basin and began, one by one, to wash the disciples' feet. When he got to Peter, Peter refused. ''No,'' he said, ''you're not going to wash my feet.'' Jesus insisted. Peter gave in.
A Japanese Christian named Koyama has suggested that when we die, Jesus will be with us as he was on this last night before he died. He will be waiting for us with a towel tied 'round his waist. He, the master, the ruler of the universe, will be on bended knee awaiting us. He will pour water into a basin. He will offer to wash our feet and wipe them with a towel. He will look deeply inside us.
Jesus will ask, ''You've had a difficult journey, haven't you? You must be exhausted and dirty. Let me wash your hands and your feet. Let me be your servant'' (borrowed from Mark Dyer in Episcopal Life, April, 1993).
Jesus Invites Us To Servanthood
The second thing that happened on this special night was that Jesus gave them a new commandment, a new mandate, which is why we call this ''Maundy (or mandate) Thursday.''
Jesus said to them, ''If I, your Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.''
What does it mean to die and enter the nearer presence of our Savior? What does it mean to spend eternity in heaven? It means a place where people act as servants toward one another.
There is an old story about a fellow who visited a town. There was a large pot of stew, large enough to feed everyone in town, and the smell was delicious, but around the pot sat desperate, starving people. They all had spoons with very long handles which reached into the pot, but because the spoons were longer than their arms they couldn't get the stew into their mouths. So they went hungry.
Then the man visited another town, just like the first one, again with a pot of stew big enough to feed everyone. The people had the same long--handled spoons, but they were all well nourished, talking away, and very content. The fellow was confused. How could this be? ''It's simple,'' said his guide, ''for they have learned to feed one another'' (borrowed from Brian Cavanaugh in The Sower's Seeds, page 33).
At our death, Jesus will invite us to live in love and servanthood toward one another for all eternity. That is what we call being in heaven.
Jesus Invites Us To The Banquet
The third thing that happened on that particular night was that Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, ''This is my body, which is given for you.''
Then he took the wine, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, ''This is my blood which is poured out for you.''
During our lives on earth, we are nourished Sunday by Sunday with the body and blood of our Lord. At our death, Jesus will welcome us to our place at the table in the heavenly kingdom. ''Come,'' he will say. ''The banquet is ready.''
And on that mountain the Lord of hosts will make for
all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well--aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well--aged wines strained clear.
And Jesus will take bread and wine, and bless it, and sit down to feast with us in the kingdom ... as it says in Revelation,
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun
will not strike them, nor any scorching heat, and he will
guide them to springs of the water of life ....
Christ Awaits Us
On this night, Jesus washed feet; he gave a new commandment to love one another; he fed them with his own body and blood. We who have been washed in baptism, lived in love, and been nourished by Christ's body and blood will find at our death that Christ awaits us. Christ washes our feet. Christ invites us to servanthood. And Christ will welcome us to heaven, saying, ''Welcome to the banquet.''
Amen.
_____
Originally published in The Word Is Life: An Anthology Of Funeral Meditations by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio, 1994.
