Maundy Thursday is the Christian feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. On this day four events are commemorated: the washing of the Disciples' Feet by Jesus Christ, the institution of the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, the agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot.
You may never have been betrayed by a close friend and, if not, I pray that you never are. It has only happened to me once, and it was one of the most painful experiences I have ever had. It cut so deep that the two of us never spoke again.
And so I am struck by the fact that Christ, knowing that He was about to be betrayed by Judas, still shared that last supper with him. Still broke bread with him. Still washed his feet.
Maundy Thursday is when Christ's command to love our enemies seems most real to me. I understand that the cross was His greatest moment of suffering, but He manages, in the midst of it, to cry out to God, "Forgive them, they don't know what they're doing."
Judas knew what he was doing and Jesus knew he was going to do it. And yet He still loved Judas and acted lovingly towards him, a servant right until the end. It's something I struggle to get my head around. It's love I find it almost impossible to understand, let alone emulate. It is truly amazing grace.
No comments:
Post a Comment