Holy Thursday, April 6, 2023

John 13, 1–15

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, he rose from supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.” Jesus said to him, “Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all.” For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 

“Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father.”  For us, to know the exact hour and day of our deaths would be a terrible agony, but the Lord could hardly constrain himself, waiting for it: “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished!” (Luke 12, 49-50).  This “fire” is the grace of redemption that “burns” away our sins.  “He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.”  In John 1, 11, the Evangelist had said plainly that “his own” did not receive him, by which we can understand the greater part of his family or of the Jews or of the world.  They did not receive him, but he did not let this stop him from loving them even to the end.  One of these was Judas: “The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.”  

“Fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God.”  The Son of God was both sent by the Father and came of his own will.  He also both conducted himself on earth in obedience to the Father and according to his will.  He had revealed on an earlier occasion, “The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise” (John 5, 19).  By this he explains that he acts only in concert with the Father and does not act on his own.  We should strive to imitate him in this, for the conformity of our will to that of the Father is crucial for our salvation.

“He rose from supper and took off his outer garments.”  He does this to show how he had put off the glory he had with the Father in order to go to the floor, as it were, and take on a human nature for our service.  “Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.”  He made himself the slave of all in order to save all.  The water signifies his Blood with which he wiped clean our bodies and souls from sin, signified by the feet.  The towel signifies the grace which makes us capable of living in heaven, signified by the house in which they ate the Last Supper.  “You will never wash my feet.”  Peter did not understand the sign.  He objected to his Master taking the place of a slave to wash his feet and he saw this as an injustice, just as John the Baptist had not understood why Jesus insisted on being baptized.  Or, Peter may have seen this as a test to see which of the Apostles would declare that he was unworthy that the Messiah should was him in this way.  “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”  That is, unless Peter accepted the sign of service to the Church with the other Apostles, he would exclude himself from God’s plan for him.

“You are clean, but not all.”  The heart of Judas was already hardened against the Lord and against his grace.  Grace is not magic.  It can be refused.  The forgiveness of God can be refused, the prospect of heaven can be refused.  

We pray that we may gratefully receive the grace of Almighty God, won for us at a terrible cost by his Son, so that we may dwell in heaven with all the angels and saints.