There is a contrast between our first reading, and the second reading and Gospel message. The first shows the instructions from the Lord to prepare the people of Israel for their exodus from Egypt, by the procurement of a lamb. Its blood would be used to mark their doorpost so that the spirit that would take the lives of every firstborn in Egypt would spare the people of Israel this same fate. Its flesh would be eaten in haste to strengthen the people for their journey. All of these things were to prepare the people of Israel for a new life out of the captivity they were currently experiencing.
In our second reading and Gospel, there is a similar, but much deeper preparation taking place to allow the people of Israel relief and hope, not just from their Roman oppressors, but from the burden of the laws that man had created, and from all of life’s struggles. There is a model being put in place of quiet caring and loving servitude, that is anything but the fierce leadership that many were awaiting and expecting from their Messiah. There is a Messiah, a suffering servant, who is going to show the people a new way of living, both temporally and eternally. You’ve heard me talk about this before, that the people of Israel didn’t take into account both of the Messianic prophecies. The first was to be the suffering servant; it was for this fulfillment that Jesus was born a man. The second would be the warrior, king, and judge that Jesus will be when he comes again. This understanding is crucial to our belief, and to the message that we are called to evangelize to others. The suffering servant would be the greatest of all because He would be the servant of all in the most profound sense.
When Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, it was an extension of his answer regarding the greatest of the two commandments when he was questioned by the Pharisee. Love the Lord your God (you do this by demonstrating a quiet servitude and obeying His laws) and love your brothers and sisters (which we can do by taking care of and serving them). If the God of the universe had no issue with girding himself with a towel and kneeling before others, who are we to EVER have an issue with serving one another. We don’t always do a very good job of keeping this in mind however; that is part of the human condition. We stumble (a lot), and we lose sight of the example we were given. To help us with that, we are also given sustenance to strengthen us, we are given the flesh and blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, who knows our weakness provided us with this precious food to feed both our bodies and our spirits. At a time when He knew what was to happen to Him shortly, he gave us this precious gift, first to His disciples, and through them to each of us. Jesus’ blood and body were shed for each of us as part of the new covenant that we are all part of as His followers. We are each of us called as part of this covenantal relationship to demonstrate the same humility, and to care for one another no matter how humble the means of service. The greatest gift we can often give is the one that is most humbling to deliver, and yet it means the most, both to the one who receives it, and in the eyes of our Lord who sees our deeds. There is no shortage of need in this world. There are many who need our help, even in things as simple as spending the time with them and letting them know they are cared about. Tie the towel around your waste, kneel in humility, and follow what is sometimes the most difficult path for us to follow our Lord on, the one of the servant who is seen as greatest in the eyes of our Father.
The Deacons Bench 