Maundy Thursday. I drifted lazily on my Southern Baptist roots well into adulthood having never heard the phrase. My childhood neighbors were mostly of the same ilk, giving great reverence to Easter Sunday but skipping right past all other Passion Week observances. To this day I don’t even recall Maundy Thursday being mentioned in casual conversation by acquaintances of other denominations during my early Christian experience. Even after bunnies, eggs, and baskets gave way to a greater understanding of the significance and meaning behind Easter, I was oblivious to how history, and the vast majority of the Christian world, observed Holy Week. We were faithful to dress in our Sunday finest (often newly purchased for the occasion), sit stoically in our pews, and sing the first, second, and fourth line of all the traditional hymns associated with Easter. Many times a well attended Easter Cantata was on the Holy Week calendar. And from the bottom of our hearts, we celebrated an empty tomb, the resurrection of our Lord, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. And though I’ve become more aware of it in recent years, even now Maundy Thursday is somewhat of an intentional mystery to most in my denomination and a significant portion of the evangelical world.
So what is Maundy Thursday all about? What does “Maundy” mean? Am I missing out on something significant by not observing it? More importantly, is my self-imposed ignorance and lack of observance an affront or a slight to my Saviour? Worse still, a sin?
History
In short Maundy Thursday is the fifth day of Holy Week nestled between two other Holy Week observances that warrant their own discussion, Holy Wednesday (also referred to as Good Wednesday and Spy Wednesday) and Good Friday. Catholicism recognizes Maundy Thursday as the first day of the Paschal Triduum, or Easter Triduum, the sacred “three days” leading up to and encompassing Easter Sunday. The Paschal Triduum is to the entire year what Sunday is to the week.” *
Scripture tells us that it was on this Thursday that Christ retreated to an upstairs room to share the Passover meal with his twelve disciples. Christendom has given this particular Passover meal the title of the Last Supper. It was just prior to the meal that Jesus humbled himself about as low as humanly possible by washing the disciples feet. These two events, the Lord’s Supper and the washing of the disciples’ feet, form the basis for the primary rituals practiced by those who faithfully observe Maundy Thursday.
As for the name’s origin, “Maundy”, there are several schools of thought, but most sources agree it is a shortened form of the Latin word mandatum, from which we get our English word “mandate” or “commandment.” This hearkens back to Jesus’ words spoken during the Last Supper, soon after he told Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” (John 13:27). After Judas left the company of the disciples Jesus turned his attention to the remaining eleven disciples, attempting to give final instructions and encouragement before his crucifixion. It’s here, in John 13:34 Christ said “I give you a new commandment.”
New Commandment
Since the observance of Maundy Thursday is rooted in Christ’s actions and words on this day, to understand it further we are compelled to dive deeper into the sequence of the day’s events. Specifically, we need to consider John 13:34, “I am giving you a new commandment: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should love one another” and how it fits into the narrative. Let’s first explore the two most commonly practiced rituals of the day, foot washing and communion.
Foot Washing
After washing their feet and putting his cloak back on, he reclined at the table again and asked, “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that’s what I am. If then I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. I’ve set an example—that you should do just as I have done for you. I’m telling you the truth: A servant is not greater than their master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you’ll be blessed if you do them. John 13:12-17
Christ clearly told the twelve disciples that he had “set an example” and “do just as I have done.” But was this specifically an example of love that should be replicated and considered a “new commandment.”? When he took the basin and cloth and washed the disciples’ feet the twelve were confronted with a major paradigm shift in their understanding of love. But this reference to a new commandment occurs sixteen verses later in the dialog, after Christ addresses being betrayed by Judas.
With only a matter of hours left to impact and teach his disciple, clearly verse 16 tells us that foot washing was another attempt to teach that servitude, not greatness, is the call of a true disciple: “Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.” The “example” Christ was setting by washing feet was one of humility and servitude.
The Lord’s Supper
The three Synoptic Gospels record that it was on this Thursday before Passover that Christ instituted the observance of communion. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said a blessing, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks to God, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the [new] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until the day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Matthew 26:26-29 (See also Luke 22:19-20 and Mark 14:22-25)
For this reason it seems as if observing Holy Communion is an appropriate and beautiful way to celebrate Maundy Thursday. But we must take into account that none of these three Gospels speak of a “new commandment” given on this Thursday. It’s only the Gospel of John that tells of Christ setting a “new commandment” with his disciples. And yet John neglected to record the account of the Lord’s Supper. With that, reason leads me to believe Christ’s new commandment was not in regard to communion.
Love One Another
If not foot washing or communion, what does this new command refer to? Is it as simple as loving one another as clearly stated by Christ? How could it be new considering the ancient text in Leviticus taught Jews “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Lev. 19:18). Even Christ had quoted this command much earlier in his ministry when asked what the greatest commandment was: Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matt 22:34-40)
In trying to understand how this could be a new commandment, there are two things I considered. First, by now he had given his disciples many commands. And though he exhibited unconditional love to both followers and strangers, at no time had he specifically asked his disciples to follow his example. Had he seen them lacking in love for each other? Knowing the turmoil and trials they’d be facing in a matter of hours, Christ knew that this rag-tag bunch would need an other-worldly love to carry them through.
Second, regarding this new command as compared to Leviticus’ command to “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, was it a different kind of love? The Pulpit Commentary states: “In the Mosaic principle…self-love is assumed, and is made the standard for the love of neighbor. This new commandment, on the other hand, ’would be based on a new principle, and measured by a higher standard, and even mean more than love of self altogether. Christ’s love to his disciples was self-abandoning, self-sacrificing love.’”
Christ reiterates this command later that evening saying “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you”…These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” (John 15:12, 17). Obviously it was paramount that the disciples understand just how important loving one another was to the unity and advancement of the church. It was a lesson they needed to learn and learn quickly. That’s the point of John 16:1 where Jesus said, “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.”
I have to believe that this command to love one another holds greater significance than any ritual we might perform.
Conclusion
Considering that there’s a lack of consensus surrounding many aspects of Maundy Thursday, how should I approach it? On one hand I’m in complete disagreement with author Justin Wainscott when he writes about me, along with many others, that “as a result [of years of ignoring this Holy day] you came to Easter Sunday with no real sense of what you were celebrating, no real sense of the joy of the resurrection.” But on the other hand I can appreciate his comment, “our failure to celebrate Holy Week has been to our own detriment. We are missing out on commemorating the most important events in human history”
My limited research, which took me across some very deep theological divides, compels me to not throw the baby out with the bathwater. And though it’s not a new commandment, the simple fact that the Lord’s Supper was instituted on this day is reason enough to celebrate it on Maundy Thursday. All in all, I’m challenged to give considerable thought to each day of the Holy Week and observe it as God leads. I invite you, dear reader, to do the same.
Notes
*Online article “What is the Paschal Triduum?” by Josh Perry
Photo Credit Unsplash.com
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