all creation is redeemed

This and the postings that follow are a series of reflections that originally appeared here, on the Diocese of Dunedin website "worship" page

Maundy Thursday

April 9th

READING. John 13:1-17, 31b-35

Before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”  Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am.  So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them ...  Then Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.  Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’  I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

REFLECTION

When you read John’s gospel account there’s some key words that John loads with theological meaning. “Hour” and “glory” (including “glorify”) are critical flags that he uses throughout his text. He has some other stylistic quirks, too. In this passage we see the extent to which he wants to demonstrate that Jesus is in control of his fate: this will recur throughout the trial and crucifixion scenes. To read it today it can give a little too much of an impression that Jesus was waltzing towards execution serenely, more or less untroubled by the events befalling him. It is important to set that idea aside; John wants to demonstrate that all is within the purposes of God, but we need to avoid any sense that this is a walk in the park for the suffering Messiah.

The “in control” nature of John’s portrayal of Jesus is designed to underscore the weight of the word “hour.” This is the moment above all (if I can put it that way) in which God’s purpose is fulfilled. Time is fulfilled. The “hour” stretches from the moment John pronounces “and it was night” to the moment the “and it was still dark” of John 20:1 surrenders to the “angels in white” of John 20:12. 

John is using peculiar contrasts to emphasize that it is in the deepest of darkness that light is finally revealed: Christlight reaches to the deepest depths of dark. The “hour” of darkness gives way to eternities of light. At that moment the other great word comes to force ... The glory of God is revealed in the deepest depths of what seems to be “un-God” and all creation is redeemed. All creation is redeemed; even your darkness and mine are caught up into this great movement from night to day.

In response, the very least we can do, Jesus suggests, is to love. Washing feet is a powerful symbol of servant-love. Love your neighbour, even to that extent of humiliation and service. While love is not easy Jesus also tells us, in John’s account, of the Comforter, the Spirit who will draw near and make faith, justice, hope, love ... all these things ... available to us, albeit on the proviso that we abide (another key John-word) in the life of the Risen Christ.