Today is MAUNDY THURSDAY, the day before "Good Friday" (when we remember Christ's death) and three days before "Resurrection Sunday" (when we dwell, more than usual, on the fact that God RAISED Jesus from the dead thereby accepting His payment for the sins of His people.) Now, "Good Friday" and "Resurrection Sunday" (a.k.a. "Easter") are Holy Days I've celebrated my entire life, and I'm sure YOU may have, TOO!! But this "MAUNDY THURSDAY" is something relatively new to me and it's something I'm experiencing in a new way this year You see, "Maundy (Holy) Thursday" commemorates The Last Supper AND that wonderful instance where Jesus washed the disciples' feet, and told them, basically, to go and do likewise (John 13: 1-17.)
For the sake of my newer readers, let me explain something before I go further.
My first wife, of 38 years, died about two years ago and I honestly think I failed to "wash her feet"....SERVE her, in humbling, but beneficial ways, in other words. I failed to serve her as I should have until the last two years of her life when she was dying of the cancer. And after Beth went Home to Heaven, I fervently prayed and asked God to help me do better (SERVING my second wife) IF He ever allowed me the privilege of REmarriage.
He HAS (allowed me to remarry....Mercedes is her name!!)
And, by His Grace, *I* have (established a pattern of serving my new wife in "menial" ways, following Jesus' Example on "Maundy Thursday.") By the way, just like the bread and the cup Christ passed around at the Last Supper wasn't LITERALLY His body and blood, but only a SYMBOL of same, I don't believe He LITERALLY meant that we have to wash each others' feet, to imitate Him!! The rest of Scripture gives us MANY ways to serve others via simple tasks...visiting someone who is sick or in prison...giving a cup of cold water in His Name...caring for widows and orphans...PRAYING for one another, and bearing each others' burdens...and so on. I believe "washing the disciples' feet" is just an ANALOGY OF SERVICE TO OTHERS, you see. Some DO take it literally, and that's fine...but we don't HAVE to literally wash someone's feet, we can serve them, and Him, in many other ways.
But, I digress.
Anyway, that's why today, my FIRST "Maundy Thursday" since my remarriage, is so SPECIAL to me. By God's Grace, I've been living out the meaning of this day EVERY day, and today is a reminder of WHY I do it...just like "Good Friday" is a reminder of how Christ suffered for my sins and SUNDAY will remind me how He rose again so that my PARDON is SEALED.
I never have needed to literally wash Mercedes's feet...as her daughter pointed out to me once, "mom's feet are always clean," Lol!! And they are!! But I take great joy in MASSAGING them for her, and serving her THAT way!! After all, countless are the ways SHE serves ME day-by-day!! God gives me insight to see OTHER little ways I can help her...opening the car door...helping her bring groceries in...helping with the dishes and the wash, and so on. He also gives me JOY as I do this!!
And that's why this, today, is the BEST "Maundy Thursday" I've ever experienced!!
I hope it is for you, as well and may the meaning and peace of Resurrection Sunday be with you ALL!!
Artwork taken randomly from internet.
No copyright was violated, to my knowledge.
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