This is the holiest time of the year. The time when we remember the last supper of out Lord. The time he was handed over by Judas, because he was in charge. Jesus said at dinner one of you will betray me, or one of you will hand me over. He knew it all along, and who it was. Judas did his part. But we remember the meal, and the walk to the garden, and the praying and watching with Jesus, and the sweat running as blood, and asking for this cup to be removed. Jesus shows his humanness, and his wanting to not do things the way God wants them done. Do we ever do this? But Jesus says “not my will but yours be done.” This is a far cry from the Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? My God, My God why have you forsaken me…. My God My God why have you left me here in this mess? Have we ever cried this out to God wondering how we got into the place we are? I wonder did God really forsake Jesus? Did he ever truly leave him? He could have at any point removed himself from the cross, right? He rose from the dead to give us life, and bring us all grace, so did God ever forake him?

I wonder this after a Maundy Thursday service which had too much mention of Easter for me. I am vert traditional when it comes tothe 3 days, and think there is a reason for the one service over 3 days model. Thursday starts, Friday picks up the middle, and Saturday night completes. Thursday is a celebration that ends up going bad. It is the party at your house and the cops are called because your friends are out on the lawn and disturbing the neighbors. Or the cake arrives from the bakers, and the name is spelled wrong and the guest of honor has a hissy fit…

I find it interesting that the title of the day Maundy Thursday is something of a command. “1440, from M.E. maunde “the Last Supper,” also “ceremony of washing the feet,” from O.Fr. mandé, from L. mandatum “commandment,” in reference to the opening words of the church service for this day, Mandatum novum do vobis “A new commandment I give unto you” (John xiii.34), words supposedly spoken by Jesus to the Apostles after washing their feet at the Last Supper.” (Taken from http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Maundy+Thursday).

Jesus commands us to love one another, this new commandment, but is it not interesting that very few celebrate this day? This is the day that Jesus gave us that very foretaste of the coming kingdom, yet we can pass over it like any other day. And tomorrow is much the same, in Good Friday. We go about out day not even thinking about it. We have church on Sunday, and we had Passion Sunday most places last week, and missed the triumphal entry of Jesus as king, and we skip over Palm Sunday because our lives are too hectic, and we can not possibly go to church more than 1 day a week. Do we remember what Jesus did for us? Do we remember what happened tomorrow as he was nailed to a tree? He died so that you might be free, and to repay him, we go about our day like nothing happened. We need to remember the walk. I received this from a friend. I thought it was a great look at what Jesus did and wants from us:

HE WALKED

He could hear the crowds screaming “crucify, crucify”.

He could hear the hatred in their voices, these were His chosen people. He loved them, and they were going to crucify Him. He was beaten, bleeding and weakened. His heart was broken, but still He walked.

He could see the crowd as He came from the palace. He knew each of the faces so well. He had created them. He knew every smile, laugh, and shed tear. But now they were contorted with rage and anger. His heart broken, but still He walked.

Was He scared? You and I would have been. So His humanness would have mandated that He was. He felt alone. His disciples had left, denied, and even betrayed Him. He searched the crowd for a loving face and He saw very few.

Then He turned His eyes to the only one that mattered. And He knew that He would never be alone.

He looked back at the crowd, at the people who were spitting at Him, throwing rocks at Him and mocking Him and He knew that because of Him, they would never be alone. So for them, He walked.

The sounds of the hammer striking the spikes echoed through the crowd. The sounds of His cries echoed even louder, the cheers of the crowd, as His hands and feet were nailed to the cross, intensified with each blow.

Loudest of all was the still small voice inside His heart that whispered “I am with you, my son”, and God’s heart broke.

He had let His son walk.

Jesus could have asked God to end His suffering, but instead He asked God to forgive. Not to forgive Him, but to forgive the ones who were persecuting Him.

As He hung on that cross, dying an unimaginable death, He looked out and saw, not only the faces in the crowd, but also, the face of every person yet to be, and His heart filled with love.

As His body was dying, His heart was alive.

Alive with the limitless, unconditional love He feels for each of us.

That is why He walked.

When I forget how much My God loves me, I remember His walk.

When I wonder if I can be forgiven, I remember His walk.

When I need reminded of how to live like Christ, I think of His walk.

And to show Him how much I love Him, I wake up each morning, turn my eyes to Him, and I walk.

— Author Unknown