Jesse Perkins Tuesday, March 15, 2016 Year C Maundy Thursday The Holy Binder of Recipes Some many years ago, when Katy and I first got married Katy s mom gave us a large white 3-ring binder She had called my mom, and they had called their moms And compiled in this plain binder, with pages in protected sleeves Within them were the sacred family recipes that Katy and I had grown up eating and loving The key to the gnostic secrets of amazing home-cooked meals Recipes from both families, from multiple generations, of varying degrees of healthy all the way to indulgent It s a rare month that goes by when that binder does not find its way out onto the counter for yet another family meal Few gifts were as meaningful- We enjoyed the gift cards given, and the gift cards from the gifts we returned We still use the dishes that came in what I think was a hope chest We have our special wine goblets from the wedding that we use to toast on each anniversary But very few gifts stick out in my mind like that recipe binder, and what it signifies, and how much it participates in our day to day lives There is tradition, there is identity and familiarity, and of course through those recipes we not only continue to enjoy But now cook for Gaius, who will grow up and perhaps one day get his own binder Tonight made me think of that recipe book as I read our the Old Testament reading It is full of ritual and recipe, meant to create and continue a cultural and familial identity Here we find Israel, at the first and10th plague, about to embark on a long journey through the wilderness And ultimately become their own nation, people, agency- no longer slaves, but free to be God s people The writers of this section go to great length to make certain that Israel s identity is significantly defined here in this event 1 of 5
The first month of a new year begins They hear the story, the remember the blood on the door posts that saved them from death The food is cooked to very specific specifications, must like those recipes in the Binder Their clothes are even prescribed, and of course, they are to observe this festival throughout the generations in perpetuity All key ingredients in creating a shared cultural memory and identity for a new nation And it worked- ancient Israel and modern Jews alike look to this story as one of the foundational narratives of who they are A people rescued by God, freed from slavery, Egyptians defeated, rescued by the parting of the sea And re-enacting it every year to remind them of who they truly are, even if they forget from time to time As Christians, we inherited some of this rich Jewish heritage Certainly the desire to use ritual, food, and re-enactment all as a way to remind us of who we are, and who's we are I suspect it is universally human We see it tonight sore sure: Jesus is speaking to his disciples only a few nights before his death We know a little about the setting: we know that this is the week, which is why the Old Testament reading is what it is That s why later they don t want to the bodies to remain on the crosses for too long We know that tons of people have made their way into Jerusalem A people celebrating the memory of, and the hope for a future independence And likely creating some tension felt on Palm Sunday just a few days ago Here we have Jesus and his disciples, the men and women who have followed him, loved him, and braved the risks in Jerusalem for him Are gathered around doing what faithful Jews have done for generations- remembering the They tell the story They cook the recipes, eat the food. They remember. 2 of 5
On this particular evening, Jesus adds on to the meaning that is in the No longer just about God s saving actions so long ago in Egypt, but now they are to remember him whenever they do this Remember his body, his blood, remember each other Remember who they are- new people, born again, living in a new hope. Remember that God is still rescuing them from death as he did from Egypt It strikes me that Jesus really did not take away any meaning from the It is still a meal celebrating God s faithfulness and rescue It still has ritual, and certainly creates meaning and identity It still remembers God s saving act in Egypt, but now takes on a decisively hopeful tone Yes, God saved in the past, but God is saving in the present too. And God will save in the future. And the proof? Sitting right in front of them, in the flesh, the body and blood of God s son. It is through him that we get to participate within God s saving plan But it will not come without a cost It is only a matter of hours at this point until Jesus is arrested And days until he is crucified. Jesus is focused on centering this group of believers and giving them something to not only remember him by But remind them of who they are Certainly, the Supper together, the foundation of our Eucharist But something more too- Jesus decides to wash their feet A couple of weeks ago, Amber told us how scandalous, how un-heard-of this would have been, for anyone Much less for a rabbi to his disciples, who had just processed into Jerusalem as if he were its king Now a towel hangs from his waist, and he begins to do the unthinkable Tearing down the social and cultural barriers of class and status to break through to the people behind the barriers To try once more to get into their hearts that what matters is not what separates us, but what instead unites us And our best work is to serve. 3 of 5
Without thought of station, or taboo, or consequence- to serve our fellow humankind, our fellow children of God Peter freaks out. Of course he does. Of course everyone else was too, he was just the first to speak I imagine But Jesus has big plans for this newly forming group of people. Just as the hope that God will save was embedded in the Jewish Jesus wants the disciples to ritualize and memorialize the imperative to serve Think about that for a minute- on par with the belief and hope that God creates and saves, which is foundational for Christians Is also the imperative to serve, to love, and to tear down the barriers that separate us in order to do it. Jesus tells us to wash each others feet. It s right here, right along with the Eucharist, as ancient foundational recipes to remind us of who we are as followers of the way, or little Christs In a few minutes, and for this one time a year only, there ll be a chance for all of us to follow Jesus example To literally imitate our savior To participate in the family tradition of eating together and serving together No one has to wash feet- truly, it is not a litmus test of discipleshipthere s no judgment if you do not want to But it is a good recipe- a good recipe to help us practice and get better at overcoming the social barriers, taboos, and discomfort that might try and keep us apart If we manage to push through the discomfort and wash feet, and even have our feet washed Perhaps it will make it a little easier to push through the other parts of our culture and society that keep us isolated and lonely Maybe washing feet is like a boot camp of sorts- preparing us for the encounters with the poor, the judged, the lonely we will find when we leave the safe confines of this nave Maybe we can push through discomfort out there if we do it in here first. Because here s another truth of Maundy Thursday, or Mandate Thursday: 4 of 5
For Christians, our salvation comes not from the blood on doorposts like the first Our salvation comes with a basin of dirty water, a product of our faith in action Of our love and care for our fellow people A product of our imitation of a God who came in the flesh to remind us of who we are, and show us a better way to love and live. And to reconnect us to our creator Tonight we dust off the binder and we pull out two of the oldest recipes we have We will eat together just like Jesus said, bread, wine, remembering, and encountering And we will have the chance to wash each others feet And in this, in the bread, the cup, and the basin of dirty water, we will be reminded of who we are. Amen. 5 of 5