Jesus washed Judas' feet - a New Commandment!

I went to the Mass of the Lord's Supper last night for the first time. I was told that this mass marked the beginning of the Sacred Triduum. The first thing I learned was that some protestant denominations (e.g. Anglican) call the first day of Triduum Maundy Thursday. The word Maundy comes from the Latin phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another." John 13:34) by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet, more of that later. The Mass of the Lord's Supper highlighted three important events: the Institution of the Holy Eucharist (and the Mass), the Institution of the Holy Priesthood, and the demonstration for the "New Commandment". The Old Testament scripture for the mass was taken from Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 which told the story of the Institution of the First Passover. The reading of the Psalms was taken from Psalms 116:12-13, 15-18 - "What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord," and "O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people,". This is the appropriate response for God's salvation to us! Then 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 was read - this is perhaps one of the most read scriptures to remind us of the Institution of the Holy Eucharist. Now to tie everything together is the Gospel passage John 13:1-15. Jesus, the priest, also the sacrificial lamb of the Passover, demonstrated to us the "New Commandment" by washing His disciples' feet!

Jesus was once asked by this young lawyer "“Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”" Jesus summarized the Old Commandments (the Ten Commandments from Deuteronomy 5) into this - Love God, Love our neighbor as ourselves. And yet He gave us a New Commandment: "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." (John 13:34). The Old Commandment says we should love our neighbor as ourselves, but the New Commandment says we should love our neighbor as Christ has loved us. We know how He has loved us: "But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us."(Romans 5:8). And in a practical way He also demonstrated His love by washing the feet of His servants (literally mean slaves).

What I didn't know was that Jesus washed Judas' feet also - before he went out to betray Him! That's the extent He loves us. That's the extent we are to love our neighbor - including our enemies.

It's hard to do. But we are called to be perfect; we are called to be saints!

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)

Patheos has a lovely piece on "Washing Judas' Feet". It says something quite interesting in Simon Peter's reaction after Jesus pointing out Judas as the betrayer, after He washed their feet:"But Simon Peter let Judas go. Why? The story doesn’t tell us. Maybe Simon Peter was moved by the fact that Jesus just washed Judas’s feet. Maybe, if just for a moment, Simon Peter knew that God calls us to respond to violence with nonviolent love and service. And maybe that is what the Atonement is all about."