Some centuries before Jesus Christ was walking the Promised Land the Prophet Isaiah was expressing his own hope, which was also that of his people, that the mysterious figure of the Lord’s servant would ‘offer his life in atonement,’ that ‘by his sufferings the Lord’s servant would justify many, taking their faults on himself.’ We believe that the hope of Isaiah and the hope of the People of God from the Old Testament came true when the Son of God became man for us and for our salvation.
My Dear Sisters and Brothers! The fulfilment of the Isaiah’s hope also gives us confidence to hope that we have someone to go to with the burden of our sin. Jesus Christ tells us right now: ‘The Son of Man himself did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ We are faced with his servant attitude every Holy Thursday when the Lord of heaven and earth kneels at the dirty feet of his followers to wash them. The duty which was reserved to the person whose status was the lowest. We can be scandalized at that, like Peter was. How can God take the lowest position among the humans? To our mind which often tells us that prestige, good reputation and significance in the community are things to be perused the image of God at the feet of people is beyond comprehension. Maybe we could cope with Jesus kneeling at the feet of his beloved Apostle, or even Peter, but that day when he had his Last Supper with his disciples Jesus knelt at the feet of Judas, the betrayer. He didn’t have to but still he did. Why did he do that?
Because he wanted to. Jesus was not put there by any one. He himself chose to take the lowest possible place. I would like to invite you my fellow believers to keep before your eyes that image of Jesus at the feet of Judas. Don’t dismiss it easily. Let it be firmly and deeply engraved in your heart and mind. And keep reminding yourself that no one dragged Jesus there. He got there out of his free will. He wanted to be there.
Why did he want to be there? Because in this way he could reach the person who had fallen the lowest. Judas who was loved and chosen by Jesus, like the other Eleven, Judas who was among the people who were blessed to live with God made man more than anyone else, Judas who was sent to preach the Good News chose thirty silver coins over his Lord and Master. How could you do that Judas? How could you betray Jesus? How could stain the good name of the community to which you were called? However these are our questions. These questions were not Jesus’. Jesus made himself lower than Judas so that Judas like the lost sheep could find himself on Jesus’ shoulders. Jesus ‘who came to seek and save what was lost’ went to the lost one, he went to Judas. Judas however was not moved. Judas despised his lowly Lord and Master even further. Despite that rejection Jesus hasn’t changed. He wants us to treasure the image of him kneeling and washing Judas’ feet so that we who fall low too can find ourselves on Jesus’ shoulders.
When you are going back home today ask yourself who among the people you know needs to hear this message. If there are people who you judge the worst sinners remember that Jesus is even lower than they are. Tell them that, that there is still hope for them to have their sins atoned for. Theirs and ours hope is JESUS.
My Dear Sisters and Brothers! The fulfilment of the Isaiah’s hope also gives us confidence to hope that we have someone to go to with the burden of our sin. Jesus Christ tells us right now: ‘The Son of Man himself did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ We are faced with his servant attitude every Holy Thursday when the Lord of heaven and earth kneels at the dirty feet of his followers to wash them. The duty which was reserved to the person whose status was the lowest. We can be scandalized at that, like Peter was. How can God take the lowest position among the humans? To our mind which often tells us that prestige, good reputation and significance in the community are things to be perused the image of God at the feet of people is beyond comprehension. Maybe we could cope with Jesus kneeling at the feet of his beloved Apostle, or even Peter, but that day when he had his Last Supper with his disciples Jesus knelt at the feet of Judas, the betrayer. He didn’t have to but still he did. Why did he do that?
Because he wanted to. Jesus was not put there by any one. He himself chose to take the lowest possible place. I would like to invite you my fellow believers to keep before your eyes that image of Jesus at the feet of Judas. Don’t dismiss it easily. Let it be firmly and deeply engraved in your heart and mind. And keep reminding yourself that no one dragged Jesus there. He got there out of his free will. He wanted to be there.
Why did he want to be there? Because in this way he could reach the person who had fallen the lowest. Judas who was loved and chosen by Jesus, like the other Eleven, Judas who was among the people who were blessed to live with God made man more than anyone else, Judas who was sent to preach the Good News chose thirty silver coins over his Lord and Master. How could you do that Judas? How could you betray Jesus? How could stain the good name of the community to which you were called? However these are our questions. These questions were not Jesus’. Jesus made himself lower than Judas so that Judas like the lost sheep could find himself on Jesus’ shoulders. Jesus ‘who came to seek and save what was lost’ went to the lost one, he went to Judas. Judas however was not moved. Judas despised his lowly Lord and Master even further. Despite that rejection Jesus hasn’t changed. He wants us to treasure the image of him kneeling and washing Judas’ feet so that we who fall low too can find ourselves on Jesus’ shoulders.
When you are going back home today ask yourself who among the people you know needs to hear this message. If there are people who you judge the worst sinners remember that Jesus is even lower than they are. Tell them that, that there is still hope for them to have their sins atoned for. Theirs and ours hope is JESUS.
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