Homily for April 29th, 2021: John 13:16-20.
Jesus’ words
in today’s gospel reading immediately follow his washing of the apostles’ feet.
Feet shod only in sandals got dirty on the dusty roads of Palestine . It was customary, therefore, for a
host to provide water for arriving guests to wash their own feet. Jesus went
beyond this gesture of hospitality. By washing his friends’ feet himself, he
gives them an example of humble service which they must be prepared to imitate.
How little the
Twelve heeded and followed this example, we learn from Luke’s gospel, which
says that at the Last Supper “a dispute arose among them about who should be
regarded as greatest” (22:24). After the foot-washing, therefore, Jesus goes on
to speak about what he has just done.
“No slave is
greater than his master,” Jesus says, “nor any messenger greater than the one
who sent him.” Down through the centuries many of Jesus’ followers have
recognized this, and acted accordingly. Jesus directs his words to them when he
says: “If you understand this, blessed [which means “happy”] are you if you do
it.” Sadly, there are also some who act as masters themselves, rather than as
servants, conceiving of priesthood as a career, not as service. Knowing that
there was one such follower at table with him there at the Last Supper, who in
his heart had already rejected his servant role, Jesus quotes a verse from
Psalm 41: “The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.”
Then, to encourage
those truly resolved in their hearts to be and to remain his servants, Jesus
says: “Amen, amen,” [which means “solemnly”] I say to you, whoever receives the
one I send receives me.” Which one of us would not be thrilled to receive Jesus
in person? A recent e-mail from a Philippine deacon in Rome , soon to be ordained priest, had the
words “A great grace” in the subject line. It told about his being able to
greet Pope Francis personally at the end of an audience for seminarians.
Jesus was telling his apostles that
those to whom he was sending them would be no less thrilled than my Philippine
friend. Jesus concludes by saying: “Whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me,
and in accepting me, accepts him who sent me.”
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