Sermon: Maundy Thursday

Back to Basics
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Maundy Thursday, Year A (RCL)
John 13:1-17, 31b-35

About six months ago I went to the chiropractor for the first time. I’d been having a dull, persistent pain in my lower back that didn’t seem to be going away. In fact, it had been getting worse. After sitting at the computer for a long while, or taking a long road trip in the car, I’d have to lean forward and move my spine from side to side until something moved, until something popped. Then the pressure would be relieved and the discomfort would stop, at least for the time being. Days later that pain and pressure would return and would be a little more intense than the last time. I finally decided to give the chiropractor a call when my lower back pain began to affect my desire to run; my exercise routine of running five miles every other day.

Much to my surprise, during my first consultation with the chiropractor, he didn’t start with my back; he started by taking a look at my feet. He had me take off my socks and shoes and stand up straight. Then he had me lift the arches of my feet and he jammed his fingers under them. Having me put all of my weight back on my feet once again, he leaned back to look at the alignment of my joints. Then we sat down and talked about what he saw. It turns out that for all my life I had been wearing shoes which lacked any substantial arch support. Because of this, my arches had all but disappeared. With the collapse of my arches came the misalignment of my ankles, of my knees, of my hips, of my back, of my body. And all of this was accentuated by the fact that I had run on these ill-supported feet for five miles every other day for most of my adult life.

It was amazing to me that a seemingly small problem with my shoes could lead to problems with my feet, which lead to problems with the alignment of my joints and body, which lead to a lack in my desire to workout and run, which lead to a less than healthy body and lifestyle, which lead to psychological changes in my mood and behavior, which lead to spiritual changes in my prayer life and my energy for ministry. Sure, it would be silly to say that poor arch support can lead to an existential crisis, but to say that the one has absolutely no effect on the other would be shortsighted. Through consulting with the chiropractor about my feet, I was reminded of how essential the seemingly small stuff in life really is. I thought about the importance of feet and food, of shelter and safety.

In 1943, an American psychologist by the name of Abraham Maslow proposed a theory which he called “the hierarchy of needs.” Maslow believed that all human needs were not equal, but that some needed to be fulfilled before others could even be perceived; thus giving us a hierarchy or pyramid of needs. At the bottom of the pyramid were basic needs, such as food and water and sleep. The next level up were needs of safety, like physical safety and job security. The next level up contained needs of belonging, such as belonging to a family or group of friends. The next level up were needs of esteem, both for self and for others. And finally, at the top of the pyramid we find needs of what Maslow termed self-actualization; of our having all of our needs met to such a degree that we become able to look upon the world as through the eyes of God.

According to Maslow’s theory, if we do not have access to food, to clean water, to shelter in order that we can sleep, if we do not have access to these basic human needs, then there is no way that we will be able to truly feel safe, to feel as we belong, to have self-esteem, to act unselfishly with others. If our physical needs are left unmet, then our psychological and spiritual needs will suffer. If the arches of our feet are causing us physical discomfort throughout our body and we do nothing to address that discomfort, then we will be distracted from our psychological and spiritual needs. Or to put all this in more positive terms, it is when we take care of the seemingly small stuff for ourselves and others that we then allow ourselves and others the opportunity to ascend the pyramid and to grow in community, in esteem, and in the ability to look upon others through the grace of God; through the eyes of God.

In tonight’s Gospel we hear once again that familiar story of Jesus sitting with his disciples for their last supper together; we hear of Jesus getting up from the table and kneeling down in front of the disciples to wash their feet. This year, as I read the Gospel story, I was struck by just how simple Jesus’ farewell was. One would think, that with this being the night before he died and all, that Jesus would have had something special planned; something miraculous and ultimate, something above and beyond his transfiguration. But instead, two simple and quite basic acts occur: a shared meal and the washing of feet. Instead of focusing on the fully divine part of himself, he focuses on the fully human part; he focuses on dirty feet and hungry bellies.

As his last act with his disciples, Jesus addresses their basic needs; he addresses the bottom level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; he addresses their feet and bellies which support their bodies which support their minds which support their souls. Jesus doesn’t provide his disciples with some lofty explanation of morality or self-actualization. No, he gives them the example of breaking bread, of feeding themselves and others, of sustaining the body in order to sustain the soul. He gives them the example of washing feet, of caring for the health and safety of others, again, of sustaining the body in order to sustain the soul. He does this not because he doesn’t value the self-actualizing pinnacle of the pyramid, but because he knows that before there can be peace there must first be justice; before we begin to expect self-esteem from others we first must hold them in esteem, we must first love them and serve them.

Jesus’ message for us today is the same. If we are to ascend Maslow’s pyramid, if we are to grow towards God, then we first need to see to it that our own basic needs and the needs of the world are met before any of us move on to any greater good. In the breaking of bread and in the washing of feet, Jesus asks us, ‘How can the world be safe when so many are hungry, when so many die from preventable diseases?’ In his setting an example for us, in his calling us to do what he has done for us, Jesus is asking us to see to it that the basic human needs of our brothers and sisters are met; that their bodies are fed and healed. Then, and only then, should any of us feel the need to move towards self-actualization. This Maundy Thursday, may God help us to step back from our own selves in order to serve the greater good. May our hearts find contentment with the simplicity of the sole of the foot rather than the loftiness of the mind of God. Amen.