Homiletic's Class - Reflection for Holy Thursday

The following was an assignment for my Homiletic's Class 
A Reflection for Holy Thursday.

We all look up to someone -  our father, mother, or even a grandparent.  Maybe we have someone who was a mentor to us.  A lot of people followed Jesus and his disciples, listening to his teaching.  Some of the followers may have been tied to them by circumstance, maybe before Jesus, the disciples were their mentors.  Have you ever wondered about those who followed?  Maybe it was an apprentice fisherman.

My name is Moshe. Yes, I remember Jesus.  I am an old man now, but I have lived my life by the model he gave us.  What model?  Let me tell you the story.

  I was down by the sea of Galilee.  I was not much more than a boy, just old enough to become an apprentice.  I was working with my mentors Simon and his brother Andrew.  They were teaching me to fish, make nets, handle the boat, and all the things a man needs to know.   A teacher named Jesus came to the shore, preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven.  He said to Simon and Andrew, "follow me, I will make you fishers of men."  I was thinking, this sounds funny, so I asked them if they knew this man, "Where does this man come from, where does he eat?"   Jesus said to me, "Come and see."  So, I did.   

  I followed Jesus as he went from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom to come.  He spoke and taught in the synagogues.  Everyone that heard him, praised his teaching.   They were amazed that he taught with so much authority.  He did not teach like the scribes or Pharisees. There was a realness about him.  You believed what he taught.  

I remember one time, a scribe asked him, what is the greatest commandment.  Everyone knew what Moses taught, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind."  But Jesus added to this, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  It was the same law we all knew but so much more when he spoke it.

Wherever he entered some place new, people were waiting. Whether it was the countryside, a village or even a great city, people came.  The sick would be laying on the streets in the market place just asking to touch the hem of his cloak, and many touched it and were cured.  

  Jesus did the most wondrous and glorious things. He calmed the sea in a storm. He fed thousand with just a few loves and some fish.  He raised the dead.  

Yet, even with such great things, the most learned of men in the Law, still tried to trap him with questions.  He always gave answers they could not refute.  And in all of this, Jesus could have become angry against those who doubted him, but he remained so humble.   

He rejected no one and was friends with tax collectors and sinners.  All those that others looked down upon, came near Him to listen.  The Pharisees called out against him because Jesus sat and ate with sinners.  I was among the sinners who sat listening to his words.

In his words and deeds, Jesus taught us faith.  Jesus taught us to forgive ourselves and to forgive others.  Many were healed because of their faith.  Yes, and many were healed because their sins were forgiven. He taught us to pray "forgive us as we forgive others." 

Many, many people grew to believe in Jesus, people said that even some of the rulers believed in Jesus, but could not follow Him because they were afraid that they would be persecuted and loose power and their office.  I do not think these people heard his words.

Jesus was a man, I know this.  He shed tears and became hungry; but, he was more than a man because of his love.  It was a love that forgave us our sins.  A love that allowed us to believed in the power of forgiveness.  When Jesus forgave us of our sins, our sins (all our sins) were forgiven.   This was Jesus' true humility, living less in himself and doing all for the Kingdom of Heaven. 

I could go on, because there is so much more to tell. But I must tell you of the things that occurred at that  Passover meal. At the end of the meal, Jesus took the bread and blessed it.  He said "This is my body. This is a cup of the new covenant."  All those at the table shared in the bread and cup.  

Then Jesus did the most remarkable thing, he took off his robe and tied a towel around his waist and washed everyone's feet.  Simon, who Jesus call Peter, did not want the master to wash his feet. The master washing the feet of his disciples.   Everyone was in awe.  Jesus then said, "I have given you a model to follow, as I have done for you, you should also do."  

     I can tell you the story over and over, and remember something different every time.  But every part of Jesus teachings were in the washing of the feet.  His message, his ministry, and his life was simply this expressed so simply:  

• Jesus loved us, he washed our feet for love;
• Jesus forgave us, he washed away what soiled us; and 
• Jesus humbled himself in everything, putting every one before himself.  

     
     This was the model he gave us after that meal and in his life.  Not just in washing our feet with water and a towel but in all he did.  He humbled himself to wash us with forgiveness  and dried us with love.  He did this even the next day when they took him, beat him, and crucified him.  Humbled on the cross, he forgave us and still loved us even in what was done to him.

     Many took his model and began to teach and heal those in need.  They served, they loved, and they forgave sins by his authority.  My friend Peter said that "Jesus was the living son of God."  I know this is true.  Many others also believe.

     This is end of the story of a man's life; but, that is not the end of the story. The rest of the story is the one of Christ Jesus, which is greater still.  But we will save that for another time. 

     Now many years later, people go to the 5 Gospels to hear Jesus' story, to discover the model - Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.  Yes, Yes, I know that is only 4 gospels.   The fifth gospel, I hope is found in me, following Christ's model of love, forgiveness, and humility.  Please, let an old man finish by asking you this: Is the fifth gospel your life as well?

Thank you my friend, Moshe.   It is such good news to hear the gospel coming from you.   I too challenge you to follow the model Jesus gave us, be the gospel living in the world.