Maundy Thursday (கட்டளை வியாழன்) - 38th day in the lent

Today we observe Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday , which commemorates the Last Supper and Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. Maundy is derived from the Latin word for "command," and refers to Jesus' commandment to the disciples to "Love one another as I have loved you." Let us see what the Lord has commanded us on this Maundy Thursday(கட்டளை வியாழன்).

• A Life as a role model:

 The Son of God commands the children of God to do, what He has followed in His life. John 13:14 "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. "
   1 Pet 1:15,16 'But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;  for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”'
   John 13:34  'A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.'
   Luke 6:36  'Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.'
   Matth 5:48 'Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.'
   Ephe 4:32 'Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.'

• A Life of humblity:

John 13:4,5 '..He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist.  After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him...'
Though Jesus was a leader and a teacher, He washed the feet of the disciples in order to teach them servant hood.
He foreknew the abandoning acts of His disciples yet He humbled before them. Phil 2:5-8 'Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.'
Mark 9:35 He said to them, “If anyone would be first, He must be last of all and servant of all.” Jesus preached this verse and He showed it in His life.  

• A Life which counts others more significant:

Jesus through the act of washing the feet, taught us to count others more significant than us.
Phil 2:3 ' Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.'
Our Jesus Christ was great in everything ,but still He loved the prior known forsaking disciples ,more significance in His life.

• A Life of love including loving the enemies: 

Jesus has taught us in Matth 5:44,45 ' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.'
In the same way, He loved  betraying Judas Iscariot, denying Peter, abandoning disciples and washed their feet.
'......having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.' John 13:1 His love is same all the time.
Let us analyse whether our love is pure and real all the time. Are we showing the love to those who hate us?
 
Our Lord wants us to live according to His word rather than living in our own ways.He expects our life to be a role model for His glory that will impact others to know and follow Jesus Christ. In the Bible, When Lot called his son-in-laws to get out of Sodom for the Lord is about to destroy the city,they didn't accept Lot's word(Gen 19:14). But Ruth followed Naomi and said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God...'(Ruth 1:16)
Let us search our hearts to see, how is our life before others, is it showing God?
May our Father lead our life with humbleness, fill our hearts with love, help us to count others more significant and shine us to be a role model for His glory.

Memory Verse
Ruth 2:12
The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”
                                                                                                         Shared by Sis. Hepzibah Ravindran
                                                                                                                                                4-2-2015