Today's Mandate

Lent is quiet and subdued, at least until Holy Week. But by Maundy Thursday, there is so much to review, it does not fit. First to the meaning of the word Maundy. Wikipedia lists several possibilities, the most fitting being from the Latin mandatum, the first word in the phrase mandatum novum, which translates "A new commandment", from the charge Jesus gives to His disciples at the Last Supper "to love one another, as I have loved you". More literally, a modern equivalent might be "A new mandate". For many worshippers, Maundy Thursday is linked to the somber service that recalls the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus.

Significant portions of the Gospels are devoted to the events of this day and the subsequent night, including the Last Supper, at which Jesus washed the disciples feet and transformed the elements of the Seder meal into what in Christianity is the sacrament of Communion, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, the betrayal by Judas, the arrest of Jesus, the three denials of Peter, and the trial, sentencing and ridicule of Jesus. There is ever so much for the Lenten faithful to contemplate.

But this Maundy Thursday, one of many texts is brought to the spotlight. John 17 records Jesus' prayer to God, spoken in the presence of His disciples, just before leaving for the garden where He would be arrested. While written in the form of a prayer, it reads more like the words of a televangelist, where the message is really more to the people listening than to God.

And not just any translation of that text, but the Common English Version:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2017&version=CEV

This version, in particular, makes clear the meaning of John's somewhat poetic phrases. It also portrays a humbler Jesus, one who claims unity with God from before the beginning of the world, but who also remains subservient to God's will. Between the clarity of expression and the ever-obedient tone, this passage reminds all believers of the Christ-like attitude we are to adopt, through Lent to be certain, but also throughout all our lives. It is a beautiful example of the power of servanthood, that mix of faithful dedication and loving confidence, that emboldens Christ's followers, allowing them to be assured of the future, even when the present looks bleak.

On a day filled to overflowing with emotion, mixing beauty, sadness, accomplishment, despair, opportunity and grief, it is a blessing to receive God's grace, a word of encouragement and assurance, to shore up the faltering parts of our lives.

May you receive God's mandate for your life as a gift for your joy and salvation.