Today is not as famous of a Christian holy day as Christmas or Easter, but perhaps is as equally important. Most Protestants don’t even realize it happens, but from the start of a more organized Christian experience, around the 4th-5th centuries, the celebration of Holy Week took a shape that included this day.
The name “Maundy Thursday” comes from the Latin Dias Mandatum, which is the “day of the new commandment,” the new commandment being that Christians should love one another, just as Christ has loved them. The celebration falling on Thursday is in reference to that being the day when Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples. At the dinner, amid the many things He told his followers, He shockingly gave them a new commandment that can be seen as the core mission of the followers, of the church.
John wrote about it in his gospel, chapter 13—he says that Jesus told them “I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34-35).
Doesn’t sound very new, does it. Sounds a lot like the famous Golden Rule–“Do for others what you would like them to do for you.”–as well as other statements by Jesus to love others, especially to love those who don’t necessarily love you. So, what’s the big deal? Well, look at the verse more closely—the followers of Jesus are being told something specific about the church, not anything necessarily for “outsiders” or “nonbelievers.”
Jesus said that they, those followers of his who later would be called Christians, are to love each other “as I have loved you.” Well, what does that mean? Clearly, he meant not only what he was going to demonstrate in sacrifice, but how he had lived his life—honest truth with love, shared existence, encouragement and admonition, deep reverence for God’s ways, giving all to obey God’s commands, amid other things. This type of love, Jesus was saying, would be a singular and unique mark on each Christian.
This is what should mark the church, and quite honestly, is where most churches and most Christians fail. We love those that are just like us, those that we easily connect with. Those others, even if they are Christians, we give them lip service, maybe a polite wave or gentle side hug if we see them in the mall, but not much else. This is why most large churches, even those with only 200+ people, really are not much more than the “Christian mall,” a consumer experience. There, we can hide amid our close friends, sit back enjoying the service given by the paid staff and a few trained special volunteers, toss a few coins for the experience, and go on with our private lives enjoying our little group of close friends.
That is not what Jesus called for. Instead, He called and commanded for something unique. Normally, each human I have ever known, thrust into any other group of humans, quickly identifies a few select people with whom they have natural affinity. And, in any group, each human also identifies people who whom THEY DO NOT connect with. In a non-Christian circle, I do not typically help that person to whom I have no affinity for; often, I do not even like that person—if forced (due to work, for instance) to be around the person, I put on a plastic smile and face, but do not trust them nor turn my back on them (physically or metaphysically). Jesus, however, already calls us to come and die, so he calls us to “love one another” EVERYONE who is a Christian in my church, my circle of surrounding.
So, today, Maundy Thursday, is the day celebrating that command to go deeper than ever before. Christian philosopher Leonard Sweet calls this the “Platinum Rule,” more impressive and deeper than even the Golden Rule. It’s a tough command to obey, quite honestly, but its one that can really change the world, even the world right around you. So, go and do likewise.