The Rev. Robert Lundquist Maundy Thursday 3/24/05 St Paul’s, Ft Collins

I Corinthians 11:23-26 - Online Text -

Not surprisingly, all our scriptures are about feeding tonight – from Exodus the Passover meal eaten in haste; from the Psalm, the manna given in the wilderness to the children of Israel (and did you notice that when God became absolutely furious with them, God rained down food for them to eat?); and Paul’s description to the Christians at Corinth of Jesus’ words at the Last Supper. Even the Gospel, I would content, is about feeding – nurturing the soul of any disciple or follower of Jesus…

Have you seen the movie Babette’s Feast? This beautiful film won the Oscar in 1986 for Best Foreign Film. I highly recommend it. It tells the story of Babette, a young woman who flees France during the Revolution. She ends up in a small Scandinavian fishing village, where she is taken in and given a place to stay. She in turn serves by preparing the food each day. The diet apparently consists almost exclusively of white fish, soaked in lye and hung out to dry. From this Babette makes a paste or gruel, which she serves to the able-bodied and delivers to the shut-ins.

The village was founded by the leader of a rather austere Christian sect. He has since passed away, but his memory is ever-present. And the community is filled with contention just under the surface – the small quarrels unaddressed in such a setting fester and begin to divide the aging congregation without the charismatic leader.

One day Babette receives news that she has won the French lottery! Suddenly she is quite wealthy, and the villagers wonder, “Who will prepare our meals when Babette leaves?” But Babette decides to prepare a feast, in celebration and thanksgiving for the hospitality shown her by the villagers. She begins to order sumptuous and exotic ingredients for the banquet. And we learn that before fleeing Paris she was one of the top chefs in town. She invites everyone to the meal, making each promise to come.

Now the people of the village lived a Spartan existence, turning away from the luxuries of the world. And they were in a dilemma. No one wanted to hurt Babette’s feelings, but each sensed that it would be sinful to partake of such extravagance. Some even had dreams of demons tempting them to sin by indulging in such a sensuous event! So the townspeople agreed – they would attend and eat at the feast, but they would not enjoy it.

The day of the feast came, and course after course (each with its own wine) came from the kitchen. The food is so exquisite that the guests soon warm to the joy of it all, and old enmities begin to melt away. Reconciliation occurs, and long-held hurts were healed. It was a healing feast, a blessing to everyone present, which ends with a prayer and a hymn.

The next day one of the sisters asks Babette when she will be leaving them. “Now that you are rich I imagine you’ll be moving soon.” Babette replies that she has spent everything on the feast, that she will not and cannot leave, and that she is home with the people she loves.

It is a nearly overwhelming story, one that I return to each time we observe the Last Supper of Jesus on Maundy Thursday. Babette gives everything to those she loves, sacrifices all for them. So too are we served, brothers and sisters. Jesus gives all for you and for me.

“I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done.” Jesus makes himself present to us in the Sacraments, in the bread become his body, and the wine become his blood. And in what some call the eighth sacrament, Jesus washes the feet of his followers. We have lost the sense of what this means. Our feet are so pampered these days – washed at least daily, powdered, clean socks, good shoes, even gel inserts to support our arches. Hard to imagine how different it was in first-century Palestine, walking in the dust and donkey droppings with nothing more than thin sandals. Washing feet was slave work, the lowliest of service, but essential when coming from outdoors into a home. Jesus’ washing the apostles’ feet was outrageous, as seen in Peter’s reaction. As one commentator put it, “It’s one thing to look back to try to emulate a humble man; it’s quite another thing to look up and behold a humble God.”

Mind you, Jesus was no one’s doormat. It’s the difference between being willing to do anything for anyone rather than doing everything for everyone. Sometimes I think we can get confused. And notice that Jesus says, “Do as I have done,” not do what I have done. To do as Jesus did requires our holy imagination, learning how to place ourselves in Jesus’ sandals, remembering that “Christian” literally means “little Christ.” You and I are God’s great good news to a hungry and hurting world. “I have given you an example, that you should do for others as I have done to you.”

It’s said that Mother Teresa, the saint of Calcutta, had an exchange with a young reported. Teresa was bathing a dying man, a beggar from the streets. This was her ministry, seeing Christ in those who were suffering, and treating them with unbelievable tenderness. The rookie journalist took one look at the filth and maggots that the nun was cleaning from man and exclaimed, “Sister, I wouldn’t take a million dollars to do that!” “Neither would I, young man, neither would I,” replied Teresa.. “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done.” Amen.

A Parish For All People!