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Disciples New DirectivesJohn 13:2-16
A Homily delivered by REV. DR. MELANIO L. AOANAN,
President, Southern Christian College
March 19, 2008
Kamo nagtawag kanakog Magtutudlo ug Ginoo, ug husto kana kay mao
man kana ako. vKonako nga inyong Ginoo ug Magtutudlo naghugas sa
inyong mga tiil, paghinugasay usab
kamo sa inyong mga tiil. vNaghatag ako kaninyog panig-ingnan
aron inyong buhaton ang
gibuhat ko kaninyo. Sultihan ko kamo: walay ulipon nga labaw sa
iyang agalon; ug walaysinugo nga labaw sa nagsugo kaniya.
Nauunawaan ba ninyo kung ano ang ginawa ko sa inyo? vTinatawag
ninyo akong Guro at
Panginoon, at tama kayo, sapagkat ako nga iyon. Dahil akong
Panginoon at Guro ninyo aynaghugas ng inyong mga paa, dapat din
ninyong gawin ito sa isat isa. vBinigyan ko kayo ng
halimbawa upang inyong tularan. vPakatandaan ninyo, ang alipin
ay hindi nakakahigit sakanyang panginoon, ni ang sinugo kaysa sa
nagsugo sa kanya.
As we commission and send-off our soleTheology Graduate and the
Interns for theirassignments, let us reflect together on
theDisciples New Directives or new commandsfrom the Lord. This is
the new mandate thatJesus gave to his disciples on the eve of
hisdeath: Love one another even as I haveloved you. Isang bagong
utos ang ibinibigayko sa inyo: mag-ibigan kayo! Kung paanong
inibig ko kayo, gayun din naman, magibigankayo (John 13:34).
Novum mandatum is theLatin word where we get the word
MaundayThursday.
Maundy Thursday is the night of the finalmeal, the Last Supper,
that Jesus had madewith his disciples. That last meal was
madedoubly significant because it was theoccasion when Jesus washed
the feet of hisdisciples. The foot washing ceremony was theconcrete
actualization of the new mandate tolove one another.
The Last Supper reminds us of three things:First, it reminds us
of Jesus new mandate tohis disciplesthat they must love one
anotheras he loved them. Second, the mandate tolove one another
must be concretely shownthrough a concrete action, the foot
washingceremony. Third, it reminds us also of Jesus
Gethsemane experience, the night whenJesus felt the anguish of
the soul as he facedbetrayal, desertion and death.Whatever
memorable meanings we derivefrom Last Supper, something was
terriblywrong in the atmosphere. Jesus felt it. Thedisciples knew
it and experienced it. Therewas coldness and tension in the
air.
What, do you think, were the causes of thetension? What was
wrong? By the way, haveyou seen lately the Last Supper painting?Can
you recall that painting? What was wrongwith it? There were no
women among thedisciples? Right? Why? Were the womenexcluded from
the circle of disciples? But thisis not the focus of our message
tonight.
Let us focus on that tense night of the LastSupper, the last
meal of Jesus with hisdisciples, and discover what could be
thereasons why that particular night was heavywith animosity.
First, Jesus himself contributed to the tenseatmosphere, to the
feeling of tension when hesaid about his own suffering and death in
thehands of the elders and chief priests. Thosewords, undoubtedly,
were so morbid and
