Today is Maundy or Holy Thursday, in the middle of the holiest of weeks of the year. The psalm verses assigned for today are given below, and contain two of the thematic ideas of this holy day in the Church year.
Of course, on this night, Jesus instituted His holy Supper, commanding His disciples of all time "This do in remembrance of Me." The gift of this glorious feasting is reflected in the second verse of this psalm. We joyfully raise the glorious cup, remembering "the peace of the Lord [is] with us all"!
PSALM 116: 12-19
12 What shall I render to the Lord
for all His benefits to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all His people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of His saints.
16 O Lord, I am Your servant;
I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will pay my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all His people,
19 in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
Another Maundy Thursday theme comes from the Gospel reading we will use at Pilgrim tonight. Jesus washes the feet of His disciples, and then calls them to likewise serve each other. Later, in John 13:34, Jesus gives them & us a new commandment, to love [and serve] one another, just as He has loved [and served] us. We see this blessed servanthood in verse 16 of our psalm, and the great reason for our serving & loving: the Lord has loosed our bonds! The Lord forgives our sins! ...and so we serve & love & lift up His cup of salvation!
Lastly, consider verse 17, which summarizes our lives of forgiveness and freedom from sin's bondage. We get to fashion our lives into sacrifices of thanksgiving! Not sacrifices which are painful and give up something we need. No, our lives are joyful sacrifices, where our offerings are gladly given in thanks & praise to the Lord, who loosed our bonds!
Give extra thanks this day, for the blessed gift of the holy Supper, and for the freedom to offer our lives of joyful thankfulness to the Lord!
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