Read: John 18:1-19:42

One of the most stunning things from the funeral doings of Queen Elizabeth was the contingent of eight of her personal guards hoisting her coffin on their shoulders and processing it into the various cathedrals and chapels where the various prayer and memorial services were held. The reason it was so stunning (other than how smart the young men looked in their uniforms) is that her coffin weighed in at 250-300 kg… or 551-660 lbs due to its lead lining. This means that each man was shouldering between 68-82 lbs while navigating stairs and long aisles before setting it down gently on the catafalque. (If you want a video of what I am talking about, click here to see members of the Royal Regiment of Scotland carry it from the hearse and into St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.)

When I watched the Queen’s funeral in September, the young men bearing the coffin on their shoulders brought to mind Christ bearing his Cross on Good Friday. I looked up the weight of the Cross, and I got figures ranging from 250-300 lbs with the patibulum (horizontal bar) weighing 70-90 lbs. Jesus would have carried only this piece as the stipes (vertical bar) would have been fixed permanently to the ground at the site of the crucifixion. The flogging, scourging, and other beatings given to Christ would have weakened him severely, so Joseph of Cyrene had to help him carry the patibulum. (I will spare you the details of attaching Christ to the Cross as those are pretty gruesome.)

In addition to bearing the weight of the patibulum on his shoulder as he wound his way to Golgotha, Jesus bore the sins of the world upon him as he hung on the Cross. The figurative weight of that was massive, and it is an act of love for us that goes beyond the scope of leadership or anything we can ever comprehend.

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. (BCP, p. 101)
-Jen McCabe

Read: John 13:1-17, 31b-35
The death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022 brought many positive stories of her leadership during the seven decades of her reign. One of the most touching ones was from a gentleman named Pete Morgan, who spoke of having the job of revising the plans for Operation Overstudy in 2009, which details how the UK would repatriate the Queen’s body if she were to die overseas. The plans to use a BAE 146 business jet to use it were faulty as the freight bay was almost impossible to access after recent modifications, so they were trying to figure out what type of aircraft to use. The aircraft had to be able to land at RAF Northfort near London, and the two choices were the C17 and the C130. The C130 would have been too noisy, so the C17 was considered the better choice, having been used to bring home the remains of troops from Afghanistan. The plans were sent to Buckingham Palace for approval, and the Queen’s response was beautiful:

“If it’s good enough for my boys, then it’s good enough for me.”

Thirteen years later, that C17 Globemaster that was “good enough for her boys” was the plane that carried her coffin from Edinburgh to RAF Northfort accompanied by Princess Anne and an RAF Honor Guard.

That story comes to mind for me today as we read about Jesus stripping off his outer robe, tying a towel around himself, grabbing a basin, and washing the feet of his disciples. Washing feet was a dirty job that was reserved for the lowest of the servants. Think of the sand and dust that caked them and how filthy the water and towel would be at the end! Why would a respected teacher do such a gross task??? Well, one of the signs of an effective leader is humility. The best leaders get down in the muck with us and help, so Jesus doing such a filthy job is him trying to demonstrate humility to his disciples, who have no clue that he is not the conquering king that they are expecting. He then challenges them to do this for others, telling them that he has set an example for them.

Gracious God, you showed your disciples that to be a leader, you need to be a servant. Help us to follow your example and “wash each other’s feet”. Amen.
-Jen McCabe