Dear Luke,
Indeed, Luke, this is strange and
wonderful. Pieces fall into place, one
by one, and the puzzle becomes clear—each player has their part, and as the
drama unfolds the one who stands by and watches is drawn into the action,
forced to take a part, either as a disciple with Jesus in the midst of
turbulent seas, or as the crowd, at first supportive to the extent that the
scribes and chief priests fear them, then turning, quickly, against the man I
call my Savior. The space from which you
sit and observe this unfolding is disappearing rapidly, Luke, and a decision
looms. The puzzle is nearing completion,
and there are yet still more wonderful things to come.
On this Passover evening, the meal
that is before them is only the first of many events that will unfold. When it was time, Jesus and the apostles sat
around the table, and Jesus began with words that would set the tone for the
days to come: I have longed to partake in this Passover meal with you before my
suffering begins, for this is the last Passover I will eat until all is
fulfilled in God’s kingdom.
Luke, as I mentioned earlier, the
Passover meal is meant to be a celebration of God’s liberating actions. God freed the people from their slavery long
ago, and this last Passover meal of Jesus looks forward to Jesus freeing us
from the shackles of death. But the
apostles don’t know that—they are so uncertain of everything taking place
around that table, around Jerusalem. I
believe that Jesus knows what will occur, but to everyone else, there is a mist
shrouding the evening. Danger looms
outside, but this meal is still to be a celebration, so Jesus’ words have the
startling effect of bringing some of the gloom inside. He lifted up the cup and gave thanks, and
afterwards he commanded the apostles to divide it between each other, for God’s
kingdom would have to come until he would enjoy the fruits of the vine again.
The apostles may well have been
befuddled by all that Jesus was saying.
Surely, they could see the storm clouds gathering, but I imagine they
were holding onto hope that Jesus would find a way through, that he would once
again triumph over the Pharisees. From
the tone with which he spoke, that doesn’t seem to be the most likely outcome.
Jesus then turned to the bread,
giving thanks once more and breaking it before distributing it to the apostles,
telling them that it is his body, broken as an offering for them, and that they
should eat it as a remembrance of him.
Luke, I believe that Jesus is
establishing rituals here, that he is preparing the apostles for life after his
departure, as a way to remember & celebrate him. A simple loaf of bread, a common object, is
transformed here into a powerful symbol of his body, which will soon be broken
as an offering. Our small community
still gathers and lets the loaf shape our services, that it may be a reminder
to us of what Christ has done.
Jesus didn’t stop with the loaf,
either. He took the cup in the same
manner, telling the apostles that it is poured out as an offering, a new
covenant based in his own blood.
Luke, the language of covenant may
not mean much to you, but to a Jew raised in a faith rich in traditions, this
would be a powerful image. God made
covenants with the people long ago, to be with them and be their God and always
be faithful to them. This was deeply
meaningful language, and the people strive to remember the covenant, to
remember the unbreakable promises God has made to them. Here, Jesus is offering a new covenant, one
that is based in the sacrifice of his body and blood, one that must have been
overwhelming for these apostles. They
must have spoken of these events for months, for years, trying to discern
everything that happened around the table this night. We still discuss and debate it now, many
years later, knowing how important this final supper was. Before he was to die, Jesus took time to
dine, to teach, to love.
The tone of the supper took a turn,
though, as he concluded the offering of the cup. He told the room that his betrayer was
present, and that his hand was on the table.
He also told them that the events that would unfold had already been
determined, but that there was still woe to fall upon the one who was
responsible for his betrayal.
Words such as those fall heavily
upon a small group of close friends, and they immediately began to debate who
might do such a thing. I can only assume
that Judas joined in the denials, but they must have been half-hearted, for the
shame that you mentioned must have been claiming his heart by now. Hearing the words of Jesus pronouncing woe
upon him would have surely clouded his mind, and I doubt he could launch a
rigorous defense. The fate of their
teacher and leader was sealed, but they could scarcely believe it was all
becoming reality.
Luke, I pray you take these events
with the seriousness they demand. The
plot has almost reached its climax, and it beckons us deeper into the
story. Let these events dwell richly
within you, that you might be changed by all that is unfolding.
Sincerely,
Theophilus
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