Tuesday March 31
Luke 22
14:-20 (NRSV)
When
the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He
said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before
I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." Then he took a cup, and after
giving thanks he said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I
tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." Then he took a loaf of
bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying,
"This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of
me." And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, "This cup
that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
Reflection
Here we find a fairly traditional
and recognizable scene of the "The Last Supper". What is not so traditional is the lack of
clarity and what are not so recognizable are the faces. This depiction of Jesus' famous last meal
with his disciples the night before his crucifixion has been painted in the
impressionist style. A style which is
known for looking unclear up close, but offering a full picture at a distance. In this painting the lack of clarity keeps us
from being able to distinguish between each figure and in turn makes it easier
for us to paint our own face into the story.
All we know is they are Jesus' disciples, why not be us?
As
we find our seat at the table with Jesus we are reminded all he wanted to do as
he neared the end of his life was to be with the people he loved most and to
enjoy one of life's greatest pleasures with them, eating. Though, again like with the impressionist
style, it is unclear what this meal and its connection with Jesus' death
exactly means for us, his disciples. He
does not give full and clear explanation of it, though many theologians have
posed a variety of interpretations.
What is given is the meal. An invitation to dine with Jesus and remember
him. It is an act that speaks more to us
than words ever can. I try tirelessly to
wrap my mind around its meaning, comprehend
its power, or find some feeling
within me to connect with it... Yet,
admittedly, time and again on Sundays after I go up to partake in the meal I
find myself usually only able to muster the thoughts, "I was really
looking forward to that bread and juice," and, "Oh wow, that tastes
good." I find I am just filled with
overwhelming gratitude for getting to literally 'taste the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).' The physical experience
brings that truth home for me.
This meal is a gift to be received
and enjoyed. Whenever we participate in
it physically or in memory we can remember Jesus' desire to simply be with us,
the disciples he loves so much, and that his life is in us. His life which nourishes ours and prepares us
for facing any and all things along our journey in grounded confidence of his
ceaseless presence and enables us to be the very Body of Christ.
Katie Archibald-Woodward
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