Which Day Was That Again?

1 Corinthians 11:23-34

Paul makes a poignant reference in our epistle reading for today. He could have chosen any number of ways to identify what we call Maundy Thursday: the night Jesus was arrested, the night Jesus celebrated the Passover, the night Jesus instituted the sacred meal. But Paul chose to call it the night of Jesus’ betrayal. “For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it…” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24a). By placing the meal into this particular context Paul heightens the tension between the grace of God and the sinfulness of humanity.

Judas would indeed betray Jesus to the authorities, but by the time the night was over Jesus would be disserted by his followers and denied by Peter. And the crowds who cheered Jesus on Palm Sunday would be screaming for his blood by Friday. Into this climate Jesus introduces a profound sign of God’s love, a meal through which believers find nourishment for the journey of faith and are reminded of the sacrifice made.

The truth is that we all betray Jesus every time we fall short of God’s will. But the sacrament of communion remains for us a sign that Jesus’ sacrifice was not in vain. As Paul reminds us, God’s love abounds.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your continued love and mercy. Bless us in our efforts to serve you and forgive us when we fail. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A Place at the Table

Luke 22:14-23

“When the hour came, (Jesus) took his place at the table, and the apostles with him” (Luke 22:14). This is how Luke begins his account of the Last Supper. When it was time for the celebration Jesus and the disciples gathered in the upper room. It was natural, of course, for Jesus to have a “place at the table,” after all he was the leader of the group, and as Luke helps us to understand, he was (and is) the Messiah, the Son of God. What may seem troubling is a verse that comes later in the passage, where Jesus says, “But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table” (v. 21). Not only did Jesus have a place at the table, but so did Judas!

What does this mean? We may not betray Jesus the same way that Judas did, but all of us are willing to cast our lot with the world when it suits us. Ultimately our choices lead us to betray Jesus in our own ways, turning our backs on God’s will for our lives and treating each other with greed and self-interest. Yet, even sinful folks like you and me are welcome in the presence of Jesus. There is a place for us at the table as well. The meal that Jesus offers, then, is one of hope. In worship, gathered around the table, we find our identity as forgiven people. In confessing our sins we know we will receive pardon, and in the Lord’s Supper (or Communion, or Eucharist) we are given a share in the work of the body of Christ now, and a foretaste of that which is to come. This is one reason why I consider the communion table, the font, and the pulpit to be the “watchposts” of my own faith tradition, Presbyterianism, for it here that we actively await the fulfillment of God’s plan in history (Habakkuk 2:1).

Luke helps us to see that it is a big table to which we are invited. Jesus knows our sins. Nonetheless, he invites us to come and to take our place with him, with one another.

Prayer: Gracious and loving God, forgive us our sins and help us to live as your people, gathered around the table of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Remember

Isaiah 63:7-14

Early in the Disney film, The Lion King, there is a conversation between King Mufasa and his young son, Simba.

Mufasa: Simba, let me tell you something my father told me. Look at the stars. The great kings of the past are up there, watching over us.

Simba: Really?

Mufasa: Yes. So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I.

Memory plays an important part in our lives especially in our lives of faith. According to the prophet Isaiah, the people of Israel had turned away from God, but “then they remembered the days of old, of Moses [God’s] servant” (Isaiah 63:11). By remembering what had happened in the past the people were able to better understand where they had fallen short of God’s will and to seek God’s forgiveness.

For us, part of the “memory” is bound up in scripture, the stories and teachings collected in the Bible. Some “remembering” is done by sharing the faith from person to person, generation to generation, in the way that Mufasa taught Simba to remember the kings of the past. A profound type of “remembering” takes place during the sacrament of communion when we, as God’s people, are invited to share in the meal “in remembrance” of Jesus Christ. This remembering, this rehearsing of the past is one of the great responsibilities of Christians, as individuals, but particularly as a community. In reflecting on scripture, in attending to the teaching and preaching of the word of God, in telling and singing the great stories of the faith, in sharing the sacrament and inviting others to do so as well, we find strength for our living even as we prepare others to take our place in the future. Mufasa wanted Simba to remember what it meant to be a king. I want my children to remember what it means to have faith in God through Jesus Christ, how generations of their ancestors have been active in the life of the church and have sought to live as God’s people. But before I can share those memories with others, I have to be sure and claim them for myself. And so do you. Remembering leads to better understanding and greater faithfulness. It brought the people of Israel back to God, it can keep us focused as well.

Prayer: Lord, help us to remember your works and your words as we look ahead to your coming reign. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.