Pastor Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane | Reflection
The apostle Paul was not in the upper room with Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed, and yet when he shares the story of the Last supper it moves from a story told in the past tense to a proclamation of what is happening now. This is the same way the Jewish community has always remembered the Passover.
When the Passover story is told in the book of Deuteronomy, it begins by recounting the story in the past: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor, he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien…” But very soon, the narrator changes from talking about “him” to identifying as the community. Reading again from Deuteronomy it says, “When the Egyptians treated “us” harshly… we cried to the Lord and the Lord brought “us” out of Egypt.” In this way, whenever the Passover story is told, it is not just the story of the Jewish ancestors but it becomes the story of the current Jewish community. 1
In the same manner, as Paul writes about the Lord’s supper, he begins by recounting an event in the past but moves to remembering and proclaiming a present reality for the community that is gathered. When we hear, “the Lord Jesus takes bread and breaks it and says, “This is my body that is for you. Do this for the remembrance of Me” and again as Jesus takes the cup and says, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me” we aren’t just remembering an old story that we have heard. This is our story too. Christ’s body and blood are given for you just as much as for those disciples gathered at the Upper Room.
And the story is not over. As Paul writes, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” The promise is that Christ will come again. But…have you ever wondered why Paul says we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again and doesn’t mention the resurrection?
Paul is making some assumptions when he speaks and writes this way to people of faith. Just as when the Jewish community celebrates the Passover, they don’t only celebrate the night that the angel of death passed over the doors of the male Hebrew children without killing them. That word, “Passover,” is the beginning of the story of God’s presence with them through the Red Sea, through the trials of the desert and finally coming to the promised land. In the same way, when Paul says that we proclaim the Lord’s death, he is summing up the whole story of Jesus death and resurrection and presence with us through the Holy Spirit until that day when Jesus Christ comes again.
Jesus’ story is not over and we have a role to play. We have a story to tell –in the words that we speak about what we believe and in the way that we live our lives. Our whole lives are meant to be a proclamation of the living Christ.
And so, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us remember that as we eat the bread which is his body and drink the cup which is his blood we are to proclaim not only Christ’s death and resurrection but also the living and active life of Christ. Everywhere you go, you are Christ’s witness. Amen.
1The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume X, Abingdon Press 2002 J. Paul Samply First Letter to the Corinthians page 935
Vicar Kyle Anderson | Meditation
What would you do if you knew that your enemies were looking for you in order to seize you? I would be praying with all of my heart and soul for deliverance from the situation. In this case there were multiple possibilities for Jesus with the full power of God at his disposal to have avoided being captured. Jesus does not resist at all. Jesus does not attempt to flee. Jesus does not resort to violence as he tells Peter to put his sword away. Jesus even does the officers’ job for them. He asks them the question “Whom are you looking for?” When they reply “Jesus of Nazareth” they actually do not immediately arrest him which may indicate that they doubt that they have found the right person. Jesus then goes on to identify himself by saying “I am he” just to make sure that they know that they have found the right person to take into custody. When confronted by the divine the soldiers fall to the ground which creates the perfect opportunity to flee, however Jesus chooses to remain there. Jesus then repeats the question “Whom are you looking for?” and he again identifies himself. Not only does Jesus fail to resist arrest but he actually makes the task easier for those who have come to take him away.
Jesus did not resist arrest because according to the Gospel of John this was the moment for which he came into the world. Jesus came into the world to be the light of the world and to save the world. Jesus seized this moment as his time had come. The first words spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of John are to two disciples and Jesus asks them “What are you looking for?” Now as Jesus nears the end of his earthly ministry, he asks those who came to arrest him “Whom are you looking for?” This is not the last time that Jesus will ask this question. Three days later he will approach a weeping Mary Magdalene and ask her “Whom are you looking for?” In each of these different contexts Jesus asks the same question. On this night of darkness and despair we are also seeking Jesus. War rages in Ukraine, the uninsured are losing access to free COVID vaccines and free COVID testing, and kids around the world including many in our own community are going to bed hungry tonight. We too are hoping to find Jesus and the good news is that in spite of the world’s troubles Jesus knows that we are looking for him and he makes it easy for us to find him.
God works in completely unexpected ways. It does not seem possible that Jesus allowing himself to be arrested by the forces of evil is going to end three days later in the salvation of the world. However, Jesus is fully in control of the situation. The arrest happens because Jesus enables it to happen. Jesus is willing to drink the cup that his Father has given to him. In the Old Testament the cup can symbolize wrath or it can symbolize joy and salvation. Tonight, as darkness comes over the land it may appear that the cup mentioned here is the cup of wrath. However, the cup from which Jesus drinks will actually bring joy and salvation to the world as the arrest of Jesus and his death on the cross is only the beginning of a story that will end with an empty tomb and Jesus rising again to ask the question “Whom are you looking for?”
Basketball coach John Wooden said that “the most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example.” Jesus knows that he is coming to the end of his earthly ministry and that he still has important lessons to teach his disciples. Before launching into a lengthy farewell discourse Jesus performs a powerful act to demonstrate both love and service. It was ordinary hospitality to offer guests water to wash their feet after a journey in sandals on dusty roads. Usually, the host was not expected to wash the feet of their guests but the host was simply expected to provide a basin of water and a towel. If anyone was ever assigned the task of washing feet it was a slave. It was also common for disciples to wash the feet of their teacher. Nobody at the table would have expected or would have wanted Jesus to wash their feet. Peter and the disciples may have been surprised about the foot washing but they should not have been as throughout his ministry Jesus defied expectations. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus touched lepers who were in need of healing. Jesus was the Good Shepherd who cared for the poor and the oppressed rather than catering to the rich and the powerful. The personal example of Jesus is one of humble service to the community.
When he washes the feet of his disciples Jesus provides a model for his disciples to emulate. The disciples are to perform acts of service for one another. For Christians status and rank do not matter but all actions performed by Christians are to follow the example of Jesus and are to be based on love and service. Peter opposes Jesus by initially refusing to let him wash his feet but Jesus is very determined to carry out this act and definitively demonstrate that love and service are the foundations of Christian community. After he has washed their feet, Jesus then tells his disciples that they are to wash each other’s feet. Washing feet was common in the life of that society so Jesus is calling his disciples to show their love and service in the routines of daily living. In modern times with paved roads and sidewalks and closed toe shoes foot washing is no longer a regular practice but we can all think of examples of ways that we can love and serve each other in the course of our daily lives. Simple unexpected acts of love and service reflect the mission and ministry of Jesus.
Jesus then reinforces what he has just taught his disciples by example by referring to it as a new commandment. The commandment to love one’s neighbor as oneself went all the way back to the book of Leviticus. Here Jesus commands them to love one another just as Jesus loves us which further expands the commandment to love the neighbor. Jesus expects his love to be shared by his followers who in turn will share it with the whole world. If we love just as Jesus loves us then the Christian community will inspire love and service that will spread not only to our neighbors but throughout the world. In washing the feet of his disciples Jesus provides a model for them to follow. Through his personal example Jesus demonstrates that acts of love and service both great and small have the power to change the world.