April 17, 2014:
Call: Matthew 26: 14-30 Text: Matthew 26: 31-48; 27: 45-50 Prayer: "Holy Thursday" (283) Benediction: W&S # 23 The Meal Speaks Today we place ourselves among the disciples as they join with Jesus in observing the Passover As we have already heard, Our time with them begins with the disciples asking him Where he wanted to observe the holiday. We heard Jesus respond by telling them to go to a certain man and to tell him, "The teacher says, my time is near: I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples" They clearly understood that they were to tell the certain man: that Jesus wanted to celebrate the Passover at his house and that he would be celebrating it there with his disciples. We know they understood this Because they did what Jesus had directed They made the arrangements and they celebrated Passover in that house. But there was another part to the instruction, They were to tell the man, that the teacher also said, "My time is near." This part can get lost We who have gathered here tonight have heard the story so many times that we know what Jesus meant by "my time is near" He meant that he was about to die. But it seems pretty clear that the disciples to whom he spoke did not understand that. It may be that they concentrated so much on the location of the Passover observance that it never registered to them that Jesus said, "My time is near." Or if it did register, they may have misinterpreted it For their reaction during the supper was one of animated surprise. They might have interpreted his statement as meaning: Simply that Passover was near Or They might have interpreted it as meaning: That he was about to take over as ruler of Jerusalem and Judea. I like that last suggestion It seems more positive and hopeful. But I am inclined to think that either the words simply did not register with them or that they thought he was referring to the Passover being near Even though I would like to, I can't believe that they thought he meant That he was going to take over And I say that despite the Palm Sunday hosannas. For it seems to me that if they thought he was about to take over, Matthew would have recorded Their excitement and joy Their nervousness and apprehension. But we find none of that in the story. And I am certain that they did not think he meant That his death was near. There is no way that that would not have produced a lively discussion as soon as he said, "My time is near." And there is no way that that discussion would have been left out of Matthew's gospel. I suspect, however, that Jesus did not mind their lack of comprehension I think that he wanted To tell them at the meal And I think that he wanted To tell them with the meal. I think he chose the meal to make it clear to them That his death was one of sharing And, of course, there is no place where sharing is more obvious Than at a meal. He appears to have gotten to the subject early on. For the first thing that we know he said at the meal was, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me." And that caused more than a little consternation One after another they responded, "Surely not I, Lord?" And one who spoke those words of protest was Judas Iscariot himself who had already negotiated a deal with the chief priests. Then, as the meal progressed, Jesus told them even more. This time speaking through the meal itself. For, instead of simply saying, "I have to tell you that by this time tomorrow I will be dead," He picked up a loaf of bread He blessed it and gave thanks for it Then He told those gathered with him "This bread is not just physical nourishment and it is not just a reminder of God's passing over the Hebrews in Egypt. No, this bread represents my body It needs to be shared And to be shared, it needs to be broken. And he broke the bread and gave it to them, saying Take it and eat it so that I may be in you. Likewise he took the cup, gave thanks for it and then announced, This is not just a thirst quenching drink And It is not just a reminder of the lamb's blood Which our ancestors placed over their doorways So that God would pass over them No, this cup represents my blood. It too needs to be shared And to be shared, it needs to be poured out And he poured the wine and gave it to them, saying Take it and drink it so that I may be in you. And if they had any doubt that the broken body and poured out blood meant death he chillingly clarified it: "I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine Until that day when I drink it new with you In my father's kingdom." That meal was an intimate gathering of friends Of people who had worked together Of people who had learned together Of people who had worshipped and been challenged together And Of people who were about to mourn together But what Jesus said and what he was about to experience was not just for those gathered in the Jerusalem house. He made that clear - very clear - when talking about his blood being poured out For he actually said it this way, "... this is my blood of the new covenant which is poured out not just for you, but for many for the forgiveness of sins. That body was broken and that blood was poured out for many They were broken and poured out For the forgiveness of the sins of his friends and disciples They were broken and poured out For the sins of those who attacked and criticized him They were broken and poured out For the sins of those whose company he enjoyed They were broken and poured out For the sins of those who were "less enjoyable" And the body was broken and the blood poured out For the forgiveness of the sins of us and our friends For the sins of those who have attacked and criticized us For the sins of those whose company we enjoy or not. It is my prayer that the meal years ago in Jerusalem Speaks to us Tonight in Potsdam It is my prayer that you and I allow our remembrance of that meal And of the events that followed To include our friends and our critics those we enjoy and those whom we do not It is my prayer that you and I see how Christ loved everyone And that we allow ourselves to interact with others With that same free and unconditional love That enabled our Lord to go to the cross - willingly If we can take that from this meal Then the meal has spoken to us like it did to the disciples And it will prepare us for the remarkable experience that is Easter