The words of institution are often used to introduce the Lord's Supper but they are usually severed from their context. In Luke 22 they come to us in the context of other important words from Jesus. Here is Luke's account in 22:14-20, 24-27:
When the hour had come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. Then he said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." Then he took a cup, and gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me." Likewise he also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you." ... Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors. But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the one who serves."
Most of Jesus' teaching focused on the kingdom of God -- its nature and purpose. The disciples were interested because they, like most Jews, longed for the restoration of the kingdom to Israel. They saw in Jesus a Messiah who could free them from Roman oppression and lead them to the glory and power of the kingdom. Then, one day, Jesus began telling them that he must go to Jerusalem and be killed. The Gospel writers make it clear that the twelve, prior to the resurrection, never understood this. A crucified Messiah did not fit their kingdom expectations.
These two subjects, the kingdom and his death, came together in Jesus' table talk at the Passover meal when he instituted the Lord's Supper. First, he said that he was eager to eat this Passover with them before he suffered because he would not eat it again until the kingdom came. Then he took the bread and cup and spoke of his body given for them and the new covenant in his blood.
Again, they completely missed the point. He had hardly finished speaking before a debate broke out among them. Thinking only of the coming kingdom and their place in it they began to argue, not for the first time, about which of them was the greatest. And again, he reminded them that "the leader is like one who serves ... and I am among you as one who serves."
We know that in the world of politics even the greatest leaders spend much of their time and resources on getting re-elected. Position, status, power, and authority are all that matter. But, Jesus points out, it is not that way in God's kingdom. The only way up is down. The only way to lead is to serve. The only way to greatness is through lowly servitude.
Is Jesus speaking to us in his table talk at the Passover meal? Is he speaking to us at the communion table, wanting us to forsake our status seeking, our lordly ambitions, and like him become a servant of all? Is he asking us to make that kind of sacrifice? There was a cross in his future. Is there a cross in ours? If we take him seriously, there may be, for did he not say, "If any want to become my disciples let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24 nrsv; also Lk 14:27; Mk 8:34).
No comments:
Post a Comment