Maunday Thursday is the traditional English name for the Thursday preceding Easter. It has several liturgical purposes; one is the commemoration of the Lord's institution of the Eucharist (or Holy Communion) at the Last Supper. I invite you to read the passages in the synoptic Gospels and in 1st Corinthians about the Last Supper. For this blog I was especially intrigued by the following two verses from Luke: "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." (Lk 22:14,15)
The words, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;" are a fascinating addition by Luke to the story. Christ eagerly desired to eat with them. It does not say that Christ condescended or felt obligated to eat with them; nor does it say that Christ took his place at the table and they served him since he was the Messiah and was about to suffer tremendously without much support from them.
Jesus is the embodiment of servant leadership. By definition, Jesus was the leader; and yet, he eagerly desired to serve others even in the direst of circumstance. We profess Jesus is God incarnate (embodiment of God). There’s a lesson here.
The persons with whom he eagerly wanted to share his last intimate meal in the solitude of the upper room were not those with power and wealth—the mayor of Jerusalem, the religious leaders who admired his work and witness, or one or more of the wealthiest families. As best we can tell, the socioeconomic status of his disciples was very modest, and a couple of them today would be considered potential criminals and possibly enemies of the state. These were the people who would establish the church. Who were the majority of people that settled the United States of America?
Lastly, a new United Methodist mantra is, “Engaging in ministry with [not for] the poor.” The transformation of the world will come when we eagerly desire to engage, really get know, truly work with, serve and allow ourselves to be served by—all people. Amen?
