Thursday 28 June 2012

Background

This is one of the most familiar passages in the New Testament,which means we need to be especially careful not to assume that weknow what it means in advance. Not only is it part of the build-upto the crucifixion of Jesus, but for Christians it is the origin ofthe service that is called the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion or theEucharist. With slight variations, the same story also appears inMatthew (36:26-29), Mark (14:18-21) and 1 Corinthians (11:23-25), but only Luke tells us of the twocups of wine that are blessed during the meal (verses 17,20).

Jesus must have shared many meals with his disciples: indeed,several of the great scenes in the Gospels are centred on meals ofone kind or another and Jesus' willingness to share a table withoutcasts scandalised his opponents. But this is different. Here,Jesus seems aware of what is going to happen in the coming hoursand this invests the Passover meal with even more solemnity thanusual. Just as the first Passover was a last supper before theExodus (Exodus 12) when the Israelites fled from slaveryin Egypt, so this is a last supper before the traumatic, butvictorious events of Jesus' passion. And just as the first Passovermarked the beginning of a covenant between God and Israel, so thisPassover is a sign of the new covenant that will come about throughJesus' self-sacrifice.

When Jesus says "do this in remembrance of me", the word used is'anamnesis'. This means more than a simple calling to mind ofsomething that has happened in the past; in some sense the pastevent becomes a present reality. Those who today share a JewishPassover meal have a sense that they, too, are escaping fromslavery in Egypt and heading for the promised land. In the sameway, Christians who obey Jesus by breaking the bread and sharingthe wine will find Jesus' sacrificial death and his risen presenceis a reality in the here and now, not just a distant memory. To thequestion, 'Were you there when they crucified my Lord?' they cansay a definite 'yes'.

To Ponder

Meditate on the scene of Jesus breaking andsharing the bread, pouring out and sharing the wine. What are yourthoughts, feelings or reflections?

How does thanksgiving and sharing feature in yourown meals?

How does the awareness of the Jewish Passovercelebration add to a Christian understanding of Holy Communion?