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1 Corinthians 11:26
Have you ever watched something happen and only understood it later when you reflected on it?
Table Talk
Jesus slowly scanned the faces of those in the room. He’d been speaking for quite awhile and His words had silenced the disciples. He finished, “I will do what the Father requires of me, so that the world will know that I love the Father.” Jesus stood up from the table, walked to the door and, with an air of finality, spoke over his shoulder, “Come, let’s get going.”
The disciples looked at each other in frustration. They could hear the footsteps of Jesus heading down the stairs but they struggled to follow.
“What just happened?” James asked.
“You were here, James,” Peter blurted. “First He washed our feet and then it was all downhill from there.”
“What do you mean, ‘downhill’?” John questioned. “He was talking about Love—His love for us. And His love for His Father.”
“And His Father’s love for us,” Peter finished. “Why did He wash our feet? And what did He mean, ‘Wash each others feet?’ Isn’t that why we have servants?”
“What just happened?” James asked again. “Where did Jesus go?”
“Maybe he’s going to find Judas,” Peter answered.
“But, where did Judas go?” James asked. “And why did he leave in the middle of the meal?”
Peter had an answer for that one, “I told John to ask about that, remember? He left because Jesus said Judas was going to betray him.”
“Yeah, but he said the same thing about you,” John retorted.
“Did not!” Peter snapped, “He said I would deny him.”
“Three times,” John said. “Isn’t that betrayal?”
Peter’s crossed his arms and let his face fall slowly to the table. He was fighting tears. “I said I would die for him,” Peter mumbled.
“That’s what I mean,” James repeated. “What just happened? This was supposed to be a Passover meal. Then he washed our feet.”
“And everything went downhill from there,” Peter repeated into the table. “I should have just let him wash my feet and not argued.” His shoulders shook involuntarily as he tried to mask his gentle sobs.
“And then,” James continued, “He said the bread was His flesh!”
“And the wine was His blood,” John added, shaking his head.
“What just happened?” James asked yet again.
“Jesus is going away,” Philip spoke for the first time. “And He said we can’t go with Him.”
“But He just said, ‘come’ as He went out the door,” James stated.
“He’s talking about something bigger.” John said, “Much bigger. He talked about His Father. I think he’s going to see his Father—I mean ‘God’.”
“That’s why I asked him to show us the Father,” Philip answered. “He said He had shown us the Father. I can’t remember meeting Him. Can you?”
“If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father,” John almost whispered.
“That’s what he said. He and the Father are one and the same.”
“Is He really that close to God?” Peter lifted his head off the table and finished his thought, “Is he really so close to the Father in Heaven that their thoughts are one?”
“He said He would give us a gift,” John cut in, “peace of mind and heart.”
“I feel anything but peace!” Peter argued. “He said, if we really loved Him we would be happy he was going to the Father. Do you think he’s going to die?”
Everyone turned to look at Peter. He was staring out the open door.
They left the table as one and rushed into the night to find Jesus.
The disciples looked at each other in frustration. They could hear the footsteps of Jesus heading down the stairs but they struggled to follow.
“What just happened?” James asked.
“You were here, James,” Peter blurted. “First He washed our feet and then it was all downhill from there.”
“What do you mean, ‘downhill’?” John questioned. “He was talking about Love—His love for us. And His love for His Father.”
“And His Father’s love for us,” Peter finished. “Why did He wash our feet? And what did He mean, ‘Wash each others feet?’ Isn’t that why we have servants?”
“What just happened?” James asked again. “Where did Jesus go?”
“Maybe he’s going to find Judas,” Peter answered.
“But, where did Judas go?” James asked. “And why did he leave in the middle of the meal?”
Peter had an answer for that one, “I told John to ask about that, remember? He left because Jesus said Judas was going to betray him.”
“Yeah, but he said the same thing about you,” John retorted.
“Did not!” Peter snapped, “He said I would deny him.”
“Three times,” John said. “Isn’t that betrayal?”
Peter’s crossed his arms and let his face fall slowly to the table. He was fighting tears. “I said I would die for him,” Peter mumbled.
“That’s what I mean,” James repeated. “What just happened? This was supposed to be a Passover meal. Then he washed our feet.”
“And everything went downhill from there,” Peter repeated into the table. “I should have just let him wash my feet and not argued.” His shoulders shook involuntarily as he tried to mask his gentle sobs.
“And then,” James continued, “He said the bread was His flesh!”
“And the wine was His blood,” John added, shaking his head.
“What just happened?” James asked yet again.
“Jesus is going away,” Philip spoke for the first time. “And He said we can’t go with Him.”
“But He just said, ‘come’ as He went out the door,” James stated.
“He’s talking about something bigger.” John said, “Much bigger. He talked about His Father. I think he’s going to see his Father—I mean ‘God’.”
“That’s why I asked him to show us the Father,” Philip answered. “He said He had shown us the Father. I can’t remember meeting Him. Can you?”
“If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father,” John almost whispered.
“That’s what he said. He and the Father are one and the same.”
“Is He really that close to God?” Peter lifted his head off the table and finished his thought, “Is he really so close to the Father in Heaven that their thoughts are one?”
“He said He would give us a gift,” John cut in, “peace of mind and heart.”
“I feel anything but peace!” Peter argued. “He said, if we really loved Him we would be happy he was going to the Father. Do you think he’s going to die?”
Everyone turned to look at Peter. He was staring out the open door.
They left the table as one and rushed into the night to find Jesus.
Reflection Question:
Why do you think Jesus used a meal as the memory event to remind people of the Cross?
Prayer time:
Before you pray together, ask: What would you like to say to Jesus today?
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