There are many occasions that facilitate gift giving. Weddings, birthdays, graduations, baby showers; they are all celebratory in nature. But, not all occasions where gifts are given are happy times. Sometimes, we give gifts when we are sad. We give gifts to say farewell when a neighbor moves away or when someone leaves for a different job. We are not happy that they are leaving, but we wish them well, our gifts telling them how much they have meant to us-how much we love them.
The Last Supper shared with Jesus and His disciples was just such a time. It was sad, because they were saying goodbye. It was a time filled with fear, because the disciples did not know what the future would bring. It was a time of doubt, because of betrayal and denial. But most of all, it was a time of love-Christ's love for us. And because of that love, there were gifts that were given.
Usually, gifts are given by many to the on, the one who is leaving. But in the case of the Last Supper, the one who is leaving gives the gifts. All of the others-the many-they are the recipients. That is the way it had to be.
Let's take a look at the gifts that Jesus gave to His disciples that night, filled with doubt and fear and sadness as they all were. Through the gifts that were given, we are able to witness more closely the relationship between Jesus and His disciples, between the Savior and the saved, between our Lord and us.
The first gift comes during supper. There they all are-Jesus and the twelve. They are eating. The air is filled with tension and melancholy, uncertainty and restlessness for what will happen soon. Jesus gets up from the table. He takes on the posture of a servant. He washes the feet of the disciples, wiping them with His own towel. They are shocked. Their Lord is serving them.
Peter, of course, objects. His Lord will certainly not serve him! And Jesus, not willing to let a teachable moment pass by, takes this opportunity to speak to Peter, to the other eleven and to us today, about the role of servanthood in the Christian life. If we will be like Him, Jesus says, we will serve not only Him, but each other as well. If we would be one with Him, we will let Him serve us. That is the way of the Christian. Serving and being served.
As the supper continues, Jesus continues teaching. He wants the disciples to know all that they need to know in order to remain faithful. He wants them to be prepared for what the future will bring.
He begins teaching, entering into a long discourse of what the Christian life should be like in relation to God and in relation to the world. But first, He gives them a very important commandment-a new commandment-one that sets the tone for everything else He will say. "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another." We are not only to serve each other, we are to love each other; once again following the example set by Christ.
The love is not to be done for its own sake. We are not to love just to love, or just to be obedient. The love we have for each other has a purpose-it will bear fruit. By our love for one another, others will know that we are true disciples. Our love makes our discipleship known.
From our First Corinthians reading we hear Paul reciting what we now call the words of institution, Jesus' words from the Last Supper. Jesus breaks the bread and offers the cup, giving us His body and blood. Imagine sitting at the table with Christ, your feet washed, your soul nourished, your heart filled with the love of Christ. Then, when you think that He has given all that He has to give, Christ keeps on giving. He gives you His very self-His body and His blood. These are given to prepare the disciples for tomorrow's events, yes, but they are also an example of true self-emptying. Christ gives us all of who He is-body and soul.
We invited to partake of these things in remembrance of Him. Paul urges us not only to remember Christ ourselves through the breaking of the bread, but to eat the bread and drink the cup, proclaiming as we do so. When we accept Christ's invitation, we proclaim Christ-His death and His resurrection-to all.
These are the gifts given to us by our Lord, our Savior, Jesus , on that evening of the Last Supper. He gives them to us all-the last words spoken, the last concepts taught-before His earthly life comes to an end. With one meal, we have been given the greatest gifts-service, love and remembrance-that Jesus had to give.
When we embrace these gifts from our Savior, we are following the sentiments expressed in tonight's psalm. We are lifting up the cup of salvation and calling on God's name. We are keeping our faith, paying our vows, offering our thanksgiving sacrifice through returning to the Lord what He has given to us in such great bounty. We long to be the giver of gifts, but on this night, Jesus has taught us the necessity of accepting the gifts that He gives. We must first let our Lord do for us what He commands us to do for each other. Because He gave, we are able to give. May it be so. Amen and amen.
Peace,
Rev. Cynthia Bacon
Minister
You may email at:
cbacon@heritagemadison.org
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This page was last updated on April 21, 2003.