Passover

Luke 22: 14 – 23 (March 28, 2010)

1) The Text

14When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

21But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. 22For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” 23Then they began to ask one another, which one of them it could be who would do this.

2) The Context

In the Aramaic language which was most likely the daily language of Jesus, there were no “be” verbs. That is, the sentence in Aramaic would read, “This my body.” The Greek language uses the “be” verbs e.g. “This IS my body.”

There are three historic interpretations of this verse and the little verb, “IS.” Those historic interpretations have caused immense conflict, and the result is the existence of major denominations which have fought over the interpretation of the little “be” verb, “IS.”

1. The Reformed Church says that the words mean, “This represents my body and blood.” The wafer and the wine are symbols of Christ’s body and blood.

2. The Roman Catholic Church says that these words mean, “This actually is my body and blood.” The wafer and the wine are actualities of Christ’s body and blood. This position has been characterized by the Roman Catholic word, “transubstantiation.” Substantively, the wafer and wine are actually the body and blood of Christ.

3. The Lutheran/Episcopalian Church says that these words mean, “that Christ is really present in the wafer and the wine, but we don’t know how Christ is really present. Holy Communion is Sacrament, and the word, “sacrament” means “mystery.” Christ is “really present” in, with and under the wine and wafer.

This sacred meal of the church in which we receive the body and blood of Christ and the forgiveness of sin for all eternity has become a source of conflict, division and polarization among Christian churches and denominations today.

3) Interpretation

At least three points are evident from the narrative of the Last Supper. First is Jesus' most intense desire to be with his disciples in the celebration. The NRSV says "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you.." (v. 15). Behind these words is a construction in Greek where the same verb is used twice in succession--first as the participle and then as a verb in the indicative mood. What that means is that we could literally translate these words as "desiring I have desired." It is used to express the most sincere, focused and urgent meaning of the verb.

Two other examples of this construction in Luke-Acts will help make the point. In Acts 5:28 the Jewish authorities are questioning Peter and John about their preaching. Their words are, literally, "By commanding we commanded.." i.e., 'we gave you the strictest orders we could..' Again, in Acts 23:14, where conspirators have agreed to take a solemn oath to kill Paul, they say, "By cursing we have cursed ourselves..." No stronger language of desire could be used in Luke 22 to express Jesus' passionate engagement with the moment.

Second, we should notice the role of the disciples here. They had been relegated to a secondary role in the preceding chapters. Indeed, there is little mention of them between Luke 18 and Luke 22. When they appear, they are obtuse (18:15-17). But here they are back, and they are called "apostles" (v. 14), so as to emphasize their authoritative position for Luke. Indeed, one of the characteristics of a new apostle when Judas will be replaced in Acts 1 is that they have "been with him" during his earthly ministry (Acts 1:21). Jesus will most graciously say to them a few verses later (v. 28): "You are those who have stood by me in my trials..." Who is he kidding? The disciples are as changeable as the Kansas winds. Yet Jesus either saw in them the seeds of faithfulness or he believed in affirming people even when they blow it. In any case, the disciples are "brought back" into Jesus' life during the Passion Week. They don't perform well, but they will be the rock on which the Church is built.

Finally, the critical importance of table fellowship as both reality and symbol of social cohesion and shared values cannot be overestimated in this passage. Moreover, since the Passover, more than any other meal, was a family meal, eating it with his disciples is recognition of the group as a surrogate family in the deepest sense of the term. In a rare transposition of the order of events (as given by Mark 14:17), Luke shifts the prediction of Judas' betrayal to the end of the Passover meal. ... Doing so intensifies the tragedy of the moment: betrayal comes from the very one who has participated in the Passover meal of the surrogate family. It is the sense of deep tragedy that one feels in Psalm 41:9:

Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted,
who ate my bread,
has lifted the heel against me.

4) Thought Exercise

What does Jesus see in the disciples despite how they are portrayed?

What is in each of us that may not be always be seen?