Lenten Devotional: Maundy Thursday, 3/20/2008

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; Then 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.” And 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.” - Luke 22:14-15, 19-20

Jesus knows that his time on earth with his disciples is running out. He knows that tomorrow he will suffer and die, alone and in pain. So, on his last night with his friends, he gathers with them at the table and gives them a gift: a way to remember him.

He takes bread and wine, common things his disciples eat every day, and tells them to remember him and his love for them every time they eat those things. He tells them this so that each time they eat, they will remember that God is with them. They will remember that God loves them so much that God became a human, Jesus, who lived and died on earth in order to be with them, teach them, and bring them into closer relationship with him. Jesus wants his followers to remember, even as they watch him die on the cross, even when he is buried in the tomb, even when he ascends into heaven, that he is with us.

Do we remember? When we receive communion, do we feel Christ’s presence at the table with us? When we get take-out for dinner or sit in our kitchen with our friends and family, do we remember that God is with us? Christ chose to have us remember him at meals because eating is something we do every day. Jesus wanted us to remember every single day that God loves us. So, as we eat today, let us remember that love, and be thankful.

By L.L.