"Drink from it, all of you"

Today's readings: Psalms 63, 98; Joshua 6:15-27; Acts 22:30-23:11; Mark 2:1-12

[Today we reflect further on Matthew 26:26-35. A blog named Approaching the Table can't ignore the Lord's Supper!]

If you've read the introductory material prior to the the daily devotionals, you know my church has an open communion table, and that table is a central part of my faith practice. The reading from Matthew, for me, solidifies this practice.


Why? Because Jesus knowingly breaks bread with his betrayer. And not just any bread, but the bread of the Passover supper, one of the most sacred Jewish rituals. We all like to be the heroes in our own stories, to believe we are not Judas the betrayer, or even Peter the denier. If we are completely honest, none of us can say with one hundred percent certainty we would have acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah - or that we would recognize him if he returned. To deny this possibility is to deny our flawed humanity, which Jesus accepted.


On Sundays I approach the communion table with many people I love and who love me. That's the easy part. I will also be with some people I don't like and who don't like me; some people I think are wrongheaded and who believe the same of me. That's the important part. Christ instructs his followers not to love only those who love them (Matt 5:46-48). When we pass the peace it isn't meant for greeting our friends - it is an opportunity to set things right when we are angry or quarrelsome (Matt 5:21-24). In Jesus' culture, sharing a table created a bond; this made the revelation of Judas' betrayal at that table all the more poignant. While we are remembering Jesus' sacrifice and drawing closer to God, we are also making a bond with our fellow Christians. This bond does not depend on love the feeling, but on love the action described by Jesus. In the face of betrayal, Jesus acted in love. How can we do less? If Jesus broke bread with Judas, whom could we ask to leave the table?


Comfort: God welcomes each of us to the table.

Challenge: In the coming week, make peace with someone who has wronged you.


Prayer: God of the Known and Unknown, make my table your table.

Evening reading: Psalm 103