Phyllis and Doug Weir were parishioners of mine in the parish where I served my curacy in Peterborough, Ontario . They would often have me over to their home for dinner and on one such occasion, Phyllis brought this out – a Royal Doulton figurine of an old man who was selling balloons – and gave it to me! I asked them why they were giving it to me and the answer was, “so you will remember us!”
We all want to be remembered don’t we? Look at the memorials on the walls…people who would be long forgotten whom the parishioners at the time didn’t want them to be forgotten. There is a memorial right here for a rector who was here in 1830!
I have been thinking a lot lately about the event that we celebrate here tonight when Jesus gave His disciples something so that they wouldn’t forget him. It was at the same time that He washed their feet. Tonight, all these many years later, we remember Him in this simple feast. And I began to think about how many layers of history and tradition have overlaid this simple memorial…especially by artists! So I took time to look at all the different paintings that have been done to tell this story.
First of all what kind of a room was it? Some of the rooms are quite palatial, with a white linen table cloth and beautiful dishes. One of the artists pictured the room as having grand pillars with swag drapes all around and a stunning chandelier hanging from the ceiling. I don’t think so! In fact we know, that Jesus, who seemed to be very well organized, had arranged with a friend of His to use a room in the upstairs of his house for this evening with His disciples. It was not draped with swag curtains and white linen table cloths I’m sure.
We all know who was there. Jesus, in the middle of course, sometimes with a halo over His head. Some artists even show the disciples with halos over their head…excluding Judas. They are all dressed in their finery….and in many of the paintings the people in the room are all white!!!! Sometimes Judas has the bag containing 30 pieces of silver in plain view sitting on the table. Others, Judas is shown in dark colours leaving the room.
Mark tells us that “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins. It is Luke who added the words “Do this in remembrance of me.”
And that is a point I want to consider tonight. Do this in remembrance of me. Or in modern language, “Don’t forget me boys! This will help you remember me!” What was He hoping they would remember?
Jesus wanted them to remember Him! They had spent three years with Him watching him, learning from Him and more recently anticipating His death…a death that would be gruesome, a death that, apart from the will of His Father, was not necessary. It was an intimate moment for them.
How were they feeling? Sad! Of course they were sad. They were especially sad because Jesus told them that they would all at one time or another desert Him. They were confused…what next…how will we get along without Him. They would be angry! They would be angry with the authorities and angry that Jesus would tell them that they would all eventually deny Him. And Matthew tells us that Judas went out and hanged himself (Matthew 27:1-10) Judas must have had something happen to him in that room that made him realize he had made a big mistake….it was too late.
And how did Jesus feel? Do you every try to peel back the layers of theology around this man and think about what He, as a man, was thinking. I think He was sad! Isaiah wrote that He would be a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” He had spent 3 years here. His childhood with Mary and Joseph must have been special. I guess it was special…God running around their back yard. And then His ministry. Chris! I hope you have one just as interesting, rewarding and challenging as His was! He was sorry to be leaving these men He had spent all this time with. He had given everything He could to these men and I’m sure in His human state He was sad He had to leave them.
I’m sure there were times when he was confused about whether He was to act as a normal human being or as one sent from God for this enormous task. And I think we get a clear insight into the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed, “Father if it be possible, let this cup pass from me!”
There are a couple of interesting things about this memorial that, I would like to draw your attention to. First, there were no rules around who couldn’t receive the bread and wine. I love it when Rev. Julia announces, “You are all invited to receive!” This is the Lord’s table, and it is not up to us to decide who gets it and who doesn’t
Of course there was no theology about this memorial. If we had asked Jesus and the disciples if the bread and wine were a sacrament, they would look at us as if we were crazy. Sacramental theology wasn’t even on the theological horizon that night.
It was a simple act…it was part of the meal they were having. He used what was available….bread and wine. They would already have been on the table for dinner. So He used what was there.
And then He said, “As often as you do this, you do this in remembrance of me.”
As I was preparing this homily It came to me that this celebration, this memorial is, for each of us, our intimate moment with Jesus. We come, just as we are, as we sang a couple of weeks ago. “Just as I am without one plea…..and that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come”
Jesus calls us again tonight to remember the pain, the suffering, the sadness and the separation….meet Him personally and intimately and remember His words, “As often as you do this, you do this in remembrance of me.”
