Luke 22:14-19
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Take a moment to settle into your surroundings and then begin to recognize your breath. As you breathe in, call on the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
Read Luke 22:14-19 imagining that you are there at the table.
The elements of the Passover meal are symbolic of the enslavement, suffering and deliverance of the Israelites from their captivity in Egypt, so before each element is consumed, the participants are reminded of what it represents. But here in the upper room, Jesus expands the meaning of the elements and gives them new significance as symbols of the deliverance God is about to provide for all of humanity through Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection.
We’ll look at the significance of the cups of wine in our next meditation, but for today, we’ll focus in on the bread.
In the Passover meal, the bread is held up as a symbol of the suffering of the Israelites under the oppression of their Egyptian slave masters. Jesus lifts up the bread and declares that it is his body “given for you.” As Jesus breaks the bread, he knows that humans are still enslaved and suffering because of the consequences of rebellion. People cannot free themselves from the oppression of evil, but Jesus is about to take upon himself all of the suffering of humanity – past, present, and future.
Get quiet for a moment and let this sink in: On the cross, Jesus experienced every wound, every hurt, every indignity, every act of abuse you have endured in your lifetime. Soak in this truth as you share your thoughts and feelings with Jesus.
Read Luke 22:14-19 again.
Though God’s Kingdom age broke into the present age when Jesus was born, the fullness of God’s Kingdom will only be realized when Jesus comes again to set all things right. In this in-between time, we continue to experience the ripple effects of human rebellion in a myriad of ways. We still eat the bread of suffering, but because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can experience his presence with us even as we suffer.
In the Older Testament, the bread placed on the altar was called “the bread of the Presence (Exodus 25:30),” and as his followers we acknowledge that Jesus is present through the broken bread of Communion (the Eucharist). But we can also establish the practice of remembering Jesus’ presence every time we sit down to a meal.
For the final moments of this time of reflection, return to silence and become aware of Jesus’ presence with you. Don’t try to force anything, but be attentive to anything he might want to say to you.
What are you hearing from Jesus today?
What will you do in response?
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