Food
glorious food
it is a way of bringing people together, as we are tonight
talking to one another,
passing the nibbles, serving the food
listening to stories
hopes, dreams, desires
Even in our part of the world, which seems so removed from first century Palestine, meals are shared together at times of celebrations.
Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, baptisms, funerals
Shared together
sharing pain and sorrow
sharing hope and future
sharing dreams and aspiration
sharing vision and grace
sharing and knowing love
in meals together
Even most families who rarely eat together will do at the great celebrations of the western year
Christmas and Easter.
And here we are, on the cusp of the celebration of the glorious resurrection of Easter
drawn together at a meal
Some of us will only share a meal together this one evening of the year
for this is the night we remember Jesus’ arrest
this is the night when Judas betrayed him
this is the night when Peter denied him
Jesus knew it was coming
his arrest, his death
but he still met with the disciples in that upper room and shared a meal with them
The meal that night was passover, the most significant meal in the Jewish calender, when the remembered their salvation by God
It was not the only meal of significance Jesus had been part
meals were everywhere
yes, we all need to eat, even the Son of God needed to eat
but meals took on a new significance with Jesus around
the wedding at Canna, a great celebration of love and family
but the wine was running out
and Jesus was there, turning water into wine
lots of very good wine
the best of wine
for the guests at the wedding
a sign of the kingdom of God
Or what about the time a crowd followed Jesus around the lake to hear him preach. It was getting late and there was a small boy who had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish
barely enough to feed a man, never mind the 5000 men, plus women and children who had gathered
But with Jesus’ blessing and breaking of bread
bellies were filled and the leftovers were much, much more than they began with
a sign of the kingdom of God
Then, 6 days before the Passover, at a meal in Lazarus’ house, his sister Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume
in preparation for his burial
a sign of the kingdom of God
And at the last meal Jesus had before his crucifixion
at the Passover meal with his disciples
Jesus washed their feet
a job for the lowliest servant in a household, done by their Lord and Master, by our Lord and Master
A sign of the kingdom of God