Lesson 28
Dinner for Thirteen, please.
Scent and smell trigger memories better than any other sense we have.
Catch the scent of cut grass and you are back playing tag with your friends.
The aroma of onions and celery coming from the neighbors’ houses brings the
vision of Thanksgiving dinner and your mouth begins to water. The sweet fragrance
of a baby’s soft hair triggers the thought of having another child.
Now, take a good sniff, and across centuries of time you can catch the
scent of cooking fires and roasting lamb from the city of Jerusalem. It is time
for the Passover meal in the first century. Let’s not be late.
Quietly
enter the large room where a particular Passover dinner has already begun. We
find Jesus and his apostles being served by several women, clearly close
friends and family members. For hundreds of years this special dinner ceremony
has been observed and includes four ritual servings of wine. Notice that Jesus
leads each part of the ritual meal, explaining carefully and then personally refining
each explanation.
The memory of Jesus performing this common ritual with his enhanced
explanation of each part has been passed down through the ages to become the
traditional communion service in Christian churches around the world. Like most
unrecorded memories most of his words have been lost but the major points have
been kept and cherished, to be repeated as a set piece at each offering of
bread and wine.
Look closely at the attendees – some are chatting with each other, some
are watching Jesus with glowing love, and there is one that sits sulky and disappointed.
Jesus has not lived up to his political expectations.
Now look closely at Jesus – he is not his usual light hearted self. He
seems serious, slightly subdued and, yes, somehow sad. His eyes rest on each
one in the room with love and then stops for a moment on the only attendee
nervous and grumpy, fidgeting in his seat. Their eyes meet – Jesus knows and
understands, and the apostle knows that Jesus knows. We watch as both their
hearts break, just a little.
What is actually said, we will never truly know. But, when the dinner
is complete, Jesus slowly leaves. His heart is heavy and he has much to ask of
God this night. . .and we will quietly return to see what the rest of this
night brings.
Questions to Contemplate and Discuss
1. Jews still commemorate Passover in much
the same way. If you are Jewish, contemplate Jesus leading this ceremony at your
home.
2. If you are Christian research more about
this holiday and dinner ritual and think about Jesus leading it.
3. If you are Christian and take communion,
try to imagine Jesus, and not the priest or minister, offering you the bread
and wine. Does this change the experience for you?
Lesson 29
In the Garden
A few years ago a gray cat walking behind a Buddhist monk filled one of
my dreams – a ‘temple’ cat. The next day a sweet gray kitten adopted me at
Petsmart. When I looked up gray cats (known as blues) on Google I learned they
originally came to Europe with the Templar knights during the Crusades. Hmmmm….
‘templar cats?’ Here was a neat example
of having a mini-vision during a night’s sleep. If this kind of knowing is
pretty common for us mere mortals, how more so must be the knowing for someone
truly masterful.
Let’s once more travel back, this time to the Mount of Olives and
quietly follow the sad, troubled figure of Jesus. He has just left the Passover
meal and has asked a few of the apostles that he loves most fondly to come with
him. He has seen his future, as a master would. Yet, his insight into what will
happen to him is not that surprising. Until recently he has pointedly stayed
away from major cities and the authorities, and answered questions carefully
and diplomatically. However, both the Jewish and Roman authorities keep careful
watch, and though he is not the only ‘troublemaker’ they are worried about, he
is certainly on the list of the ‘most wanted’. He remembers that his cousin
John, just two or three years before had been arrested and then killed, and
many of Jesus’ followers were John’s. Jesus knew what was coming.
Consider if you knew you had only days, or only hours to live, and your
ending would be not only excruciatingly painful but humiliating as well. In this state of mind, we watch Jesus trudge
down into the Garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives. We see him implore his
beloved apostles to pray with him to help give him strength. As the night goes
on they fall asleep and Jesus struggles, and prays and struggles, all alone . .
.
. . . But wait, we hear the stomping of feet. And into the garden come
the hobnailed footed ‘cops’. They have their assigned task and they do it.
Jesus’ fate is now sealed.
Questions to Contemplate and Discuss
1. What were some of the experiences you had
of seeing into the future? (This may have been as simple as knowing who was
calling before you answered the phone or saying the exact same word or phrase
as someone else at the same time, or much more detailed insight.)
2. Perhaps you check your horoscope or even
go to a card reader. Do you believe knowing the future is particularly helpful?
Especially if it is ‘bad’ news?
3. How would you want to plan if you knew you
only had a short time to live and the end would be painful?
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