The Last Chance Supper

I'm sorry for the delay in writing about the last supper, but jet-lag and allergies got the best of me the last two weeks. Sunday I was blessed with a wonderful reminder of just how much God the Father loves me. Well, all of us really. The death of his only son, so that I can be with him in eternity, is so much more than I can fathom. But I accept it. And it doesn't stop there, it gets even better. Death couldn't hold on to him. He's still alive. His love just never gives up or dies.

And before he showed his love for all of us, he did an incredible thing at the last supper. Jesus made a huge unspoken display of love for the one who would betray him. First, let me give you some background.

In reviewing a page in A Visual Guide to Bible Events and then remembering a lesson my brother taught me, I was reminded how many times we allow what we know today to influence what we know of God and the experiences of Jesus. How many depictions of the last supper have you seen with Jesus sitting in the middle of the table and the disciples evenly split to his left and right?

Well the truth is more than likely they weren't sitting. They were reclining. And, Jesus wasn't in the middle. He was in the second position in the seat of the host. The two highest places of honor were to either side of the host. The guests would sit in descending order of honor around three sides of the table.

I always figured Peter was close by, but he had to be across the table in order to gesture to John to get the rest of the details of Jesus' words. (John 13) The last position? How confusing is that? But if you read Luke 22 it talks about how the leader needs to be like a servant. So, Peter seeing himself as a leader of the group would naturally have volunteered to sit at the end of the table.

So, with John in one place of honor then who was in the other place of honor on the other side of Jesus? The book suggests Judas. That was a startling thought. But, he was close enough that Jesus handed him a piece of dipped bread. Of all things, Jesus giving his accuser a close place of honor, and with it a chance to learn what he was really about, a chance to feel the love of the Son of God one last time, a chance to say no to the pharisees before the unfortunate deed.

How much love is that? To love your enemy. (Matthew 5) He said it; he meant it. And he still means it. Awesome news for us.