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Transcription
Jesus and his apostles prepare and eat the Passover meal. Jesus institutes Holy Communion. The apostles argue about who is the greatest, but Jesus teaches them about humility. We should live and serve humbly. Pray for humility and to seek greatness as taught by Christ. Welcome to Christ Church's Daily Devotion for March 25th, 2024. Today we will be reading from Luke chapter 22, verses 7 through 30. Then came the day of unleavened bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John saying, Go, and make preparations for us to eat the Passover. Where do you want us to prepare for it? they asked. He replied, As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, The teacher asks, Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there. They left and found things just as Jesus had told them, so they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table, and he said to them, I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God. After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, Take this, and divide it among you. For I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. And he took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way, after the supper, he took the cup, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him. They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be the greatest. Jesus said to them, The kings of the Gentiles lord over them, and those who exercise authority over them call themselves benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. In our Lenten worship series, we have been following Jesus to Jerusalem. In today's passage, we see that Jesus and his followers have at last arrived. It is no coincidence that it is time for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover. As we read this, we should see and understand Jesus' careful preparation for the last Passover meal with his apostles. He had arranged for an upper room in which they would gather and eat, and Peter and John went into the city and prepared the Passover meal. At the time of the meal, Jesus took bread and wine from the table and offered them to his apostles, instituting for them and for us, as followers of Christ, the sacrament of Holy Communion. It is sad to read that, after three years of serving alongside Jesus and hearing the teachings on humility and service, the apostles began to argue among themselves as to who was the greatest. I can picture an eye roll from Jesus, but instead he patiently taught them that the greatest in God's kingdom is the least. What a lesson for us today in our divided society. The world needs to see us Christians today living and serving in quiet humility, not seeking after the world's idea of greatness. Your personal worship option today is to pray with me. Forgive me, Almighty God, when I long for greatness as measured by the world's standards. Help me to seek instead the greatness modeled and taught by Christ. Give me the humility to serve without notice or fanfare. In Christ's name, amen.
