Journey to the Cross Through COVIDSample

I can distinctly remember my year six Sunday School teacher going through today’s passage and getting us to list all the miracles involved in this story. It’s weird what you remember. Praise God for faithful Sunday School teachers. Note the divine direction and provision as you read this story. Finding a place to meet would not have been easy. Jerusalem would have been packed with people and there would have been plenty of competition for spaces and food. 

Read Luke 22:7-16

There are many meal scenes in Luke (e.g. 5:29-37; 7:36-50; 9:12-17; 10:38-42; 11:37-54; 14:1-24). Meals were the times when Jesus especially appreciated and mentored his friends. This meal was extra special. Jesus was aware that it would be his last meal with his disciples before he suffered, so it was packed with emotion for him. “Eagerly desired” (22:15) is a term that indicates intense emotion. Jesus was deeply moved by the occasion. 

The fact that Jesus felt so deeply about his friends might surprise you. He was God and therefore you might see him as above all the emotions that grab our human hearts. But not so. He loved his friends (both men and women). He enjoyed spending time with them. He wanted to be surrounded by them. A special Passover meal together with them was his priority at this painful time. This was a meal that would normally be shared with natural family. But these guys were Jesus’ family.

In the days of social isolation we have faced, some have struggled more than others. The extroverts have missed the interaction. The isolated have missed being with their spiritual family. The worshippers have missed the powerful praise. The oldies have missed their chats. There is a significant cost that many have borne. As we see in Jesus here, community is important for us all. Let’s make sure we do everything we can to care for, reach out to, catch up with and pray with those who “eagerly desire” to be with their family and cannot at this time. 

Prayer: Praise God for the tools we now have to overcome social isolation. While electronic communication is never quite the same, it’s a great blessing at this time. Pray for those in your church family who are particularly struggling with social isolation. Mention some that you know by name.