Text Luke 22:1-27 NRSV
22 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. 2 The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus[a] to death, for they were afraid of the people.
3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; 4 he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. 5 They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.
7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus[b] sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.” 9 They asked him, “Where do you want us to make preparations for it?” 10 “Listen,” he said to them, “when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.” 13 So they went and found everything as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.
14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it[c] until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves, 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.[d] 21 But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. 22 For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” 23 Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.
24 A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 But he said to them, “The kings of the gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you; rather, the greatest among you must become like the youngest and the leader like one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
a. 22.2 Gk him
b. 22.8 Gk he
c. 22.16 Other ancient authorities read never eat it again
d. 22.20 Other ancient authorities lack, in whole or in part, 22.19b–20 (which is given . . . in my blood)
Last Time on Tales of Faith
When we last left our hero, he had just staged a demonstration at the Jerusalem Temple, herding the animals for sacrifice and those who were selling them out of the Court of the Gentiles where they had gathered. This not only had economic ramifications, but also created space for Jesus to hold a teach-in. According to Luke’s gospel, the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people began plotting Jesus’ death at that point, but were unable to act on these plans because of the popular support of Jesus.
Throughout the week Jesus teaches in the Temple, and is questioned by the leaders; they question his authority (which he defuses with a question about John the Baptizer). He tells the parable of the wicked tenants against those who had been responsible for the Temple. Spies questioned him about paying taxes to Caesar to get a seditious sound-bite, but he defuses them by calling out their own hypocrisy. Sadducees questioned him about the Resurrection, a key theological difference between them and the Pharisees, he affirms the general resurrection of all people, says that they do not understand what the resurrection even means, and affirms God as God of the Living, not the dead. Jesus’ critics are done questioning, but he questions their assumptions about Messiah, if he is David’s Son, then why Does David call him Lord? After that, Jesus puts the scribes on blast for the power and authority afforded to them, yet who “devour widows’ houses” while performing conspicuous righteousness. The very next story illustrates this point when he sees a widow offering her last two copper coins; he does not highlight her righteous action in giving her last bit, but the unrighteousness of the religious elites who make her think that she has to.
Jesus then spends time with apocalyptic teachings, warning of the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, and the coming of the Son of Man.
Finally, we are told that Jesus teaches in the Temple every day, and spends every night on the Mount of Olives. These are the actions of someone who knows that they are likely the target for political violence. He spends his days in a very public place, where he is surrounded by disciples. He spends his nights outside of the city (likely still surrounded by disciples), where he is less likely to be ‘disappeared.’
Maundy Thursday Themes
Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread
While other gospel accounts downplay the connection to the Passover meal, Luke’s gospel underlines the connections. Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread is the celebration of the Liberation of the Hebrew people from enslavement in Egypt. In the story of the Exodus, the final strike or plague against the Egyptians was the death of the firstborn. Moses instructs the people to make a sacrifice of a lamb, and spread the blood of that lamb on their doorposts, as a sign to the Death Angel/God to ‘pass over’ that house. They were to eat the lamb hurriedly with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. This begins a seven day festival where only unleavened bread is to be eaten as a reminder of their leaving Egypt without the time to allow dough to rise.
The Torah instructs that this Passover meal be celebrated every year, and the story told about God’s redemption of the Hebrew people. The scroll of Exodus and rest of the Torah, which at least took it’s final form in the Second Temple Period, shares some major overtones with the Exile to Babylon, and subsequent return. It is a story of liberation and redemption from the immense power of empires. It tells of a God who goes with their people into enslavement/exile, and miraculously provides liberation through an unlikely leader (Moses/Cyrus). As such, Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread (which by the first century seems to have been merged to a certain extent) was a politically charged festival. Multiple rebellions and riots were mounted during Passover, so both the political and religious leaders would have been on high alert.
Jesus’ stunts on Sunday, coming into the city in a protest march and disrupting the commerce of the Temple, may not have been enough to get him arrested immediately, but he was certainly on their radars.
Judas wears Prada
We get a note here that Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ inner circle is possessed by Satan, and inspired to betray Jesus. This is clearly a continuation of the early church’s struggle with what to do with Judas himself, and broadly the death of Jesus.
Paul, who wrote the earliest Christian/Christic writings does not mention Judas (as far as we know). The closest we get is in 1 Corinthians when he passes on the story of the Lord’s Supper, “on the night he was betrayed” (1 Cor 11:23). It seems that the fact that Jesus was betrayed was the most important fact, not by whom.
The gospels deal with Judas Iscariot differently. The Gospel according to Mark, likely the earliest synoptic gospel, simply says that Judas made a deal with the chief priests, and gives no explanation. Matthew’s account hints at a reason for the betrayal (greed) by having him ask the chief priests, “What will give me if I betray him to you?” (Matthew 26:14). John’s gospel also describes Judas Iscariot being possessed by Satan, but there it happens during the supper itself.
There is a historical struggle with understanding such motivation. Some are more Judas-apologists give a more sympathetic read. In the apocryphal Gospel of Judas, Jesus enlists Judas to betray him, so that Jesus’ necessary death can be accomplished. This ‘necessity’ is important given adherence to a more Penal Substitutionary Atonement theory. Others, most recently things like the Chosen, imagine Judas Iscariot as a ‘true believer’ who has simply failed to understand the assignment. They imagine Judas as intending to kick-start revolution, or forcing Jesus into a clear display of his divine power, and bringing on the Kingdom of God. The possession by Satan may be trying to do the same thing here, especially if we connect it back to the temptation of Jesus by the devil back in chapter 4 of Luke’s Gospel. There, the devil tempted Jesus into similar displays of power, namely throwing himself off of the Temple and being caught up by angels. This miraculous salvation by heavenly beings, whether in the Temple courts, or from the cross, would clearly show Jesus to be Messiah and even Son of God. The answer Jesus gave may then be the same, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Luke 4:12). Jesus did not come to bring shock and awe, but to provide a non-coercive alternative to the systems and structures of death and violence.
During the meal in Luke’s gospel, Jesus notes that the hand of his betrayer is at the table, “For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed.” Luke’s gospel clearly assumes that the death of Jesus is the one and only possible outcome, and Judas Iscariot is just the one who did what ‘had’ to be done.
Passover Prep
Jesus sends his disciples to make preparations for their Passover Haggadah. There are some similar clandestine overtones to the procuring of a donkey. This again serves to put Jesus in the light of a prophet who knows everything that is going to happen. It may also indicate the network of disciples that are already in place. Getting a room for Passover for 13 to 120 people (the same room allegedly held the larger amount in Acts 1) on the same day is chaotic at best. While this very much sounds like how a group of men might act, Luke’s gospel is clear that Jesus has women in the group who assist with logistics. I think it is far more likely that the preparations have been made ahead of time.
Here we see that the first century practice of Passover (or the understanding of such practice by the author) is not strictly Torah observant. The author here conflates the day of preparation, Passover, and Feast of Unleavened Bread into one celebration.
Everyone sit on this side of the table, it will be good for the picture
Again, Luke’s gospel clearly presents this meal as a Passover meal. We assume that the Haggadah (telling) would be a part of it. One clue is the multiple cups used (this messed me up the first time I presided over communion by myself). Jesus drinks the cup, passes it to the disciples, and says that he will not drink it again until he drinks it in the Kin-dom of God. My guess is that this is the Cup of Sanctification, the first cup drunk during the Passover meal. An argument could be made that it is the second cup, the Cup of Plagues, which is diminished by remembering the death and suffering in the Exodus story.
Jesus then takes the bread, gives thanks (Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, haMotzi lechem min haaretz; Blessed are you O LORD, our God, Soverign of all, who brings forth bread from the earth), and breaks it. So far, this Passover Haggadah is business as usual, like every other Passover that the disciples would have celebrated. Then Jesus riffs, he changes the telling, “this is my body, which is given for you…” The bread, which signifies the suffering of the Hebrews and their redemption, is now connected with Jesus’ own suffering and redemption.
Likewise he takes the cup “after supper,” the Cup of Redemption, which now no longer (just) signifies the Covenant that God makes with the Hebrew/Jewish people, but a New Covenant in Jesus’ blood. The writer here making the bold claim that the Covenant at Sanai is renewed/replaced at Golgotha.
The Greatest Disciple Ever
Our paricape concludes with a disagreement between the disciples on who is the greatest. It seems that they are still caught by the patterns of power and authority that they have seen all of their lives. I suspect that this is also a commentary on the early church, who were embroiled in the same struggles for power and prestige (arguably, Luke/Acts is, in part, attempting to elevate Peter as the ‘true apostle’ over James, Paul, and Mary Magdalene/the Tower).
Jesus, however, calls them to humility; clearly asserting the difference between the Kin-dom and the kingdoms of the gentiles. The power structures of empire are a complicated web of influence and authority. They ‘Lord it over’ others, wielding power, authority, presage, supply of money, etc. as weapons to be used over inferiors. This sounds a lot like the ‘swampy’ behavior of the White House, Congress, multinational companies, and denominational headquarters. Over the last few months we have gotten a remarkably naked picture of what this ‘lording over’ looks like in the modern age.
Luke’s gospel uses the image of the ‘greatest’ to be the ‘youngest’ (as opposed to ‘seniority’ or our current gerontocracy), and ‘one who serves,’ rather than the one who is served. John’s gospel will take it a step farther by focusing the point of the meal on Jesus washing his disciple’s feet.
In Conclusion
Jesus celebrates with his people the Passover meal. This meal is an act of defiance and distinction to the coercive powers of empire. His own disciples do not understand what is going on, they betray him for their own mysterious reasons, and soon descend into struggles for power which continue today. Jesus, knowing the dangers of doing so, continues to call those in power, and us, to righteousness.