Holy Thursday - 2022

Holy Thursday 2022

Early in the Ukraine crisis, I read an article by a Jewish journalist that reminded me what I had sort of known but had not much thought about. He wrote that the Jews had survived as a people since the destruction of their nation, their priesthood and their religious structures by the Roman armies in the first century — though they had no actual homeland, no national leaders, and no nation state until half way through last century [with the re-establishment of the State of Israel]; and this despite the fact that they were scattered all around the world where, over the centuries, they had experienced fairly consistent persecution. During all that time, the journalist had commented, they had never fought a war, even in self-defence. Yet they, with their Jewish religion, survived, and maintained their identity as a people.

How come? The answer would seem to be that, after their temple was destroyed, priestly structure became redundant, along with their priesthood. Their religion became family-based. And the people remained obviously faithful to that. They no longer had most of their great religious festivals. But, interestingly, they remained faithful, wherever they were dispersed, to their weekly celebration of the sabbath, and to the annual celebration of their Paschal Meal. They maintained their identity by remaining faithful to their Law and to their memories of the past deeds of God on their behalf. Through their memories, they kept God at the centre of their lives.

We read tonight about the first Passover Meal celebrated by the Hebrew slaves in Egypt. It became a paradigm for subsequent annual celebrations of their liberation; and it took place in their homes among the family. While there were priests available, the lambs for the menu were killed and offered in sacrifice — as was the case in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. Part of the ritual meal in the family involved the re-telling of the event. Somehow, through that re-telling, through the memory, that believed they came in touch once again with God who continued the saving work with them into the present.

Jesus’ Last Supper with his close band of disciples was a Passover, a Paschal, Meal. Jesus developed its orientation and its meaning. He saw it celebrating the climax of God’s liberating action among his people that would happen through his own imminent death — the price of his unshakeable commitment to the way of love as the only way to the world’s salvation. 

Jesus modified the ancient ritual. When he took the loaf of unleavened bread, he formally broke it into pieces. He saw that broken-up loaf as a symbol of his own tortured body that was soon to be crucified. Towards the end of the meal, he did something similar with the chalice of wine from which everyone present shared. He saw the wine symbolising his own blood that was soon to be shed as he died. He saw their drinking from the cup as their solemn way of saying “Yes” to the new covenant to be initiated between them and their liberating God.

He then instructed them to remember him, what he did, and how he exemplified and accomplished the world’s liberation through the way of love. He directed them to imitate that love. As he said, “To remember me, do this!” — be prepared to love as he had loved, even to the point of death.

He says the same thing to us tonight.