“Cheers!”
What we drink is an important part of our meals: milk at breakfast, soft drink at a birthday party, perhaps a beer or wine consumed responsibly at a BBQ or cocktail party.
A common practice before drinking at a meal or party is to chink glasses and say “Cheers!” I’ve always been fascinated where this practice originated. No one knows for certain, but one theory is it originated in the cut-throat times of the Middle Ages. Rulers would host visitors in their castle hall, but would be uncertain of their guests intentions: some guests might desire to see them ousted and so attempt to poison their host.
As they gathered in the flickering light from the fireplace around the table laden with whole roast pigs and vegetables, they would crash their wooden cups of ale together so that liquid would spill from one into the other. That way they could be certain that everyone at the table was on friendly terms. No one was trying to betray the other to death.
We’ve lost the vigour of crashing our glasses together so they spill over, but we still retain the shadow of this custom. “Cheers!”
The Passover
In Jesus’ day drinking was also an important part of their meals. In Jerusalem, the Passover was arguably one of the biggest and most important festive meal, including many symbolic cups of wine for drinking.
The Passover was a great big family celebration. To get the picture, think about your favourite family Christmas party. There’s warmth and laughter. Because it’s family, the meal is intimate and familiar; relaxed, full of memories, yet hopeful for the future.[1]
It’s interesting that Jesus celebrates the Passover with his disciples. Passover was always a family meal. So celebrating with his disciples indicates the closeness of their relationship with Jesus — they’re one big family transcending blood relations, sharing everything together.
It was always the father who would prepare and host the Passover party; his sons and daughters and close family would enjoy his hospitality. Jesus makes the preparations for this meal, acting as the father. He prepared for the feast in a fully furnished second-story guest room. This wasn’t just an ordinary, everyday meal. This was a once a year celebration feast! While other meals with his disciples had been simple affairs in the homes of friends, this is a special party in a rented room.
The enemy in their midst
So here are the disciples and Jesus enjoying this family feast together. The candles are lit, the table is laid.
But then Jesus drops a bombshell: “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me — one who is eating with me.” (Mark 14:18). Talk about a conversation stopper!
Someone, one of Jesus friends, one of the family, is going to betray him.
They go around the table. “Surely you don’t mean me?” (Mark 14:19) they all say.
Jesus intensifies his accusation: “It is one of the Twelve, one who dips bread into the bowl with me” (Mark 14:18). Jesus had hundreds of disciples, and there may have been twenty or so present at this Passover celebration, but Jesus narrows the list of suspects: one of the Twelve. One of his inner circle. One of his closest friends. One who right now dips bread into the bowl. One of these is going to betray him to death.
There’s an enemy in their midst.
Everyone is included
Now what would you do if you knew there was an enemy in your household, dining at your table? Perhaps you might want to crash cups together, to make sure no one is going to poison you!?
Well, Jesus doesn’t do that.
He continues enjoying the meal, all the while with the betrayer among them.
He takes the bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it to his disciples — even his betrayer — saying, “This is my body.”
He takes the cup, gives thanks, and gives it to them — even his betrayer — and they all drink from it.
Stop and think about this for a moment. Jesus shares an intimate family meal with his betrayer!?
And what’s more, in just a few hours the others will also betray him in other ways. Peter, James, and John will fall asleep at the time of Jesus’ greatest need as he fervently prays in the garden. Peter will go on to deny he even knows Jesus. The other disciples scatter (Mark 14:27) into the night. Everyone will desert him and flee (Mark 14:50).
We are the disciples
We might sit here in our pews and point our fingers at these weak disciples. We might join in their chorus, “Surely you don’t mean me?”
Yet deep down I think each one of us knows that we are no different. We too betray, deny, and desert Jesus. We don’t give him the attention he deserves. When we do pray to him, we fall asleep. We’re afraid to admit to others that we follow Jesus, afraid to live out our faith. We act like the prodigal son, greedily demanding our inheritance only to waste it away. Our sinful nature is at odds with God, making us his enemies. We are not worthy to attend this meal that Jesus hosts for us.
Jesus makes us family
Yet Jesus once taught not only to love your neighbours, but to ‘love your enemies and pray for them’ (Matthew 5:44). So by welcoming us at this table, Jesus embodies his very words — he loves his enemies. God calls his prodigal children home and adopts you as family. He hosts a celebration for you. He puts a ring and robe and sandals on you, and lays out a feast — all for you.
By welcoming you at this table, by sharing the bowl with you, by sharing the cup so that all may drink, Jesus transforms you from an enemy into family. He gives you his true body to eat, and sheds his real blood for many — for you.
He doesn’t need us to crash our cup into his to make sure were not trying to poison or betray him. Because through this meal, through his innocent suffering and death and holy and precious blood, Jesus makes us his family. He eats and drinks with the enemy in order to change us into his family and friends.
So come those who are not worthy to come. Come because Jesus calls you and that makes you worthy to come. Come those who were once enemies of Jesus, because by eating and drinking you are welcomed as family at his table. Come because you believe Jesus’ words “given for you” and “shed for you.” Come, share the bread which is his body, and the wine which is his blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of yours sins, your life, and your salvation. Amen.
[1] The Passover had a dual focus: participants looked back to the Exodus, when the people were liberated from slavery in Egypt; while at the same time looking to a future time, when God would again liberate His people. The same is true of when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper today.
