Maundy Thursday

Morning Psalms 27; 147:12-20

First Reading Lamentations 2:10-18

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 10:14-17; 11:27-32

Gospel Reading Mark 14:12-25

Evening Psalms 126; 102

 

12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 13 So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 16 So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

 

17 When it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, “Surely, not I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one not to have been born.”

 

22 While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

 

How does Jesus spend his last hours with the disciples? They share a meal. It’s not just a meal but the meal – the one that marks God’s saving work. Of course it’s foreshadowing of what’s to come. But it also serves as a reminder—that even in the midst of betrayal and pain, we have the memory of God’s salvation which becomes present again as we reenact and remember (literally, put back together) the events of the week. It’s strange this year since we cannot celebrate communion together. We won’t hear Jesus’ command to love one another in the same way; we won’t receive the bread and the cup from friends we know; we won’t hear our neighbors sing “Go to Dark Gethsemane” as the shadows lengthen in the sanctuary. But we still worship—trusting that, through our prayers, God will re-member us together.

 

God, let your Spirit be among us, to comfort and encourage, strengthen and unite: that together we would remember your saving work, living always as a people, as a church, in the way of Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

 

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Maundy Thursday