Last night I enjoyed Passover dinner with The Gathering Place, our local Sabbath fellowship. It was a beautiful night. Our congregation recently chose to lease a small room at an old bank building with a collection of different businesses. Our room is small but the landlord has been very gracious to let us use the beautiful lobby for our gatherings. The lobby is set up like a park. There are big windows so you feel like you are outside. There are streetlights, park benches and a waterfall fountain. It really makes for a soothing and comfortable environment. It is a refreshing change from the dark, formal hall with stained glass windows and pew benches.
Anyway, about a dozen of us sat around a large table, the sun had set but light still colored the sky. The florescent overhead lights in the room had been turned off. But the dimmer streetlamps were still lit. The waterfall fountain had stopped flowing earlier and the dried tile with the chlorine buildup resembled the stones at the Wailing Wall. Everyone pitched in to bring something for the meal and Larry made a cd with a collection of Passover appropriate music to be played in the background.
Larry did a beautiful job officiating the message, meal and foot washing. Even with newcomers in the group and a new location, things went very smoothly. After the solemn service was over; no one really jumped right up to go. Many stayed around the table discussing miscellanies topics. One question that was raised was this; how could the disciples sit around the table, their last dinner with our savior and debate selfish topics like, which one of the 12 is the greatest?
When our family, and hopefully when our congregation focuses on Passover, we reflect on the sacrificial Lamb that was slain, our savior Yeshua, the Messiah. We focus on the suffering and anguish he went through just for us. We reflect on our sin that lead to his suffering and we are humbled and thankful for his unmatchable gift so that we might live forever. It is very personal, we know we all are sinners so that leads to a very reverent service. However in Jesus day; they would have been reflecting on their escape from Egypt 1500 years before. They were so separated from that experience that they may have been just going through the motions of "celebrating the Passover" Or maybe they felt it was a more festive occasion. I know nowadays Jews make the Seder "fun" for the children by hiding matza and throwing frogs around to symbolize the plagues. Plus even though there was a lot of death involved, the exodus was a marvelous occasion! It would be appropriate to have more festive activities and less serious talk. This reminds me of Memorial Day in the United States, a day to honor those fallen for freedom has turned into a drunken debate on who will win the Indy 500.
Yeshua took the observance to a different level. He remembered very vividly the events at the original Passover; he grieved for all of his creation that died there. He knew it was a foreshadow of what he would experience later. He took the meal very seriously.
I have heard that the 12 were young men; maybe they did not have much life experience. I know when I was a zealous young believer I was much more happy go lucky than I am now. I know I did not take life as seriously because of my immaturity. I do not claim now to have much more maturity or life experience; but wow, what a difference a year or ten can make. In the last ten years I have seen people hurt to the deepest parts of their souls. I have seen the stories that I heard about when I was younger played out before my eyes. I've seen believers blaspheme YHWH, I've seen pastors that know the truth, spread lies and I've seen fathers and mothers abandon their children. I've seen woman walk into a hospital pregnant and excited and leave with a tiny coffin. I've seen lovers love turn to hatred. I've seen the best laid plans of men; crumble in front of their eyes. My husband has seen all of this, plus an extra couple people dying every week. I guarantee I take my faith and my observances much more seriously than I did 10 years ago. The naivety and innocents is gone. I know very well this world needs a hope for the future.
So back to the 12; When they were around that table they may have been thinking shallow thoughts of their ancestors escaping Egyptian slavery. Boy would they get a wakeup call after seeing everything unfold in the next week. Although the bickering would continue with some of them, for sure any innocents and naivety would be gone after witnessing the death and then resurrection of their rabbi and best friend.
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