The Lord's Table

           Today I visited the " MV Maersk Kolka " It is one of those container ships where officers and crew eat at the same table! I think it is the only company that visits Delta Port which does such a thing.
      You may remember that I wrote a blog on this last year; one table yet even at this table the officers were sitting on one side with the crew members on the other and so it was today! Being as it is, the season of Lent, I was reminded of the Last Supper table at which Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Passover........ In my humble opinion that was not a pleasant meal. Remember that  while they were eating a dispute arose as to who was the greatest among them! These were grown men mind you.  But wait, it got worse; imagine that some one who has been with you for three years, some one you trust, your friend --- one who is at table with you is going to betray you. I am sure that this has even greater significance from a Middle Eastern perspective where eating together has much more meaning than in our modern western fast food culture. There is incredible sadness during this supper. There is also great mystery here. On the one hand Jesus says, " But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man - it would be better for him if he had not been born ".
Then we read,  " As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him ".
      Speaking of dinners,this week the queen of the Netherlands is making an official state visit to Germany. When a head of state makes a visit to another country one of the highlights of that visit is often a ' State Dinner '. It's a fairy tale of royalty, ministers, ambassadors,  the best food, the finest clothes, the greatest music etc. you can imagine! What a contrast! Would't you be excited if you received an invitation to such a dinner rather than to the one we read of in the Gospels? Which one would you choose to attend?

      Well, as beautiful as that state dinner might be it  is only temporary and the invitation is only for a few privileged people.  In contrast, the Lord's Supper is open to alll of us accompanied with a promise, "I will not drink this cup again until I drink it anew with you in my Father's Kingdom. ..........." This is my body, which is for you!...Thanks be to God


" Christ has commanded me and all believers to eat this broken bread and to drink this cup. With this command he gave this promise; As surely as I see with my eyes the bread of the Lord broken for me and the cup given to me, so surely his body was offered and broken for me and his blood poured out for me on the cross.............he nourishes and refreshes my soul for eternal life with his crucified body and poured out soul!" (  Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 28 )      


                                                A blessed Easter to all of you!