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?” 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,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?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” So the disciples set out and went to the city and found everything as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.
Mark 14:12-16 NRSV
When my sister and I retired from teaching we bought a house together near the Black Hills. One of our favorite pastimes was planning a themed dinner for family. This involved time spent planning the menu, looking up recipes if necessary, buying ingredients, and setting the table with the appropriate dishes and silverware. Of course this took several days and often meant driving 15 miles to Spearfish. We always included one new dish for excitement. It was not five-star food, but rather mostly family favorites: my sister’s brownies, my colcannon, or a Nebraska favorite – runzas. Of course the best part was sharing it with the family and listening to their stories.
So when I read and reread the text about the Last Supper, I immediately tried to figure out how Peter and John were able to prepare the meal with such short notice. It was not a miracle event like the fishes and loaves. It just says they were to find a man carrying a water jug who would lead them to a room already prepared. It was laid out, ready. Did that mean that the bread and wine (and maybe the bitter herbs) were there? It does say Peter and John prepared the meal, but, except for overseeing the butchering of the lamb, women did most of the cooking. I almost got lost trying to figure out all the logistics of who did what and when.
I stopped the chase down the rabbit hole and realized there is a reason all of the background is not included. It is just noise. The real message is — the room was ready for the passover meal, it was waiting. Waiting to make clear that the disciples were children of God, brothers of Jesus, inheritors of the kingdom. They were made so by the blood and flesh of Christ’s body.
In our own life is there a room ready to receive Christ? Is there a room ready to receive Christ’s brothers and sisters here and now around us? To sit together and share stories, joyful ones and sad ones? I think it doesn’t involve running around making sure everything is just right and the house is clean. I am reminded of Christ’s words which I think would be a good guide for everyday having a room ready. In as much as you have done it to the least of these you have done it to me.
Mary Lawson is a mother, grandmother, sister, retired educator, artist, writer, reader, and traveler, who counts it a privilege to belong to the La Sierra University Church and the Fritz Guy Sabbath School class.