Luke 22:21-30 | Ephesians 2:1-10
This is our third journey into the passion week leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross. Luke tells similar details as those we read from Matthew and Mark already this year.
Today we see the disciples looking really ignorant and stupid in the midst of it all. Between Judas’ betrayal and the whole group itself bickering about who’s the greatest, their presence and action is cringe-worthy in light of what we know is to come.
Perhaps you’ve heard someone challenge you to always say I love you to those you for whom you care when you depart from one another because you never know what could happen. You will need to decide if this would become more of an obligatory pressure point rather than an act of love. But the challenge to do our best to demonstrate love at all times is not a bad one.
One of the interesting things about the Bible concerns those who are claimed to have written and shaped it. Whether various leaders of Israel or later, as we’re reading, the apostles - they are not afraid to show forth their ignorance & stupidity as a lesson for the rest of us.
Quite often when accounts of events are relayed, those in power shape the details as favorably as they can. Not so with much of scripture. In fact, preachers, Sunday School teachers, and all sorts of other well-intentioned Christian practitioners have made heroes out of Bible characters. But the text shows us something different when we pay attention.
This is part of the beauty and attraction of the scriptures (and other texts that might do the same thing).
Luke 22:21-30
“But look! My betrayer is with me; his hand is on this table. The Human One goes just as it has been determined. But how terrible it is for that person who betrays him.” They began to argue among themselves about which of them it could possibly be who would do this.
An argument broke out among the disciples over which one of them should be regarded as the greatest.
But Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles rule over their subjects, and those in authority over them are called ‘friends of the people.’ But that’s not the way it will be with you. Instead, the greatest among you must become like a person of lower status and the leader like a servant. So which one is greater, the one who is seated at the table or the one who serves at the table? Isn’t it the one who is seated at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
“You are the ones who have continued with me in my trials. And I confer royal power on you just as my Father granted royal power to me. Thus you will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones overseeing the twelve tribes of Israel.
Ephesians 2:1-10
At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. You used to live like people of this world. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else.
However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus.
You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.
Prayer
God,
Thank you for Saturdays.
For rain.
For shelter.
For warmth.
For sleep.
For food.
For companionship.
For Jesus.
By your spirit & in his name,
Amen.