As Often As You Do This
Read John 13:1-17.
I've only been there once, near the end of my first trip to Israel in February 1995. We got off the bus in a crowded neighborhood, and I wasn't quite sure where we were headed as we walked up a small hill. The first part (the lower level) of the building we entered felt like a funeral home, and that's exactly what it was supposed to feel like. It's called the "tomb of King David," and when you enter you're presented with a casket, lots of decorations and (very often) people praying. People still mourn the death of King David here, though there is little chance that David's body is in that casket (the tradition only dates back to the 12th century). We didn't linger there long; instead, we moved to a staircase and went up.
At the top of the stairs was a large, empty room, which we were told is the Upper Room. Like most places in Israel, good tour guides will acknowledge that this is not the actual room where Jesus and the disciples gathered on that Thursday evening, where they shared the first holy communion and where Jesus washed feet. Instead, this is a place where we remember what happened in or near this place. The building itself is disputed; some claim it was a synagogue at one time (maybe in Jesus' time) taken over by Christians for worship, and others claim it was built only during the Byzantine period (300's to 1400's).
To me, the physical location doesn't matter, because that's not the point of the story. John tells us about the foot washing; the other Gospel writers tell us about the meal and the communion. All of this took place in a borrowed "upper room" (probably a guest room in a private home). But if we had the actual location, we'd be tempted to go there and re-enact the proceedings over and over again, in the same place. That's not what Jesus intended. Instead, the story that began there in that first upper room (wherever it was) is meant to go on—to continue in your life and mine. Washing feet, serving one another, enjoying communion with Christ—these things are meant to not just be rooted in one place and time but to continue into every place, every culture, every life.
As Christians gather tonight for Maundy Thursday, many will share communion, some will wash feet, still others will quietly reflect and prepare for Good Friday. As we worship tonight, may we remember that the story that started there is mean to go on through al of history clear up to today. How will we commune with Jesus? And how will we follow his example to serve one another? The Upper Room, then, is in every place and every time, just as Jesus intended.
"As often as you do this...remember me."
I've only been there once, near the end of my first trip to Israel in February 1995. We got off the bus in a crowded neighborhood, and I wasn't quite sure where we were headed as we walked up a small hill. The first part (the lower level) of the building we entered felt like a funeral home, and that's exactly what it was supposed to feel like. It's called the "tomb of King David," and when you enter you're presented with a casket, lots of decorations and (very often) people praying. People still mourn the death of King David here, though there is little chance that David's body is in that casket (the tradition only dates back to the 12th century). We didn't linger there long; instead, we moved to a staircase and went up.
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| "Upper Room," Mount Zion, Jerusalem |
To me, the physical location doesn't matter, because that's not the point of the story. John tells us about the foot washing; the other Gospel writers tell us about the meal and the communion. All of this took place in a borrowed "upper room" (probably a guest room in a private home). But if we had the actual location, we'd be tempted to go there and re-enact the proceedings over and over again, in the same place. That's not what Jesus intended. Instead, the story that began there in that first upper room (wherever it was) is meant to go on—to continue in your life and mine. Washing feet, serving one another, enjoying communion with Christ—these things are meant to not just be rooted in one place and time but to continue into every place, every culture, every life.
As Christians gather tonight for Maundy Thursday, many will share communion, some will wash feet, still others will quietly reflect and prepare for Good Friday. As we worship tonight, may we remember that the story that started there is mean to go on through al of history clear up to today. How will we commune with Jesus? And how will we follow his example to serve one another? The Upper Room, then, is in every place and every time, just as Jesus intended.
"As often as you do this...remember me."
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