The Teacher

Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.

Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.

Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat." So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?" And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?" ' Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready." So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

- Luke 22:1-13

Yesterday's reading in the lectionary sequence was from the Gospel of John. It was the story of the woman caught in adultery. The temple leadership seeks to trap Jesus, and brings her before Him, telling Him they must apply the law and stone her. But Jesus responds in a peculiar way, writing on the ground. We don't know what He wrote, but we do know His response: "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." One by one, those who could also be convicted of sin left the scene, until there were no accusers left. Jesus said to the woman, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."

"Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover." These two feasts are actually separate or distinct, but my study bible notes that they were "largely overlapping" - therefore they could be identified as one. The Passover commemorates God's deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. For all of Christian history, the Church has seen Christ's Passion as a new deliverance and redemption.

"And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people." My study bible notes, "That the religious leaders feared the people means the populace at large favored charismatic figures such as Jesus. Therefore, there is need for treachery, night arrest, and quick trial." The fear of the people is one more sign of their hypocrisy, and their care for show, reputation, and image. In the Gospels this translates into a sign that these are people who love the praise of men more than the praise of God.

"Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude." And here we have another "secret work," the work that takes place in the dark. We don't know exactly why Judas betrayed Jesus, but there has been much speculation and we are also given hints in the Gospels. (John's Gospel says it is because of greed.) It is my belief that we can see bitterness and resentment in his actions, perhaps a disappointment of false expectations, and also the failure to take his grievances to his master, and to the group, in dialogue. Our "dialogue" with the Lord is prayer.

"Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed." My study bible notes, "The Passover lambs were ritually slaughtered about noon on the first Day of Unleavened Bread, roasted in the afternoon, and eaten that evening -- marking the beginning of the Passover Festival. Unleavened bread was eaten in remembrance of the urgent Exodus from Egypt, in which there was not time for the bread to rise." We recall also the significance of the lambs - lambs' blood was sprinkled on the doorposts of the Jewish homes, so that the angel of death would "pass over." Christ is our "Passover lamb," our "sacrifice" who redeems and delivers.

And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat." So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?" And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters. Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?" ' Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready." So they went and found it just as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover. These instructions strike me as quite similar to those Jesus gave as He prepared to enter Jerusalem: "Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. And if anyone asks you, 'Why are you loosing it?' thus you shall say to him, 'Because the Lord has need of it.'" "The Teacher" has the same commanding power of "the Lord." This upper room of the Passover was considered by early church tradition to be in the home of the mother of John Mark, known as the Evangelist Mark. So, there is already familiarity with "the Teacher." But the coincidence of meeting someone carrying a pitcher of water is on another scale, and it teaches us about the awareness of this Lord, this Teacher, the knower of hearts, and the One who has taught us that the hairs on our heads are numbered with God's love and care. There's another understanding in this passage, that teaches us that Jesus' respect for the law and the customs of Passover is meant to mark a transition in tradition - not a rejection of the past and all that has come in the spiritual history of the People of God, of Israel, but rather a fulfillment, and a new manifestation of God's love, a revelation. He is also the Lord of the Law and the prophets.

We might find a lot of coincidences in our lives. We may live many instances throughout the years of our lives when we seem to be "replaying" some incident from our past, re-learning and perhaps re-examining our experiences in new lights. So we see this Passover feast as a great hallmark of spiritual history, in which we revisit an experience only to learn new things from it, to be given new dimension and direction, new insight about God and the revelation of Christ, our redeemer. The Passover is a religious festival commemorating the saving of Israel from slavery. We view our Lord, the Teacher, as He who comes to redeem us as well. He will pay the price for our freedom, a willing sacrifice. Jesus has taught that "unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor (John 12)." We can all think of things we have had to forgo, to give up, in order to grow and gain something better. As we await Advent, think about what you might forgo that stands as an obstacle to something better, a closer relationship to God, a deeper understanding of Christ. Perhaps in your own prayer life, you understand yourself to be moved toward the resolution of a conflict or dilemma in a way that seems like a great sacrifice. Challenge yourself to discipleship in this sense, in faith, and know that faith and trust put hope in something better. No one knows the outcome of faith in the individual disciple, and even Christ Himself asked, "Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). Let us remember His faith and example, and allow it to reinforce and invigorate ours, to be our strength in a time of trial and need.