Maundy Thursday. Luke 22.

Through an interesting coincidence of calendar, our read through Luke is more or less corresponding to the days referred to in the traditional church calendar as "Holy Week." As affiliates of a Restoration Movement church, the liturgical calendar is not nearly as influential as it is within the Catholic, Orthodox, and certain Protestant denominational churches. But we don't escape tradition altogether, especially since certain events of Jesus' final week on earth correspond to particular days of the week. So, we may celebrate a Good Friday service just ahead of Easter Sunday.

If this were Easter week, today would be Holy Thursday, known as Maundy Thursday in England and many English-speaking countries. As mentioned in the Wikipedia entry, four events are celebrated on this day: the washing of the disciples' feet by Jesus (found in John), the institution of the Last Supper, Jesus' agony praying in the garden of Gethsemane, and the betrayal of Jesus by Judas.

Now when the hour came, Jesus took his place at the table and the apostles joined him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 22:14-16 NET)

The Greek words translated here as "earnestly desired" are actually the same Greek word written twice, first as a noun, and then a verb. In other words - with great desire I desired. Isn't this a tremendous thought. This meal will, in essence, cost Him his life, and yet He has passionately looked forward to it. It is at this meal, that the old covenant is now fully transformed by the new covenant. The passover meal, celebrating the time when death passed over the people of Israel, is replaced by the Lord's supper, celebrating for all time, that death passes over the people of Christ, through His death the very next day. This is the penultimate moment of Jesus' ministry on earth, a bittersweet moment with His closest companions.

I like the name "maundy." It's from the Latin word, mandatum, that means commandment, as in "I give you a new commandment." But it has a melancholy kind of sound, maybe like maudlin, but not so overdone. But it is the day of new command; an inclusive command that joins us to God's chosen people. It is the day of incredible betrayal and overwhelming agony -- the moment when Jesus is crushed in spirit like an olive in the press (gath shemen).

On this day, we remember when death passed us over.