Daily Devotional • December 12
A Reading from Luke 22:1-13
1 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. 2 The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people.
3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve;4 he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. 5 They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.
7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.” 9 They asked him, “Where do you want us to make preparations for it?” 10 “Listen,” he said to them, “when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters 11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.” 13 So they went and found everything as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.
Meditation
When I read Luke 22, I am struck by the utter calm of Jesus. He seems so nonchalant as he instructs Peter and John to prepare the Passover meal. He shows his knowledge of the unfolding of his life as he tells them how to find the guest room where he would institute the eucharistic meal. Jesus is definitely aware of the plans against him. He has recently told the parable of the wicked tenants who kill the vineyard owner’s son, and, following shortly after this scene, Jesus is arrested, mocked, beaten, and stands before the council.
In Isaiah 53:7, the suffering servant is compared to “a lamb that is led to the slaughter,” silent “like a sheep … before its shearers.” It strikes me that Jesus was not like that lamb in ignorance of his imminent death, but merely in his silence. He knew that death was just around the corner. He knew that the vineyard tenants would slaughter him, but he approached that day with composure. Later he would cry out to his Father for his cup to be taken and he would sweat blood, but never would he turn back.
“One who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15), Jesus walked determinedly to his death. Let us stand in awe of the one who planned the details of that Passover meal at which he would reveal his body broken for us and his blood poured out for us and feed his betrayer. He is the one who gave words to his disciples who would also be led to death and has strengthened, by his spirit, many who would give their lives for the gospel. May we follow with that peace that passes understanding. May we be like Jesus.
Melissa Amber Patton is a Pittsburgh native, a writer, and an M.Div. student at Trinity Anglican Seminary. She is currently the music leader at Mosaic Anglican Church in Imperial, Pennsylvania and is pursuing ordination with the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
The Diocese of Kollam – Kottarakkara – The Church of South India (United)
The Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi
