Maundy Thursday

Today marks the day of Lent that commemorates Jesus' Last Supper with His disciples. Typically the church refers to this day as Holy or Maundy Thursday. Maundy comes from the Latin word "mandatum" meaning commandment. This comes from the phrase, "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos," or for you English speakers, "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you," a phrase Jesus spoke to his disciples during the meal in John 13:34.

It's not really surprising that Jesus chose a meal as the setting for his final address to his disciples; a meal is a very powerful thing. A meal seems to have a way of bringing people together and making us comfortable opening up to each other. It's also a powerful thing to offer a meal to someone who is longing to find community and acceptance.

All too often we exclude people from meals. Many of us probably have experiences from school of either not letting someone sit at our lunch table, or being the one forced away. A meal can be a symbol of status. Yet Jesus openly invited anyone to share a table with him. Everyone from the holier-than-thou Pharisees to tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners ate with Jesus, sometimes even at the same time. At the Last Supper He even shared a table with the man He knew would deny Him, Peter, and the man He knew would betray Him, Judas. I wonder if in the same situation we would be so welcoming.

As we recognize Maundy Thursday, or even whenever we celebrate communion, let us remember the power of a meal and think about who we are inviting to or excluding from our tables.