It all started round the table - a dubious gathering of man and women. Not a graduate among them - a bunch of rednecks, misfits, dropouts and prostitutes. The table conversation was cutthroat - who was the greatest and who the least. And behind the smiles? There was Pete all boasts and clichés but shallow as a ditch. James and John insisting on the best seats, leaving everyone else bent out of shape. Judas in the far corner, smug in the knowledge that he had turned the whole circus to a profit by promising to serve the man up on a platter. And old Tom, watching, uncertain what to make of it all, but ready to tag along wherever.
“I have so looked forward to sharing this meal with you,” their host smiled at them.
“I am so glad you all are here. Welcome!” This was a warm place in a cold world. They belonged. They were loved. They were safe.
At the head of the table? “Who do you think I am?” he had asked them once. Opinions had been diverse, but when Peter had said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” that confession had been declared to be bedrock.
“Jesus” was his name.

For over three years they had followed him everywhere, fascinated by his extraordinary teaching, mesmerized by his stories. They had watched in amazement as he fed crowds with fish sandwiches that he had produced from thin air. He had helped disabled people to walk and dead men to live again. He had a thing about water - walked on it like pavement, smoothed it when rough and once even turned it to champagne to toast the bride and groom at a wedding! Now here he was with a bowl of the stuff and a towel, coming to wash their filthy feet, like he was their servant or something.
“Not my feet, you don’t,” spluttered Pete. “Never!” He didn’t understand what was happening.
“But if I don’t wash you, then you won’t belong to me.”
“Then don’t stop at my feet! Head, hands. Immerse me in it!”
But in his enthusiasm he was missing the point. It’s not how but who – who did the washing. How matters little.
“Do you understand what I have just done?” Jesus asked. Their silence suggested not. People’s lack of understanding has never slowed Jesus down.
Hygiene is more than skin deep. Quarrels and divisions would not be permitted at Jesus’ table. Paul later wrote a letter warning that divisions around the table would be harmful, unhealthy, possibly fatal. There could be no place at the table for “Peter-ites” or “Paul followers” - “Presbyterians ” or “Protestants”. There should be no distinction between rich and poor, mature or novice, approved or suspect. All should be equally welcome.
“God is ONE.” Jesus reminded them of the core tenet of their faith. In the middle of the table was a loaf of bread. “The central truth around which everything revolves is that God is ONE, just like that loaf is the centre of the table. And to love him is the heart of everything. Around that nucleus of loving unity you will start to love each other.”
“We’d like to see God,” they asked. “Would you show him to us?”
“God the Father and I are ONE,” Jesus explained. “To see me is to see the Father. And I want you all to be ONE just like the father and I are ONE. Love each other! That’s my word to you. That way you will clearly demonstrate to the whole world that you represent the ONE loving God and everyone will know that you are genuine. People will believe that I am ONE with the Father who sent me and will know beyond doubt that they also are loved, accepted, welcome, safe.”
Then he picked up the loaf of bread. “One loaf, right? But there are many of you sitting round the table. If you all took a piece of this loaf then the unity of sharing the one loaf would draw you together into one body.”
But even though they sat round one table, they were far from united. They were separated by their selfish reactions to each other - greed, falsehood, unfaithfulness, dishonor, anger and pride – each outlawed by the very commandments they held sacred, yet represented at the table.
“So I’ll trade you!” he said looking round the table. “Give me your brokenness and I will give you my wholeness. Give me your hate and I’ll give you my love. Give me your evil and I will give you my goodness. I will be made sin. You will be made holy. If you are jealous of someone across the table, blame me! If you are planning to be unfaithful to your partner, betray me with your false kisses. If you are frustrated with your neighbor, take it out on me. If you are angry, beat me up, kill me. Come on. Give me your brokenness!” There was silence. They didn’t know where to look.
And there was the loaf, resting in his palms on the table in front of him. “My body, right?” Then suddenly he tore the loaf to fragments, the wholeness trashed to broken pieces and crumbs. “For you!” he said. “For life!”
Then he poured red wine into the goblet and some spilled onto the fragments of bread. “My blood seals a new agreement between us. I die for your brokenness. You live my wholeness. Agreed?”
They were speechless! What could they say? But he wasn’t wanting words or promises. He just wanted acceptance, buy in, participation.
“I want you all to partake,” he urged them eagerly. “If you eat and drink of me you will have life in all its wholeness.” He held out to them the broken bread, passing the wine goblet.
“That is just an hors d’oeuvre to the real thing!” he told them. “I can’t wait for the day when we will all share the full meal deal in heaven. So in future you will remember me every time to eat bread and drink wine and the taste will wet your appetites for the great banquet yet to come.”

And remember him they did. For the very next day they saw the symbol become reality, his body trashed and his blood running. All the hatred, greed, cruelty, falsehood, jealousy, religious bigotry that ruins relationships all over the world was directed at Jesus. He took it all and gave back loving forgiveness. He felt the unity he enjoyed with the Father to be compromised. “Why forsake me now?” he cried. But he had become disgusting, ugly, repulsive, disfigured beyond recognition by all the brokenness he had taken from mankind. He had become sin personified. Sin kills. Sin killed him. Dead.

After the long weekend – it was a statutory holiday – a couple of those who had been at table were walking back to their home a few kilometers out of town. A fellow traveler fell into step with them. “How was your weekend?” and when they told him, instead of sympathizing, he explained that what had happened was entirely predictable. He pointed out some facts that set their minds racing. On reaching their destination, they invited him in for supper. As they sat round the table they had this sense of deja-vu. It triggered a memory. “In future you will remember me every time to eat bread and drink wine.” So as their guest took the bread to break it, they recognized him. Jesus! And he vanished. Without finishing the meal they jumped up and ran back into town. The place where they had shared that meal round the table had been their home base for the weekend and they guessed some might still be there. But they were all there, except Judas who had topped himself.  Several had amazing stories of Jesus appearances to share as they sat around that same table with the crumbs and the wine stains from Thursday evening still on the table cloth.

Jesus was suddenly there at the table with them. Scared them witless. “Peace!” he calmed them. “Peace is what it is all about. In this broken up, war torn world, peace is what is needed. ONE loving peace. As the Father sent me, now I am going to send you. But you won’t be alone. I’ll be right there with you. In the past I have been present with you in one body, one place, at one time. But now I am going to be better than with you. I will be in you. You partook of my body and blood symbolically through bread and wine. Now partake of my Spirit.” And he breathed on them. “Receive the Holy Spirit. You are now my representatives, my witnesses. Through you I will make my appeal for reconciliation and peace, oneness and love. Forgiveness is the gift I entrust to you. Forgiveness is what the world needs. Be generous with it. Demonstrate it. Share it. Proclaim it. And people will return to God and to each other.
“Together as ONE. That where it’s at. When ever you meet as ONE. I’ll join you. What ever you request as ONE in prayer – I’ll give it you. When ever you act as ONE, the whole world will believe you and be attracted to the central core of all that is. ONE loving God.”