Divine Dining April 2, 2026 Devotional

LUKE 22:14-21 |  ¹⁴ When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵ He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, ¹⁶ for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ¹⁷ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves, ¹⁸ for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” ¹⁹ Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. ²¹ But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table.

What a messy meal the Last Supper must have been. There was Judas who had sold his beautiful Lord for 30 pieces of silver and would soon betray Him with a kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane. There were James and John who wanted the best and most powerful seats in the coming Kingdom, imagining its glory along the lines of a human court. There was Peter, the great proclaimer of loyalty, who would become a bitter denier. Among the disciples there was fear, anxiety, disappointment, confusion, and soon abandonment.

Yet this messy meal was instituted, “do this in remembrance of me,” to deal with our messes! Communion is a remembering, a re-enactment, a symbolic expression of our belief in the saving power of Jesus’ death and Resurrection. It is also a means of grace, an encounter with the Living One, who’s Spirit blesses, cleanses, and makes new; erasing wrongs and empowering new life.

Jesus is not afraid of our messes. He came to rescue, to save, to make new. Alleluia!

Gracious God,

Thank You for the gift of communion with Your Son, our Lord. We meet Him in worship and prayer, in service and sacrifice, in scripture and study. We meet Him too, in holy sacrament, where He makes the weak strong and the broken whole.

Amen.