TABLE OF FRIENDSHIP & FREEDOM
Communion is the best expression of God’s welcome and hospitality that we have. For this reason, it is critical that we re-examine our understanding of the Communion ritual and its practices to ensure they align with the inclusive nature of God. Theologian and contemplative Henri Nouwen says that “hospitality” in German Gastfreundschaft translates as “friendship for the guest” and in Dutch gastvrijheid implies “freedom for the guest.” When we look at the context for Jesus’ last supper, we can see that these two translations for hospitality perfectly reflect what Jesus was showing us when he instituted this ritual of Communion.
The teaching in nearly every Christian church tradition has been the theory of the cross called "substitutionary atonement." This theory, introduced in the 11th century, says that God is not free to forgive humankind until payment is made. That “payment” was the death of God’s son in exchange for our own lives, the cost of our sin. Jesus’ words at the Last Supper have been viewed through the lens of this theory for so long that we have missed the real Story that’s been told throughout scripture, and found right here in this meal.
On this particular night in history, Jesus and his disciples were in Jerusalem for the celebrations of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Today, these two feasts are combined in the celebration of Passover, but on this night, they were two separate celebrations, occurring back to back. Passover remembers the night of the 10th and final plague upon Egypt (see Exodus 12). The enslaved Jews were instructed to kill a lamb and smear its blood along their doorframe as a sign that they should be spared death - or passed over by the angel of death. The blood was a mark for life and for freedom.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread celebrates the manna God sent down from heaven as the recently freed Jews wandered in the desert, utterly dependent upon God and this bread for survival.
These two stories are what the disciples would have had in their minds during this Last Supper. It’s important to note that Jesus’ crucifixion did not occur during Yom Kippur, the Holy Day of Atonement, when the high priest would sacrifice animals for the sins of the people. Jesus was there celebrating the Freedom Meal - Passover. Freedom was the context that evening. The disciples would have made a direct correlation from the bread Jesus was holding to the manna they were commemorating - the bread of life.
Later during dinner, Jesus held the cup of wine and said, “Each of you drink from it. This is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people.” Jesus is telling us the meaning of his blood clearly and directly: “to confirm the covenant between God and God’s people.” This covenant, then, is the whole point of everything. When referring to the Covenant (capital C), all of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures are referencing the promise God made to Abraham [Genesis 17:22 paraphrased by me]: “This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” The Covenant is the promise of relationship and belonging. It is the very foundation of Jewish identity, and by extension, our Christian identity.
The arc of the Story of God is simply this: God wants relationship with all of creation. The word “friend” was originally a covenantal term. In Hebrew "friend" is haver le’daagah meaning “someone with whom you share sorrows, troubles and joy.”
Jesus said his blood is poured out as a confirmation that this Covenant of friendship holds true - we are always and forever God’s people. His blood wasn’t necessary for the Covenant to be true - his blood was a sign that the Covenant has always been true.
Jesus’ blood was like that of the Passover (Paschal) lamb - marking us for freedom. Jesus’ blood was like the wine of Covenant - marking us for friendship.
Far from communion being a symbol of substitutionary atonement, Jesus put an end to ritual animal sacrifice with his death and resurrection, and with the predicted destruction of the Temple just a few years later. Jesus was not inviting us to commemorate blood sacrifice, but rather to remember the Covenant. We are celebrating God’s eternal invitation to friendship and to freedom. Our Communion table is the Table of Friendship and Freedom.