The First Supper

Table fellowship with some of the best ladies I know! 
WHWC leadership -- a few years back. 

Scripture:

¹⁷ And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.^{a  18} Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” ¹⁹ He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth,^a who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰ and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. ²¹ But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.^a Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. ²² Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, ²³ and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” ²⁵ Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! ²⁶ Was it not necessary that the Messiah^a should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” ²⁷ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

Luke 24:28   As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. ³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. ³² They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us^a while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 

Observation:

There is discourse that continues to occur along the road to Emmaus, and it is a journey of discipleship for these two. Neale tells us, “The theological conclusion is that understanding Jesus’ true identity is a revealed truth that comes only through the means of retelling the story and the breaking of bread. It is not something attained by human observation” (Neale, NBBC). Therefore, we see that something supernatural is happening on this road. From the beginning of the journey, when the two are confronted by a “stranger” to a the moment of revelation, Jesus has been discipling these two. 

The story of Christ is not a political one, but one that is established in God’s history. Jesus’ death was not just a freak accident, it was God’s plan all along. Jesus’ story is rooted in the Old Testament, all the way back to Moses and the prophets. Suddenly, the Old Testament begins to make sense, in light of the revelation of Christ. 

They invite Jesus in, to stay with them, and have supper. Suddenly, the scene begins to unfold, much like it did the night of the last supper. Jesus takes the bread, blesses it and breaks it — and in that moment, the first supper is shared. It was in the breaking of bread that suddenly the lights came on, and everything that Jesus had taught them that day made sense, and now they were able to recognize Christ. This is a pivotal connection, from the pre-resurrection table, to the establishment of the church’s table fellowship which was now to become a regular practice. They celebrated the First Supper. 

Application:

The Catholic Church has a huge celebration when a child has their “first communion.” This is a pivotal step into adulthood and responsibility, as well as an understanding of Christ. It is symbolic of this revelation of Christ, in and through the broken bread. 

For those of us who are not from a more sacramental tradition, we may not remember our first communion. I do, however, remember my grand daughters taking communion for the first time during the pandemic. I would take them to church and we’d sit on the back row as their mom and grandpa led the service that was being broadcast. At the end of each service they have communion, and one day, they asked if they could take part. That week I talked to their parents and they agreed that the girls could begin taking part in communion. They were so excited that the next Sunday they made sure they had grabbed the elements on the way in. They could hardly wait until the end of the service, because they were ready to be a part of this big event. They still get excited every single week that they get to have communion. The younger one, Alice, pretty much licks the entire communion cup clean. But isn’t that the way its supposed to be — an invitation into the life of Christ where we want to get every bit of Christ that we possibly can! That’s the First Supper — the beginning of something entirely new. 

The First Supper was also about breaking bread with others. The invitation to discipleship includes an invitation to the table of fellowship. Many are struggling with the concept of evangelism these days. Maybe it’s much simpler than we think — and it’s an invite given to someone to share table fellowship with us. Maybe this is what the First Supper is supposed to look like. When we invite people to break bread with us, it’s just possible that Jesus will show up. It’s Jesus that is revealed, not by our power, but by his presence. We make it all too hard! 

We often speak of the Last Supper, but not much about the First. What might that look like in each of our lives?

Prayer:

Lord, I want to help spread the table for others to experience the First Supper. Amen.