Maundy Thursday 9am

Thursday
9am

Shattering the norms

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” (Matthew 26: 17-18)

Preparations are in full swing, preparations for the integral part of what was to happen. Jesus says to them, ‘go into the city.’ It was there, at the very heart of the nation, at the very heart of the faith, that Jesus wanted them to gather.

Luke provides more information:

Jesus said to them, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters,  and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’  He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” (Luke 22: 10-12)

So, this person would be a man and yet this was woman’s work. No self-respecting man would be seen doing something like this, carrying a jar of water. Isn’t it typical that the man in whose house Jesus wanted to eat this pivotal, universe-changing meal, would be someone who was so humble that he would risk scorn in doing this work, so counter-cultural that he could step outside the norms, was a modern man in an ancient world.