February 28: Remember Me

by Marissa Danney

1 CORINTHIANS 11:23-26

²³For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." ²⁵In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." ²⁶For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Remember me.

What a clever way for Jesus to cement himself in the minds of his friends! Through bread and wine, Jesus asks to be remembered.

I wonder how many times a day people of that ancient culture ate bread. Was it with every meal?

I wonder how much of a staple fermented juice was in their diets. Daily? Weekly?

Did they remember him often? Did they remember this tender moment; when their teacher was still with them but was preparing them for his absence?

I wonder if they were frustrated. I wonder if they were scared. I wonder if they were in denial.

I wonder if they felt full of love at a table of their community, preparing themselves for imminent changes.

This story is full of paradox.

Here is a group of people who have travelled together, depended on each other, and encountered confusion and revelation together. They sit at dinner like unique pieces of a quilted tablecloth, connected and familiar.

And then their leader begins to prepare them for his absence. Perhaps it feels as if the thread connecting each piece of fabric is starting to pull away.

Here is a scene of trust and ease. And then it is also a night of betrayal.

And in the midst of this complexity, Jesus asks for this:

Remember me.