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Sound & Season is a daily audio devotional designed to connect the routine moments of life to the rhythms of the Church seasons.
This is Sound and Season. It's Monday of Holy Week, the 35th day of Lent. Our passage today comes from the Gospel of Mark chapter 14 verses 12 through 25. And on the 1st day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover? And he sent 2 of his disciples and said to them, go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.
Lauren Starnes:Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, the teacher says, where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. There, prepare for us. The disciples set out and went to the city, and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. And when it was evening, he came with the 12.
Lauren Starnes:And as they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, truly I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me. It began to be sorrowful, and to say to him one after another, is it I? He said to them, it is 1 of the 12, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of man goes as it is written of him, But woe to the man by whom the Son of man is betrayed. It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.
Lauren Starnes:And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it, broke it and gave it to them, and said, Take. This is my body. And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
Lauren Starnes:This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Jeffrey Heine:Our reflection today comes from the 3rd century theologian, Origen. That bread, which God the Word confesses to be his own body, is the word that nourishes souls. The word, proceeding from God. The very bread that comes from the living bread, which is set out upon the table, of which was written, thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies. That drink, which God the Word confesses to be his blood, is the word that gives refreshment and exhilarates the heart.
Jeffrey Heine:This drink is the fruit of the true vine, the blood of that grape cast in the winepress of the Passion. So also the bread is the word of Christ, made from that corn which falling out onto the good ground brought forth much fruit. He was not speaking of the visible bread alone, which he was holding in his hands, as he called it his body. It is the word and the mystery of which that bread was to be broken. Nor did he call that visible drink as much his blood, but the word and that mystery of which that drink was to be poured out.
Jeffrey Heine:For to what else could the body and the blood of the Lord refer to other than the atoning word that nourishes and gladdens the heart? Why did he not say, this is my bread of the new testament, just as he said, this is my blood of the new testament? Because the bread is the word of righteousness, by eating of which souls are nourished. The drink is the word of knowledge of Christ according to the mystery of His birth and His passion.
Lauren Starnes:Lord, hear our prayer, and let our cry come to you. Let us pray. Oh, son of man, who came to become the sacrifice on our behalf, how vast is
Jeffrey Heine:your faithfulness?
Lauren Starnes:How deep is your mend our broken souls. You have poured out Your righteous blood to serve our lives. O precious Jesus, have been so, so good to us. May our lives be marked by remembrance, remembrance of your feasting table and the invitation you have graciously given to us to be slaves to sin no more. Oh, lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lauren Starnes:Glory to the father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.