Within today’s postmodern world, we are faced with a loss of sacramental awareness. Through absent neglect or willful deconstruction, the signs, symbols and rituals that once carried significance are either disregarded as irrelevant ancient practices or practiced without any reflection. The Jesus Meal provides 52 reflections to draw every Jesus follower into the significant meaning of this meal from a historical and cultural perspective.
Christian's throughout history have contemplated the practices of the church. There is nothing more central to ecclesiastical practice than celebrating the meal of God for the people of God. The Jesus Meal will provide you with a launching point for weekly reflections on this meal.
Looking at the meal through the lens of history allows us to see what the disciples had in their minds when Jesus reinterprets this meal.
Viewing the Jesus meal within the cultural practices of the day shows how diametrically opposed the meal was to the wider world.
Regardless of your particular Christian tradition, you will be challenged to rethink how we practice thi meal in the modern church.
This book began as simple reflections on the Jesus Meal which were compiled into this volume. Reflecting on the meal that Jesus celebrated with his followers, we see that this was not a meal that Jesus pulled out of thin air but rather one that is set in a deep historical context.
The layers of history that are embedded in this meal are peeled back to reveal subtle and dramatic differences in the Jesus meal. He reinterpreted a Passover meal and places himself in the middle of the story – the Moses, the Passover lamb, the unleavened bread, the bitter herbs, the cups of wine and the blood on the lintel.
Jesus showed his disciples how this historical meal brought history to a climax in him. The disciples could now see how God had broken in at exactly this moment and redeemed his people in a way they never expected. They took this meal and re-enacted it wherever they went – telling the good news that, in Jesus, God was making all things new.
Each of the reflections in this book seek to explore another facet of this meal that Jesus gave us. It is not meant to nor could it be an exhaustive approach to this meal.
It is my hope that the 52 reflections within will serve to strengthen your faith and help in your contemplation of this meal which has been practiced throughout the Church and Israel for generations.
B.A. Pillmore
