Wednesday - preparation

Prayer:  Prepare our hearts this day O Lord so that we can celebrate in the Lord’s Supper with joyful hearts.  We know that all our sins are forgiven through the death of Your Son and that this forgiveness is given to all who accept it.   Yet we bring before You now those that we have hurt through our words,  deeds, or actions……  Forgive us o Lord and grant us Your continual love and mercy.   Amen.

 

Read St. Luke 22: 7 – 9

Jesus tells Peter and John to go and make preparations to eat the Passover. 

 

Preparation.  Jesus tells Peter and John to go prepare for the Passover.   Find the food,  find the table,  find your family,  find what is needed for the Passover.    And what do Peter and John do?  They stand looking lost and then ask Jesus, “Where do you want us to prepare for the Passover?”    This is a wonderful question.   Where do you want us to prepare for the Passover.    It seems like such a simple question but think what might have been going through Peter and John’s mind.    First they are in a city that is strange to them.    They would have been staying with someone’s relatives.   So why would Jesus ask them to prepare for the Passover in another place?  Why not just stay and celebrate the Passover where they were already staying.     Second  Jesus had been leaving each evening and going to the hills to pray.    The change of Jesus’ behaviour might have left the disciples going, “huh – what is wrong or coming up that we don’t know about”.

 

Preparation. Way back in our Presbyterian history,  we used to have a time of Preparation before  the Lord’s Supper was celebrated on the Sunday.  This preparation wasn’t in making food but a time of worship and prayer and self-examination either the Friday or Saturday before the Lord’s Supper was celebrated on the Sunday.  Is this time of Preparation important?  Indeed.   It is a time to look inwardly at ourselves and ask if there is anyone we have hurt – then go and ask that person for forgiveness.  It is a time to look inwardly at ourselves and ask if there were any tasks that we were asked to do and haven’t yet completed – then go and complete the tasks.

 

Prayer:  Great God of reconciliation,  we know that You alone can heal all wrongs done by us to any other. You alone can heal all wrongs done by others to us. We offer up to You now these our burdens of wrong.    Forgive us O Lord and have mercy upon us.   For Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s  sake,  forgive us all that is past and grant that we may serve and please You in newness of life.  Amen.