The Significance of The Last Supper

[cacian]

a) How do you refer to it ?
the Last/The Lord/The Mystical?

b) What is the significance behind the washing of the feet before the Supper?

The reason I asked is because one would have thouhgt that washing of the hands would have been more appropriate since they were about to eat.
why wash feet when they have not been anywhere far or walked around planes and mountains where it is needed to.

c) Jesus demonstrates the custom of the time when he comments on the' lack of hospitality in one Pharisees' home by not providing water to wash his feet:

I]Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair - Luke 7:44[/I]

Who is the woman and Simon?

What is the idea behind the bread and the wine ritual because it only happened in this supper and not others before.
Jesus did not know he was about to be killed so what it the meaning behind this ritual?

Thank you!

[Scheherazade]

Cacian,

What are your views on these issues?

[BienvenuJDC]

Jesus did not know he was about to be killed so what it the meaning behind this ritual?


How can you say that Jesus did not know He was going to be killed? He had already predicted it several times.

Matthew 17:22-23

22 Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful.

Mark 10:32-34

32 Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: 33 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; 34 and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

This time it was during the "Last Supper"...
John 13:18-30

18 “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.’ 19 Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He. 20 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.

23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.

25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”

26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. 29 For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.

30 Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.

He always knew that He was going to be betrayed and killed.

And this was in His prayer in Gethsemane...

Matthew 26:36-39

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

[Charles Darnay]

I never understood the bread=body part of the Last Supper - I mean, it was a Passover meal* - they weren't eating bread!

*3/4 Gospels agree, and there is much to be suspicious with John's account.

[BienvenuJDC]

I never understood the bread=body part of the Last Supper - I mean, it was a Passover meal* - they weren't eating bread!

*3/4 Gospels agree, and there is much to be suspicious with John's account.

John's account was written for a different purpose. It doesn't have a chronological account of events. How does John's account disagree with the other three? And bread WAS a part of the Passover meal. It was specified to be unleavened.

[Charles Darnay]

John's account was written for a different purpose. It doesn't have a chronological account of events. How does John's account disagree with the other three?

John's account specifies that the Last Supper was before the Passover feast - I'm sorry, I'd have to go looking for the exact reference.


And bread WAS a part of the Passover meal. It was specified to be unleavened.

Hm, this is this a good reconciliation. I always pictured him with a big 'ol loaf of bread: I blame popular culture!

[hellsapoppin]

Eating of bread and wine a sign of financial modesty as Passover dinner was (and to this day, remains among Jews) a feast in which much money was spent on meat and drink. Jesus and his followers changed that to mere bread and wine because they were financially modest. Feet washing was probably a sign of personal humility. In fact the word ''minister'' is rooted in the term for 'servant' which illustrates that the apostles were now to be servants of their god and of humanity.

[cacian]

Cacian,

What are your views on these issues?
Hi Schererazade

I am not so sure, I find the story of The Last Supper quite intriguing.
For example there ambiguities about how it is being told.
One minute it is very detailed about what was said and done and then it goes vague and unsure about other things.
For example the blessing of the bread is something unheard of until the last supper.
I thought blessing was from person to person and not to a piece of bread.
And then if the bread is refered as Jesus flesh then why is Jesus blessing himself?
It does not make sense to me.
The othe issue is that if Jesus knew that one of his disciples would betray him then how was did he know he was going to be killed and not just betrayed and imprisoned.
Betraying someone does not necessarily mean one is going to be killed doesn't?
Then the washing of the feet is not clear either.
Last but not least the word supper means

The term is derived from the French souper, which is still used for this meal in Canadian French, Swiss French and sometimes in Belgian French. It is related to soup. It is also related to the German word for soup, Suppe. (The Oxford English Dictionary, however, suggests that the root, sup, retains obscure origins.)[1]
There is no reference to soup during the meal.


I never understood the bread=body part of the Last Supper - I mean, it was a Passover meal* - they weren't eating bread!

*3/4 Gospels agree, and there is much to be suspicious with John's account.

Indeed I do not understand the transition between bread and body.
And if it was passover then yes what is the bread about?
I know few young catholic friends who said I quote:
'the ritual of eating bread and drinking wine was a bit too unsettling because it is means eating flesh and drinking blood.'
Unquote, not my idea but it certainly made me think about this ritual again.


Eating of bread and wine a sign of financial modesty as Passover dinner was (and to this day, remains among Jews) a feast in which much money was spent on meat and drink. Jesus and his followers changed that to mere bread and wine because they were financially modest. Feet washing was probably a sign of personal humility. In fact the word ''minister'' is rooted in the term for 'servant' which illustrates that the apostles were now to be servants of their god and of humanity.

Of course I understand the cleaning of the feet if they were about to kneel down or pray such the rituals of Muslims where they have to wash their feet/face/hands/ear and head that is five rituals before the five prayers.
Jesus and his apostles are about to h ave their supper and so cleaning feet does not go with what they are about to do next.
My question is this:
what is the logic behind this? couldn't have been the washing of the hands instead?