Week of Prayer 4 - The Upper Room

On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. (Mark 14:12-16)

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19-20) 

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying. (Acts 1:12)

The Upper Room, like the house in Bethany was a place of hospitality and safety. It was the place where Christ held his last meal with the disciples and where he turned the ancient Passover liturgy on its head, transforming the Passover cup of redemption into the cup of his own blood and sharing the unleavened bread (that he had terrifyingly labelled as his body) with awe-struck disciples.

After Christ’s death the disciples seemed to find this room a place of safety. Perhaps they felt that they could not travel as far as Bethany without being discovered and arrested. They locked the doors to keep themselves safe, but even locked doors could not prevent Christ from entering this room and meeting them there. Even after Christ’s Ascension when he commands them to stay in the city they seem to remain in this room. It plays an important part in the most horrific moments of their lives, but also the most wonderful moments, when the living Jesus shows them his hands and his side and proves that he is alive.

There is a tradition amongst the Syrian Christians of Jerusalem that this room was John Mark’s house and that he was the man carrying the jar of water. In our day and age this sign passes us by, but in ancient Jerusalem men never carried water. It was a demeaning task. The old world order is, once more, being overturned by Christ, even in this simple action.

Pause for thought

Where do I feel safe?
Are there parts of my life that I try to lock away from God?
What would my life be like if Jesus had never instituted Holy Communion?
Do I take this wonderful sacrament for granted?