Covenants, part 8

6.  Covenant Meal

Covenant partners often shared a meal or feast together, generally consisting of the animal used to seal the covenant.  In a blood-covenant ritual, the animal slain represented both parties.  By eating the animal, the parties again symbolically joined their two lives into one by ingesting “the body and life” of the other.  They usually fed each other the first few bites as part of this symbolism.  This seems to be the origin of our custom of a bride and groom feeding one another cake at a wedding ceremony.   

Perversions of this idea led to cannibalism in some cases.  Among North American Indian tribes, including the Hurons, the Iroquois, and the Dakotas, a common practice was to eat the heart of a defeated enemy in the belief that the warrior doing so would receive the strength and courage of his foe added to his own (Turnbull 128).  There may have been something akin to this in the winding up scenes of the Book of Mormon when the Nephites in Moriantum engaged in cannibalism (Moroni 9:10).

With a Passover feast approaching, the Savior fed a multitude of five thousand by providing bread through miraculous means.  The people perceive him as a prophet and want to make him a king.  He sends his disciples in a boat to Capernaum and departs into the mountain alone.  When the people can’t find him on the following day, they enter into boats and go over to Capernaum seeking him.  When they find him, he gives them a clear statement of who he truly is in a discourse on the bread of life.  He is the paschal, sacrificial lamb.  These Jews feign ignorance, but they understand clearly what he is teaching.  This discourse was a plain statement of his identity.  They understood, but didn’t believe or accept it.  The scriptures record the result, “from that time many of his disciples went back and walked with him no more.” (John 6:66).  They could accept Him as a prophet or as a king, but not as the Messiah.

Consider a portion of His words on that occasion in the context of covenantal imagery and in terms of our own covenant meal with the Savior.  (see John 6:51-56, emphasis added)

51 - I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

52 - The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

53 – Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

54 – Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 – For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

56 – He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

It was at the last supper, that the Savior put these words into practice.  The occasion was once again a Passover feast.  Passover was symbolic of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and in this sense looked back in remembrance of God’s great blessings.  It was also filled with symbols that looked to the future and to the Savior’s role as redeemer.  It is in this setting that the Savior institutes the Sacrament.

I am indebted to one of my old religion professors at BYU, Dr. Victor Ludlow, who studied and lived in Jerusalem many years and who sponsors every spring a Passover celebration at BYU.  We have attended several times.  To give you a better picture of what this final night of the Savior may have included, here are some of the steps generally found in a Passover feast.

1.  The Kiddush – a cup of wine (literally “fruit of the vine”) is filled and the leader and participants recite a praise to the Lord for preserving, sanctifying, and exalting Israel.  The celebrants drink the first cup of wine – traditionally the “cup of blessings”.

2.  The Hands Washed – this is a ritual washing symbolic of coming to the feast with clean hands and a pure heart.

3. The Greens Eaten – a green herb, such as parsley or watercress or lettuce is dipped in a dish of salt water twice and then eaten.  The greens represent the coming of spring and perpetual life.  They are dipped twice—once for physical life and once for spiritual (eternal) life.

4.  The Passover Story Recited - The leader recounts the story of Israel’s deliverance from bondage.  Yesterday we were slaves.  Today we are free men.  The symbols of the Passover are explained.

            A roasted shank-bone, reminder of the paschal lamb sacrificed, is shown in remembrance of the Holy One passing over the houses of Israel and smiting the Egyptians.

            Three Matzahs, (kind of like a giant saltine cracker), are present at the Passover feast representing the unleavened bread, which the Jews took with them when they fled Egypt.  The leader breaks the middle matzah in two, leaving the smaller piece between the two whole ones. They recognize the matzah as the bread of affliction and the haste of their departure from Egypt.

            Bitter Herbs – (horseradish) another reminder of the bitterness of bondage

They drink a second glass of wine – traditionally the “cup of deliverance”.

5. The Blessings over the Matzah.  A piece of matzah is distributed to each participant.  All join in reciting the benediction, after which the matzah is eaten.

The three matzah loaves represent the godhead.  The middle, broken one represents the Savior.  It is not difficult to imagine that it was at this point in which the savior broke this bread and gave it to his disciples saying, “Take, eat; this is my body”.  Perhaps for the first time in their lives the disciples would have understood that the Passover also pointed forward to the redemption by Israel’s Messiah.

6. The Bitter Herbs – bitter herbs are passed around and eaten after the recital of a blessing.

7.  The Passover Meal – “With unleavened bread and bitter herbs shall they eat the Paschal lamb.” (Exodus 12:8) In ancient times, the Pascal lamb was the last food eaten at the feast at which point the meal was complete.

8. Thanks after the Meal – following the meal a prayer is offered unto the Lord.  A third cup of wine is drunk – traditionally the “cup of redemption”.

The scriptures record that Jesus took this cup after supper, “and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.  And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament (covenant) which is shed for many.” (Mark 14:23,24 & Luke22:20)

The whole Passover becomes a beautiful shadow and type of Christ.  Ancient Israel labored in physical bondage.  The blood of the lamb smeared upon their doorposts saved them from death.  They were delivered out of bondage by the Lord’s hand. Sustained by bread from heaven (mana) during their journey in the wilderness, they were at last brought into the promised land.

We are fallen temporally and spiritually.  We may find ourselves in bondage. Deliverance comes only through Christ.  The blood of the Lamb saves us all from death.  Our journey in the wilderness is likewise sustained by bread from heaven (the sacrament).  Christ intends to lead us to a promised land as well.

May we learn from the past.  May we do better than the ancient Israelites.  May we not repeat their mistakes, idolatry and perversions.  May we keep our covenants.  May our “righteousness” not prevent us from receiving truth.

 How does Christ’s statement,  “he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him” relate to our sacrament prayers?  Is he dwelling in you?

How does it relate to hungering and thirsting after righteousness and being filled? (3 Nephi 12:6)

Have you responded to his invitation:  “Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (2 Nephi 9:50)  Do you show up once a week and partake in routine or thoughtless manner?  Or do you come to “feast upon that which perisheth not” and delighting “in fatness”? (2 Ne. 9:51)

Can we come to the feast of the Lord while holding a grudge against another who may also have come to the table?

Last December, I realized I had been doing exactly that.  My heart held grudges and nursed past injuries.  Some were petty, stupid, bumps and bruises in the normal course of life that should not have been allowed to fester.  Others were deep wounds inflicted on my family and/or myself that truly were unjust.  In these instances, justice had been offended. 

As I pondered what gift I could give the Savior as Christmas approached, I felt that my gift should be to lay these burdens at His feet and forgive those who had injured me.  In doing so, I intended this to be a gift to my Savior, but found instead that I was the one who was blessed. 

Little had I realized what a heavy load I was carrying until I finally set it down and tried to forgive those who had wronged me with all my heart.  It wasn’t easy, but I sought small ways to serve them and to pray for them. 

That month the sacrament truly became a spiritual feast.  I received forgiveness for my own sins and learned the truth in the Savior’s prayer, “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” (Matt. 5:12)  This isn’t just an ideal to strive for.  It truly is the key that frees the Lord to forgive us.

May we come to the sacrament table, to our covenant meal, with repentant hearts and clean hands that He may dwell in us and we in Him.