Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked. He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus was making special preparations for his last meal with his disciples. He loved them and cared about them. He wanted them to understand that, to him, they had a higher worth than other disciples had to their rabbis. Many other disciples would wait hand and foot on their rabbis, seeking to impress them in order to earn the right someday to be a rabbi themselves. And this is still the practice in the workplace, politics, and even in some churches today. But Jesus was not thinking about himself and his image, he was thinking about those who he would be leaving as he rescued them. So he invited them to the last supper. It was to be a very unique feast. And he would show them how much he loved them!

My takeaway here is: How do I plan ahead to show those God has put in my sphere the extent of my love? Will I do something unexpected or out of the cultural norms to communicate my love to them? It is in the heart of my Savior that I, too, should love beyond duty or the cultural norms, but to love with great intent and a surprising amazing-ness! Jesus was about to do just that.

Lord, I come to you and confess, I need to think of my love for others more in terms of your infinite ability to touch their hearts and less in terms of my duty or what I feel like doing. I need to “blow their minds” with my loving-kindness! I need to intend to love them beyond my personal limits. Only then will I be fully loving them in your Spirit! Teach me, Savior, I pray!