Drama

Valerie Cullers 40 Comments

71o0W6ZZf-L._AC_UL436_[1]                                                                                            The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

Most of us like a bit of drama…without it life becomes boring. There is drama all around us, most of which comes in the form of emotional outbursts used to get  our attention. But if you like drama, you will love the real actual drama that took place the night of the last supper. 

Jesus gathered his disciples around Him and instituted a New Covenant.  He took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, saying, “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” He then took a cup of wine, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood which is shed for you.” Christians around the world continue to repeat this ceremony when they celebrate the Sacrament of Communion. 

Immediately after this, Jesus spoke these shocking words, “My betrayer is with me at the table.” This is drama indeed. One of His twelve disciples, who had walked with Him for three and a half years would betray Him. This is the scene depicted in Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting, “The Last Supper.” The Scripture says, “Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.” 

Judas Iscariot is the villain in this scene. We know it because we have read the rest of the story. We look down on him and feel self-righteous. Peter also felt self-righteous when Jesus told him that he would be tested. He told Jesus he was ready to go to prison and even die for Him. Jesus told him that he would deny him three times before the cock crowed the next morning.

When we look at this painting or read this story in the gospels, we should not feel so self-righteous. We are all guilty of betraying the Lord and denying Him. Every time we harbor hatred in our heart, we are betraying him and everything He stood for. Every time we choose the world over Christ, we are denying Him. When we examine ourselves, we find that we are guilty, too. We realize how far short we have fallen in following Christ.

You want drama…real drama? We should put ourselves in the scene and realize our own shortcomings. That should engage us emotionally and enhance the drama of the scene that was enacted two thousand years ago. 

40 thoughts on “Drama”

  5. Great post! Before I understood that I was just as bad as the next guy, I used to shake my head at the Isrealites. Now I just feel sad that we hurt God, and I keep asking for a lot more help not to do that! Thankfully He knows that we know not what we do.

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  6. I appreciate the point you made about not being self-righteous. It’s important to remember that our sins deny Christ every time we commit them. I’m so grateful for Jehovah God’s forgiveness and graciousness (Psalms 130:4) which allows us entrance into the Kingdom and it’s many benefits (Revelation 21:3,4).

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  8. The pharisee commenting again.. How do you know you are on the right track though? Are you being persecuted? Are you jailed waiting to die an honorable Martyrs death for Christ? ..

    For me i Hope to see a learning curve, because i See and admit to my mistakes faster These days and ask the people involved and God for forgiveness.

    Btw this phrase gave me some physical pain..

    “Christians around the world continue to repeat this ceremony when they celebrate the Sacrament of Communion.”

    Ceremony? Celebrate? Who can celebrate the sacrament of communion? Just anybody? Get some wine and bread at the store and have a Snack? How are the succesors to the aposteles?

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    • Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” We do this and celebrate His victory over death, hell and the grave. We do not take the bread and wine lightly. His sacrifice was enough for every sin committed by every person in the world who ever lived. It was not a small thing.
      I do not consider you a Pharisee. You love the Lord and you have found your peace and path to salvation in Orthodoxy. I wish you every blessing God can bestow on you… His grace, His peace, His love, the power of the Holy Spirit, His presence…the gifts of the Spirit!
      I accept those that are His (His body, the church) wherever they may be found or wherever they may worship in the world, no matter the country or the way they may be forced to worship together.
      May you have a Blessed Holy Week!

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  9. Yes this is the key to everything! Humility! Very good. I admit I have put myself more in the shoes of Peter than anyone, but to put myself in the shoes of Judas: wow! Great perspective for this Good Friday!

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  10. Excellent post my dear! How pertinent on this Good Friday! Thank you for reminding us that we are all guilty! Thanks be to our wonderful Saviour that we are forgiven by the precious blood of JESUS!!!

    Oh happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away!!!
    ❤️carmen

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  11. ” or the way they may be forced to worship together.” What do you mean by that?

    And I meant to ask: “WHO are the successors to the Apostles?”

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    • I mean many believers are forced to worship in places they cannot even go to a church. Many women in the Middle East must worship silently in their homes and cannot go to a church. Many are forced to worship alone in a prison cell or in a cave or an underground church. Christians have it tough in closed countries like North Korea.
      As far as the successors to the Apostles, I was taught that the pope was the successor to Peter. I don’t believe that anymore. I don’t have an answer to your question. As you know, the apostles went to different parts of the world and all suffered a martyrs death except for the apostle John.

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      • It was more a rethorical question. The point is that the Bishops, plural, were and still are the successors to the Apostles. Therefor the grace of sacraments is in the church that can claim an unbroken apostolic succession (the TOC, True Orthodox Church). Rome was one of true apostolic patriarchate (among 7 or so) until the great Schism in 1054, when they went went off to form the heretical western Roman-Catholicism. Which Luther and those protestant “fathers” reacted to.
        My point of course being that Protestantism is militantly anti-historic. Or extremly short sighted.

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      • I have been reading about that recently. Thank you so much for your comments. All I know is that I love Jesus, am born again, and want to serve Him with my whole heart. Blessings to you today!

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      • Reading alone can be exhausting. Orthodoxie is the true church Tradition, not some intellectuals brainbirth. It would be good of you could find some time in the day to say the Jesus prayer. “Lord Jesus Christ have Mercy on me a sinner.” That will let you experience a lot of Blessing. The regular church fasts are wednesdays and fridays, where we abstain from animal foods. That too can be achieved by people who are only just seeking into orthodoxy.

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