Banter Before Supper

It takes some harmonization of the four gospels to see this picture just before the Last Supper; but when you see it playing out, you can't unsee it.

The disciples have all filtered into the room for the last supper and the seating has been established by a subtle acknowledgement of who gets to sit closest to the host. They all settle in and then realize, there is no servant. That starts the banter. Someone has to be the person to wash the feet of the others. That's part of Jewish custom. That leads into a conversation that we are not unfamiliar with: who is the greatest. Not who should serve, but what is the pecking order here. The presumption is that this conversation will resolve who has to get up and wash take on the role of the servant. Before this conversation escalates into a full-blown argument, we arrive at one of the humblest, most beautiful scenes in the bible. And the lesson is profound

Notes for Banter Before Supper

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