We are about to celebrate Passover in a few weeks. This year at our Fellowship we will be observing a triclinium vignette called “The Last Supper”. Leonardo da Vinci’s painting entitled by the same name has captivated the hearts and minds of many over the centuries with his Renaissance era art style. While the painter’s depiction of the famous table setting was consistent with the Renaissance time-period, it was erroneous to assume this was the tradition in Biblical times. In fact, it was not customary in Biblical times for the host and guest to sit at one long table. But rather, in the 1st century Roman and Jewish time-period it is was common for dinner hosts to place their guests around the table from the least (or younger) to the most honorable who would sit next to the host. A triclinium is formed by placing three tables together in a squared off “U”.
We have a similar tradition in western culture of placement where the host and hostess often sit at the heads of a table and the younger ones are placed at a separate “kid’s table”. From the scriptures we can determine that Yeshua placed Peter the younger at the least honorable position and Judas at the highest place of honor so that he would be dipping from the same bowl as the host.
The irony of this scene is magnified by Yeshus’s response when the disciples began to argue about who was greater.
The apostles got into an argument about which one of them was the greatest. 25 So Jesus told them: Foreign kings order their people around, and powerful rulers call themselves everyone’s friends. 26 But don’t be like them. The most important one of you should be like the least important, and your leader should be like a servant. 27 Who do people think is the greatest, a person who is served or one who serves? Isn’t it the one who is served? But I have been with you as a servant. Luke 22:24-27
Isn’t ironic that as the host, Yeshua, became like a servant, washing the feet of every guest and Judas, the most honored, was asked to leave to finish his act of betrayal, becoming not only the least of the disciples but not even included in the group after that moment.
Yeshua is our perfect example of servant leadership. He not only taught the principle – he lived it, as the perfect man who never sinned taking upon himself the sins of all who would covenant with Him. Then He gives us a place of honor to be seated next to Him in the Heavenly Kingdom.
