Eating with the Enemy

For the last week, I've been thinking about the Last Supper. We looked at the passage last Tuesday in preparation for the message Sunday, and an interesting idea stood out to me. That meal was yet another example of how Jesus' model differs from the typical human response to situations.

Consider, Jesus was at a celebratory dinner with the disciples. These were his friends, the people that spent the most time with Him as He did His work. It was a time of celebration; a time where He had a big announcement to share. And there, in His midst, was Judas, who was about to betray Him.

Now if you thought about that scene in a movie, that would be the moment where the hero would turn the tables on the traitor and establish his heroism. Think about a movie like "The Godfather," where Michael Corleone constantly had to fend of threats from those closest to him. And he reacted with a cool, detached, merciless response each time. He even responded that way with his own brother, Fredo, who met his end on a fishing trip near the family home.

That is the response we naturally gravitate toward. If most people are honest, that's where their fight or flight response kicks in. We either fight to turn the tables, or retreat away from harm. But not Jesus.

Watching the film clip last week, I was struck by that idea even more. Not only did he not fight back or run, He even bade Judas to do what he had to do. That is real courage in the face of adversity.