Passover Seder for Christians

Transcription

1 This piece is a traditional seder dinner coupled with scripture readings from the Gospel to reenact the Last Supper. It is most poignant when it is used with a small group, so that all participants have roles. Characters: Jesus and his 12 disciples, and a Reader. Disciples with individual parts are: Peter, John, Simon the Zealot, Bartholomew, Judas, Thomas, Philip, Judas, son of James, Andrew, James. Dinner elements: Grape juice, bowls of salt water, parsley or celery, three matzos (wrapped in large napkin), bitter herbs (horseradish), haroses (mixture of apples, cinnamon, and nuts), lamb [Optional (see note in script); additional food items may be served with the lamb if desired]. A PASSOVER SEDER FOR CHRISTIANS A reenactment of the Last Supper Compiled by William A. Palmer, Jr. and Karen Dickson As the group assembles, there should be at each place a plate, silverware, a glass filled with grape juice, and a small bowl of salt water. In ancient times, and in many Orthodox Jewish homes still, the families would recline, rather than sit, at a low table. The seder begins, now as then, with a traditional blessing. Jesus: Baw-ruch a-taw a-do-nai elo-hay-nu me-lech haw-o-lawm a-sher baw-char bawnu mee-kawl awm v ro-m maw-nu mee-kawl law-shon v ki-d shaw-nu b mitz-vo-sawv. Blessed art Thou, O Eternal Lord, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. Disciples: Blessed art Thou, O Eternal Lord, King of the Universe, who has preserved us alive, sustained us, and brought us to enjoy this season. All drink the first cup of grape juice. Jesus, taking place of the Father, now washes his hands in the bowl of water that has been provided for this purpose. Reader: Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already entered into the heart of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter. Passover Seder for Christians Page 1

2 Peter: Lord, are you going to wash my feet? Jesus: What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter. Peter: Never shall You wash my feet! Jesus: If I do not wash you, you have no part with me. Peter: Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus: He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you. (Jesus was referring to Judas Isacriot, who would betray him.) Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the teacher, washed your feet, you ought also to wash one another s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Jesus takes the karpas (parsley or celery) and distributes it to the disciples. They dip it into the bowl of salt water, which signifies the tears shed by the Israelites, and eat it. Jesus: I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. Blessed art Thou, O Eternal Lord, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruits of the earth. On the table is a plate with three matzos (unleavened bread) wrapped in a large napkin. Jesus takes the piece in the middle and breaks it in two, leaving one half between the two pieces and putting the other half under the napkin for the afikomen. He then elevates the dish containing the matzos. Disciples: This is the bread of affliction which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all those who are hungry enter and eat of it; let all those who are in distress come and celebrate the Passover. The cups of grape juice are refilled. John: Why is this night different from all other nights? Jesus: Any other night we may eat either leavened or unleavened bread, but on this night only unleavened bread. All other nights we may eat any kind of vegetables, but on this night only bitter herbs. All other nights we may eat sitting or reclined, but on this night all of us recline. Disciples: Because we were slaves of the Pharaoh of Egypt, and the Eternal Lord brought us forth with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. And if the Most Holy, blessed be He, had not brought our ancestors out of Egypt, we and our children and our Passover Seder for Christians Page 2

3 children s children would still be in bondage to the pharaohs of Egypt. Therefore on this night we speak about the exodus from Egypt, and all who speak about the exodus are blessed. Simon the Zealot: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. [Joshua 24: 2-4] Disciples: Then the Lord said to Abram, Know this for certain, that your offspring shall be aliens in a land that is not theirs, and shall be slaves there, and they shall be oppressed for four hundred years; but I will bring judgment on the nation they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. [Genesis 15: 13, 14] Jesus: And that is the promise that has been the support of our ancestors and ourselves, for not only one oppressor has risen against us, but in every generation those have arisen against us to annihilate us. But the Most Holy, blessed be He, has delivered us out of their hands. Disciples: And the Egyptians ill-treated us, afflicted us, and laid heavy bondage upon us. And we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and he heard our voice; and saw our affliction, sorrow, and oppression. And He brought us forth from Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders: blood, frogs, vermin, flies, murrain, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and the slaying of the firstborn. John: The paschal lamb for what reason was it eaten? Jesus: Because the Lord, blessed be He, passed over the houses of our ancestors in Egypt, wherever the blood of the lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts. Bartholomew: For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. [Exodus 12:12, 13] Jesus shows the matzos to those assembled at the table. John: This unleavened bread what does it mean? Jesus: It is eaten because the dough of our ancestors had no time to become leavened. They baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt; it was Passover Seder for Christians Page 3

4 not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. [Exodus 12:30] Jesus shows the bitter herbs (horseradish) to those assembled at the table. John: These bitter herbs what do they mean? Jesus They are eaten to remind us that the Egyptians embittered the lives of our ancestors, The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. [Exodus 1:13, 14] Disciples: Therefore we are bound to thank, praise, laud, glorify, extol, honor, bless, exalt, and reverence Him who performed these miracles for our ancestors, He brought us from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning to festivity, from servitude to redemption. Let us therefore sing a new song in His presence: All sing: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation! All ye who hear, Now to His temple draw near; Join me in glad adoration! Jesus: Blessed art Thou, O Eternal Lord, King of the Universe, who has redeemed us and our ancestors from oppression and has brought us to this night, to eat unleavened bread and bitter herbs. May you bring us to enjoy other solemn feasts and sacred seasons, that we may rejoice in the building of your kingdom and exult in your holy service. We give you thanks for our deliverance, for the redemption of our souls. All drink a second cup of grape juice. Jesus washes his hands a second time, then takes the two whole matzos and the broken half from the napkin. Jesus: Blessed art Thou, O Eternal Lord, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth and has sanctified us with the commandment to eat unleavened bread. Jesus then takes some bitter herbs and combines them on a piece of the matzo with haroses, a mixture of apples, cinnamon, and nuts. Haroses represents the bricks and mortar with which the Israelites built the treasure cities for Pharaoh. He passes this mixture to those assembled at the table. Jesus: Truly I say to you, one of you will betray me. Peter: (to John) Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking. John: (to Jesus) Lord, who is it? Passover Seder for Christians Page 4

5 Jesus: That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him. Jesus dips a piece of matzo in the herb/haroses mixture, and gives it to Judas. Jesus: (to Judas) What you do, do quickly. Judas, whom Satan has entered, leaves. The supper is presented. The sacrificed lamb would be the centerpiece of the meal, but there is some disagreement among biblical scholars about whether there was a lamb at the Last Supper certainly there is no mention of it in the gospel accounts. Some believe that Jesus and his disciples actually observed the Passover seder one night early, a practice of the diaspora Jews who, unable to travel to Jerusalem, would eat the seder without the lamb. If this is the case, Jesus would have died on the cross the following day as the Passover lambs were being slaughtered in the Temple. Reader: After supper the afikomen, or middle half-piece of matzo, that had been put aside at the beginning of the seder is brought out and distributed to those present. Afikomen is sometimes translated as dessert in any case it would be the last morsel of food consumed at the seder. Jesus gave new meaning to this piece of matzo with the institution of the eucharist. Jesus: Let us bless our God, of whose gifts we have partaken. Blessed art Thou, O Eternal Lord, King of the Universe, who feeds the world with your goodness, and with grace, kindness, and mercy, gives food to every creature, for your mercy endures forever. And as your abundant goodness has never been deficient toward us, so may we never be in want. Blessed art Thou, O Eternal Lord, who gives food to all. Disciples: Blessed be He, and blessed be His name! Jesus takes the matzo, breaks it, and passes it to the disciples. Jesus: This is my body which is given in remembrance for you; do this in remembrance of me. All eat the bread (matzo). Jesus: Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes. The cups are filled with grape juice for the third time. Jesus: May the Eternal One give strength to His people and bless them with peace. This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. Passover Seder for Christians Page 5

6 All drink the cup. Disciples: Praise be to your name forever, God and King, great and holy, in heaven and in earth! Jesus: Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You shall seek me, and as I said to the Jews, I now say to you also, Where I am going, you cannot come. A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples. Peter: Lord, where are you going? Jesus: Where I go, you cannot follow me now; but you shall follow later. Peter: Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for you. Jesus: Will you lay down your life for me? Truly I say to you, a cock shall not crow, until you deny me three times. Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going. Thomas: Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way? Jesus: I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him. Philip: Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. Jesus: Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. Passover Seder for Christians Page 6

7 He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will disclose myself to him. Judas, son of James (not Iscariot): Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world? Jesus: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. A little while, and you will no longer behold me; and again a little while, and you will see Me. Andrew: What is this that He says, A little while? We do not know what He is talking about. Jesus: Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, A little while and you will not behold me, and again a little while, and you will see me? Truly, truly I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy. These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; and the hour is coming when I will speak to you no more in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again, and going to the Father. James: Lo, now you are speaking plainly, and are not using a figure of speech. Now we know that you know all things, and have no need for anyone to question you; by this we believe that you came from God. Jesus: Do you now believe? Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. Passover Seder for Christians Page 7

8 Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify thee, even as thou gavest Him authority over all mankind, that to all whom thou has given Him, He may give eternal life. And this is eternal life, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. I manifested Thy name to the men whom Thou gavest me out of the world; thine they were, and thou gavest them to me, and they have kept thy word. I am no more in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name, the name which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are. I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given me, be with me where I am, in order that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou didst love me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, although the world has not known Thee, yet I have known thee; and these have known that thou didst send me; and I have made Thy name known to them, and will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou didst love me may be in them, and I in them. And after singing a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives [Mark 14:26] All sing: The God of Abraham praise, all praised be His name, Who was, and is, and is to be, Always the same! The one eternal God, whose timelessness is clear; The First, the Last; beyond all thought, throughout the years! His spirit floweth free, high surging where it will; In prophet s word He spoke of old, He speaketh still. Established is His law, and changeless it shall stand, Now written deep upon the heart, on sea or land. He hath eternal life, implanted in the soul; His love shall be our strengthening while ages roll. Praise to the living God! All praised be His name; Who was, and is, and is to be, always the same! The service is ended; go in peace. Passover Seder for Christians Page 8

9 Copyright 1996, William A. Palmer, Jr. and Karen Dickson. Permission granted to use this script free of charge. Passover Seder for Christians Page 9