By: B.M.
Many cultures signify sharing a meal. It is like signing a contract of friendship. Jesus shared many meals with his disciples as well as with other people such as Zacchaeus, the tax collector. There are bond and trust built when people eat together.I lived in an apartment building where I made friends with many neighbors. The neighbors were from so many different backgrounds. One of the neighbors was a man who married to a young woman named Rose. When the weather was nice, everyone brought what they had and shared a meal together on the lawn. We never asked what are you feeding? There was trust. Some meals were like fear-factor
. Some meals were planned. Others were just on the fly. Couple of years ago, during the Holy Week, as I was walking out the door I met Rose in the hallway. I greeted her and asked about her family. Her face was turning so many colors and she could not answer a single question. I did not think much of it. Later on, I needed something from my car and discovered that many things were stolen from it. Apparently, my car was not locked and Rose went in and helped herself with few things. Back in the hallway, she was carrying a big laundry bag, but the content did not look like clothes. So Rose who shared food with me stole from me. I felt betrayed by a pretend friend. This happened on a Thursday the night where Jesus was betrayed. I could not sleep that night as Jesus was kissed by Judas and betrayed by a friend. I got my experience too. Earlier that week I was thinking about that specific event. What was stolen was never of significance. But I am grateful for the experience.
The above picture is one of my favorite pictures of Jesus where, I imagine, He felt so lonely knowing that he will carry the sins of the world on the cross; and the feeling of betrayal by Judas who shared a meal with him.