#135 Luke 22:24-30 The Last Supper – I Confer on You a Kingdom

On August 6, 2023 by Amy Burgin

Joy:
Episode #135 Luke 22:24-30

Welcome

Amy:
Welcome to The Christgazing Podcast. We are so glad you are here! I’m Amy Burgin.

Joy:
I’m Joy Burgin.

Amy:
Christgazing, kind of like stargazing, is the act of looking steadily and intently at Jesus. This podcast makes room for that. Amid a world of many words, we make space here for the God-breathed Words, the best words, the ones that rightly comfort, correct, and lead us. Each week, we read a portion of scripture several times and create stillness after each reading so we might also be still and know God more.

In his book, The Awe of God, John Bevere wrote,

In the stillness of our souls, in union with the Holy Spirit, we can behold Jesus as we ponder His Word. Gazing into His face illuminates God’s glory in our hearts and subsequently causes our holy awe to level up. We become like Isaiah and the other greats … who encountered Him, walked with Him, pleased Him, received covenant promises, and finished well. Best of all, in beholding Him we are promised to be made “more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

I am so excited to behold Jesus with you today.

We’re in a series that takes us through the book of Luke. In today’s episode, we continue with a six-week sub-series titled The Last Supper. We get to see, know, and ponder the way Jesus prepared, thought, and spoke at the last supper, only hours before his arrest.

Pour Out Your Heart to God

Amy:
But before we read, take time to share your heart with God. We do this each week; we draw intimately close to God, pouring out our hearts to him to make room for him to pour out his heart to us. So bring God your thanksgiving, grief, fear, joy, anger, excitement, questions, and concerns in this next minute.

[Pause and pour out your heart to God]

What Does This Passage Say About God?

Joy:
As I read today’s passage, consider the question, what does this say about God?

Luke 22:24-30 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. 28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Again?

Take the next few moments to consider what this says about God.

[Pause and know]

What Does This Passage Say About People?

Joy:
As I reread today’s passage, consider the question, what does this say about people?

Take a minute to consider what this says about people.

[Pause and know]

Lord, What Would You Have Me Know Or Do Today?

Joy:
As I read for the last time, ask God, “Lord, what would you have me know or do today in response to this passage?” If it helps, put yourself in the narrative.

Take a minute to ask God, “Lord, what would you have me know or do in response to this passage?”

[Pause and listen]

Blessing

Joy: Christgazer, the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. And may you keep your face turned toward Jesus today and know him more.

One Response

Amy:
I love this story. We find the disciples eating with Jesus, just hours before his arrest and subsequent crucifixion. In the last few episodes, we have listened in on their conversation at the table of The Last Supper. First Jesus led them in the very first communion known to Earth—a subject of deep importance. Then, he flat-out tells his followers that one of them will betray him. Their minds focus on the idea of a traitor and they begin to wonder which of them will do it. As they wonder who is the worst among them, they begin to argue about who is the greatest among them.

Do you ever have conversations at the table like this? Maybe you want to discuss something of deep importance. You bring it up but the minds of those at the table are focused on something else. I love the way Jesus responds to this. In all his love and graciousness, he is not annoyed with their conceited thoughts.

He meets their thoughts where they are. He teaches them, yet again, that it is the least among them who will be the greatest. He points them, yet again, to the high standard of service.

Jesus knows that the deep words of communion he spoke, planted seeds that will grow around the world and persist for thousands of years to come. The disciples’ vain thoughts of a moment can not stop that.

He sees and knows his disciples beyond their small thinking and shortcomings of the moment. He knows them in totality. He knows who they will become after the resurrection, mighty men of God who serve unto imprisonment and death and he treats them as such in this moment of their peacockish dispute, conferring on them a kingdom, just as God the Father conferred on Jesus.

I want to be like that. I want to see and know myself and others in totality rather than in the confines of the wrong thinking of a moment. The patience and confidence of Jesus is beautiful.

Closing

Amy:
You can find a link to a transcript of this episode and all our episodes at amyburgin.com. Joy and I will be back again next week to go Christgazing together. Until then, don’t forget, when you put your trust in Christ, you are one in whom he dwells and delights, a dearly loved child of God. You are royalty in his everlasting, unshakeable kingdom. Though trouble abounds, Christ prevails, and so do you.