Luke 22:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Passover was observed while standing: yet how is it that the Lord is described as lying down? It is said that after partaking in the legitimate Passover meal, they reclined afterwards, as was their tradition, to enjoy other foods. Mysteriously, as the upper room is made ready, Jesus enters with His disciples to bestow the holy sacraments, approaching us Himself and revealing His divine power within us, rather than awaiting our arrival to Him. The followers of the Word are all embodiments of reflections on created things. When the Word actively works within us, we will come to understand the fellowship of the Passover and become increasingly fulfilled with reflections on creation, in accordance with the scripture, ‘I look upon the heavens - the work of Thy fingers’ (Ps. 8:4).

After the disciples had made preparations for the Passover, Christ shared the meal with them. He displayed great patience towards the betrayer, demonstrating His boundless love by inviting him to the table, even though he was already a traitor, as Satan had taken residence within him.

To the Passover As the Israelites, when desiring to journey to Jerusalem, underwent purification in the wilderness and were called to abandon the customs of Egypt, so it is required during this sacred season of the holy Quadragesima that we prioritize our own sanctification. Through this preparation and the observance of fasting, we may ascend with the Lord into the heavenly abode, share in the Supper with Him, and experience the joy of heaven. It is essential to understand that without following this forty-day period of fasting, it is impossible to arrive at Jerusalem and partake in the Passover feast.

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In the evening, Jesus arrived with His disciples. (Mk. 14:17) Both Evangelist Mark and Evangelist Matthew (Mt. 26:20) refer to this time as evening. St. Luke notes that it was when the hour had come for the sacred meal. What does this signify? It marked the final preparations for the observance of the Passover, which involved arranging all the necessary elements of the Paschal Supper. Among the Hebrews, these preparations typically began between 6 and 9 o'clock in the afternoon, corresponding to our time of 1 to 3 o'clock. The Passover Supper would commence no later than the onset of the 6th hour. Therefore, the Savior arrived at the upper room for the Passover towards the end of the 5th hour, with the meal starting by the beginning of the 6th hour.

While the other apostles were unaware of the unfolding events, the Lord was fully aware and patiently awaited the appointed time. He anticipated departing from His disciples prior to the upcoming feast, thus He sought to imbue His final meal with them with profound meaning, aligning it with the Jewish Passover meal, or more aptly, with the Christian New Covenant meal that supersedes the Old Covenant. On the thirteenth of Nisan, He was likely in Bethany, dedicating His last moments to His disciples. However, that morning, He dispatched Peter and John to Jerusalem to inform the owner of the residence where the Lord planned to celebrate this Last Supper about His desire to arrange for the necessary preparations for the Passover.

In this passage, the Hebrew text refers to the initial cup that marks the beginning of the Passover celebration. Christ conveys His profound longing to share this particular Passover meal with His disciples, as it represents the final Passover of the Old Covenant that He will partake in with them. Shortly thereafter, the significance of this meal will come to fruition, ushering in the revelation of God's kingdom, the kingdom of the Messiah. In this kingdom, believers will enjoy fellowship with their Lord by receiving the essence of this archetype—through the participation in the body and blood of Christ.

As evening approached, Jesus arrived in Jerusalem accompanied by the twelve apostles. They went to the designated room, and at the appropriate moment, He reclined at the table with them but soon stood up again. Following the Eastern tradition, it was customary for the household servants to wash the guests' dusty feet upon their arrival. However, in this instance, when Jesus and the apostles entered the house where the Passover meal awaited them, their feet were not washed. This likely occurred because they were not considered the household's guests, as they had only been granted permission to use one of the rooms.

When Christ and His disciples arrived at the house, the meal was prepared, the table was set, and the customary triclinium with reclining arrangements was in place. The practice of standing while eating the Passover had long been set aside. Reclining was seen as both the most suitable and comfortable posture, particularly as it symbolized the status of free individuals. Each guest reclined fully, resting on their left arm to keep their right arm free. The beloved disciple reclined to the right of Jesus Christ, allowing his head to rest on the chest of his Master at all times. In Eastern homes, the central area of the floor is typically adorned with carpets or mats, and upon entering, everyone removes their sandals to avoid soiling the clean mats with dirt from the street.

In Luke's narrative of the Last Supper, the establishment of the Eucharist, and the reference to the betrayer, he significantly enriches the accounts given by the first two Gospel writers, and he arranges the sequence of events differently. Specifically, Luke mentions the betrayal after the institution of the Eucharist, in contrast to Matthew and Mark, who describe it beforehand. It seems more chronologically accurate, as evidenced by a careful examination of the Gospels, to conclude that Judas was not present during the establishment of the Eucharist and did not partake in it. This was likely because he had withdrawn after the Savior condemned his intentions, indicating that this condemnation occurred before the sacrament was instituted. St.