BY BRUNO VERTALLIER

he heat had really been unbearable for the two disciples as they had walked all day up and down through the mountains toward Jerusalem. At twilight they came across a village and asked for hospitality. The night had come, and they were hungry and tired. Inviting them to come in, a servant took off their sandals and poured fresh water on their feet. What a delight! That was the best thing that could have happened to them after a day of walking in the dust. They felt as if their entire body had been made new. No other sensation could have been more appropriate.

No longer tired, they were still very hungry, however. Suddenly the smell of fresh-baked bread touched their nostrils. The two disciples had never dreamed of such a thing at the end of the day. Bread was usually baked early in the morning! More was to come. Juice, the best juice they ever drank.

One cannot forget such an experience, even today. Imagine that after wandering for hours in the dust, under the sun, you come across a waterfall, and it is fresh--so fresh. Then you open your bag, and you have a delicious salad, an Italian pizza, fruits, and juice. What a sensation! No wonder Jesus has chosen for the Lord's Supper to consist of the foot-washing celebration and the bread and the wine to meet the need of His fellow humans as a sign of communion all through the ages.

When we come to church today, many have probably lost the feeling of what it means to walk in the dust, to be thirsty and hungry.

In some parts of the world they still know. Once, while serving in a certain part of the world, I visited a church located in the middle of nowhere. It was the Sabbath for the Communion service. Everything was ready on the table, and I started my sermon. As I came to the point at which I was explaining the meaning of foot washing, I noticed a man crying silently. When the time came to choose a partner for the foot washing, I decided to go to that man and ask him why he was crying.

"Very simple," he said. "When you talked about our sins being washed away just like we would wash our feet and be pure, I thought that it was impossible for me when I looked at my feet covered with such thick dust." He said, "My life is like that." And I looked at his feet. They were red, covered with dust accumulated after walking barefoot for miles from his village to the church.

Suddenly I felt very proud of my Lord, for I thought that if I could wash the feet of that brother, give them the original color, it would mean to me that there would be no sin that God couldn't wash away.

So I started to wash his feet, and the water became so red that the bottom of the vessel disappeared, but his feet had regained the original color. What a lesson! In Jesus Christ the same thing can happen to our sins. So the next time you wash the feet of your brother or sister, remember what Jesus has already done for you. He has cleansed you. He has made you a new creature. This is the beauty of the warmth of fellowship with the Lord and with fellow believers. There is forgiveness for all.

Questions for Sharing 1. What lessons do you find in the fact that Jesus took an ordinary practice in the ancient world (foot washing) and transformed it into a sacred rite in His kingdom? 2. Are you sometimes reluctant to participate fully in the Lord's Supper (and the foot washing that precedes it)? If so, why? If not, how can you share with others what you've found? 3. How can this service become a time of reconciliation for the church?

But there is more to come! You can see it, and you can taste it. Bread is offered today; it is a day of communion, a time of reconciliation for all. If there is a place for fellowship, it is when we eat together, when we share what we have prepared. It is not fun to eat alone. Usually you do it in a few minutes. In my country food is like a religion. A real meal will last at least one hour. It is not a matter of the quantity you eat, but the pleasure to be with the people you like. It is communication. Jesus offers more than communication; He offers communion.

Communion brings power. In Luke 24:30, 31, we find a fantastic incident that proves how much power is given when you eat together with the Lord. Jesus was at table with two disciples. He took the bread. He prayed about the bread. He cut it and shared it with the disciples. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. Do you have your eyes opened? Can you really see who is sitting next to you, in front of you? Do you know your neighbor? Do you know them in a way that will make you more vulnerable? Try it!

But there is another challenge. Do you see Jesus? Are your eyes opened? Have you recognized Him? Do you know Him? Do you love Him? The text says concerning the two disciples, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" (verse 32).* Is your heart burning inside of you like the heart of the disciples? Have you gotten the strength to run out and tell the good news to all your friends? Will you be able to explain from the Scriptures who Jesus is and what kind of communion He wants?

In the same chapter, Luke 24:37-43, we have another story of Jesus eating with His disciples. They seemed to have been terribly puzzled about the presence of this visitor. Jesus said, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts. Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have" (verses 38, 39). Then He said, "Have you anything to eat?" (verse 41). And Jesus "took it and ate" in their presence (verse 43).

It seems that eating together gives confidence. Eating together brings understanding. It is a time to relax, to think differently. The disciples listened to Jesus, and suddenly they understood. The Lord wants us to understand the purpose of all things. Why did He have to suffer? Why did He have to die? It is time to come closer to the Lord, to sit in His presence, to have a solid meal with Him. It is a matter of salvation. I urge you to understand what Jesus is offering you in the Lord's Supper.

Are You Reluctant, Afraid?
You may be scared to approach Jesus, to eat with Him. I can understand your feelings. Maybe you have tried before, and you have been disappointed because nothing happened. Maybe you think that your turn is over, that it will never happen another time. Remember the experience of Peter (John 21:15-19). Again we have Jesus eating with His disciples, and questions are raised. These are not ordinary questions, but questions that address important issues in our lives, questions about important turning points.

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Bruno Vertallier is president of the South France Conference with headquarters in Clapiers, France.