Reflecting on Mark's Gospel - Mark 14:12-21

Jesus and his disciples prepare to eat the Passover meal together. Overall, the question as to whether this ‘last supper’ was a Passover meal, or not, is not entirely clear. There is certainly a wish by some of the writers to portray it as such, and Mark is one of these. As Joseph O’Hanlon (Mark My Words) points out, Mark is – “concerned to link the Last Supper with the Passover meal and he plainly says that the last meal Jesus had with the twelve was the festival meal.” If it was, that is theologically helpful in linking Jesus, as the Lamb of God, an identification which one of the other gospel writers puts right at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as part of an announcement by John the Baptist (John 1:29), with the lamb of the Passover meal.

However, what happened as this meal progressed is what matters and whether it was an actual Passover meal is far less critical. In any event, an unnamed pair are sent ahead to make the preparations. It would seem that some kind of arrangement has been made, though the means of identifying it are rather random. It all seems fine other than the fact that a seemingly chance encounter with a particular individual is to be the means of identifying the location. Certainly, water jars would more normally be carried by women, so the man would readily be noticed. The question is around how it could be assumed that he would be there at the right moment.

However, it does all happen as has been explained and, in the evening, the rest of the group arrive with Jesus for the meal.

We can imagine the group sharing food and conversation. For once they are eating on their own without others present, not even a host. We can imagine there is a degree of tension. It is just a few days since the hosannas of (what we know as) Palm Sunday, but also since the disruption that Jesus had caused in the temple courtyards amongst the moneychangers and animal sacrifice sellers. The disciples clearly did not know what was about to happen, but there must have been a sense of foreboding.

Jesus then intensifies any such mood by talking about betrayal. Eleven of them could not believe that this was possible. Surely not. But one knows differently. The relationship is about to be deepened with a symbolic sharing of bread and wine but, for the moment, the point is simply made that the sharing of the meal is not a guarantee of commitment and loyalty. As O’Hanlon comments, the fact that the naming of what Judas is going to do – “takes place in the context of a meal and on a festive occasion adds to its squalid treachery.”