Mark 14:12
With
the holidays just around the corner, there are so many preparations to be made.
Decorations have to be put up. Food has to be purchased and prepared. Music has
to be selected. We have to get in the mood. Everyone has to be invited and
confirmed. Rooms have to be readied. Reservations have to be made. Attics have
to be searched and lost decorations retrieved.
When
couples find out they are going to have a child, preparations must happen. The
room has to be readied. When you get accepted into the college of your choice,
you have to prepare. Going into the military, prepare. Vacation. Prepare.
School. Lunch boxes, lunch money, homework, books, backpack, shoes, teeth, out
the door. All of life is about preparation.
So
it isn’t surprising that Jesus and His disciples must prepare for the Passover
Feast. The room has to be readied. The food has to be gathered. Everyone must
know the place. This takes time and effort. There is no magic wand here. Jesus
doesn’t do a miracle to get things ready. Instead, the disciples are
anticipating doing it themselves.
I
like it when people think ahead. Planners can be our friends. I want someone
who knows how to plan building the bridge I am going to cross in my car. I want
the surgeon to have prepared. I want the amusement ride operator to have gone
through their daily maintenance checks of the equipment before I step onto the
ride. Preparation is a good thing.
Notice
something very subtle in the text. The disciples want to know where they are to
go and get things ready so that Jesus can eat the Passover. Mark says ‘us’ and ‘you’
in the text. They haven’t even included themselves in the meal. They are
concerned about where He is going to eat and the preparations for His meal.
This is one of the rare times when the disciples don’t seem to be caught up in
their own stuff. They are actually thinking about someone else for a change.
As
the season for celebration and remembering gets closer, and the many
preparations take place, make sure you don’t forget the reason for the
celebration. Don’t get so caught up in the turkey that you miss the
thanksgiving. Don’t get stuck in the tape and ribbon that you miss the birth.
And
don’t miss the even bigger picture. Heaven is approaching. What are you doing
to prepare? Are you keeping a clean slate with the LORD?