As I was working today I had on the TV as I often do. I was listening to a program on the Holy Grail. As “In Search Of” type shows go the Holy Grail is not one of the topics that I find very interesting. The cup from the last supper wasn’t even thought about until 1000 years after it was supposedly used so the “history” of it is relatively new. There is no real history there except the history of people getting interested in the Holy Grail. Then a funny thing happened. As I was listening to the TV they said the passage from the bible that mentions the cup.
King James Version Luke 22:21: “In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
The handy old internet found me that quote because my ability to quote the Bible is limited. You gotta dig the internet.
That quote is part of the Catholic mass so I heard it every week for the first eighteen years of my life but hearing it in the context of this Holy Grail show put a new thought into my head. The thought was, “Man, those Holy Grail seekers are crazy”.
I know faith can do funny things to people and has a dark side that is rarely mentioned i.e a lot of people throughout history have been willing to lie, cheat, steal and kill in order to “prove” their faith to themselves and others but I perceived a different type of craziness.
The last supper scene in the Bible is really the ultimate scene. The “new covenant” that Jesus mentions is the whole point of the New Testament. The crucifixion is great theatre and the part that gets all the play but it was really just the price to be paid for the new covenant. Without the new covenant the crucifixion is pointless. The old deal of “No one gets into heaven because Adam and Eve screwed everything up” was over and the new deal of “Follow my lead and you can get into heaven” was born. That is the overall message of Jesus which he delivers at the last supper and what do some people want? The cup.
Why not the chair Jesus sat on? Or his plate? Or his napkin? I’m sure Jesus didn’t just use his sleeve; so find me that napkin! Is it because a cup was actually mentioned that it caught people’s attention? Somebody tell them that the cup is a metaphor. It is no more important than Jesus’s spoon.
I just don’t get it. Jesus gets up and delivers the ultimate speech of his career letting everybody in on the point of his story and all some people can say is, “Ain’t that a nice piece of silver he’s holding”. Or maybe they are just out to prove their faith. At least they’re not killing anyone to do it.
Do you think he sat there and thought to himself:
“I can’t believe these suckers are buying this crap. Here I come up with this great religious scam centered around ME just so I can nail some chicks and these rubes believe it!! Life is tooooo easy… Oh well, in a few weeks, they’ll forget about it and move on to the next goofball, religious nut, but in the meantime: PAHRTAY!! Hmmmm…. Maybe I can talk the Romans out of crucifying me. Maybe one of these suckers can take my place… Hey Judas, get over here! I need to talk to you…”
Ah, religion. Is there anything it can’t do?