Where is Your “Upper Room”

Hello Friends,

Welcome to the Easter or Lenten Season! And welcome to a new month! During the Lenten Season–which lasts for 40 days–we spend time with Jesus as he performs miracles, healings, walks from town to town, and does unexpected, unlikely, and new things. But also during the Lenten Season, we find Jesus eating a meal with and washing the feet of his disciples in an upper room, we find Jesus praying in a garden, we hear that Jesus is put on trial, and then we find Jesus carrying a cross, wearing a crown of thorns, and being mocked by many people. Finally, we see Jesus walk out of the tomb!

The Lenten Season is filled with objects and events that change our life. And that is what we are called to experience during these 40 Days. We are meant to allow Jesus to change us: to forgive us of our sins, to offer us love, and to know that what he went through he did for all of us so that we can have a new life. The Lenten Season is truly a wonderful season.

To help us understand the importance of the Lenten Season, I want us to go on a journey; a journey of exploring some of the objects we find in the story of Jesus. In his story, one will encounter palm branches, cloaks, a donkey, an upper room, a sacred meal, foot washing, a basin of water, the garden of Gethsemane, instruments used for torture, a crown of thorns, a robe, the cross, nails, spears, sponges, a torn veil, anointment used for burial purposes, the folded cloth, the rolled away stone, and a tomb hewed out of stone. Every one of these objects has a meaning and purpose. So, today we begin with the “upper room.”

Based on biblical descriptions and historical context, the “upper room” in Jerusalem, where Jesus held the Last Supper and washed the feet of his disciples and where the disciples gathered at Pentecost, was not a purpose-built temple structure with blueprints, but likely a large, furnished upstairs room of a private home or a communal building in the city. It was a space used for social gatherings: sort of like a community building or a large gym. The upper room was often located on the second floor, used to escape noise, improve ventilation, sometimes where guests stayed, and where women in the household resided. The Gospels describe it as a “large” (Mark 14:15), “furnished” (Luke 22:12), and “ready” (Mark 14:15) space.

There was a lot that took place in that upper room.

But as I think about the upper room, I’m beginning to see the upper room as an object that invites us to consider those places and spaces that draw us closer to Christ. Jesus could have chosen anywhere to gather with his disciples. He had met with his disciples on a boat, on the shores of Galilee, at the tombs, on the streets, in houses of Pharisees and sinners, at the temple, in villages that rejected him, at their own places of residence, on mountains, around campfires, and even in gardens. I bet if there was a Waffle House or McDonald’s back during Jesus’ time, he would have met with them there.

Jesus could have chosen anywhere to meet with his disciples, but he chose the upper room. Why? Because the upper room was a place known for being private and secure. Jesus chose the upper room so that he could enjoy the presence of his disciples away from the distractions of the world much like we need to do in our life at times.

Growing up, when I needed to be alone or needed a quiet place, I sometimes went to my bedroom but other times I would travel to the creek near my house. There was a little landing that was overshadowed by a high bank. I would make my way down to the landing which was shaded by trees and sit for several hours thinking about things or imagining what it would be like to build a small hut there. It was peaceful and quiet.

Do you have a place like that in your life? Is there somewhere you go to experience peace, quietness, and to simply be alone? Is there a place you go to escape the distractions of the world? Maybe for some of you church is that space. Maybe you find peace and quietness when you are in the car taking a ride through the country, or in the tractor working in the fields, or spending time with friends and family, or tinkering with a project in the barn, garage, or shed, or reading a book, or coloring, or doing a puzzle, or working with animals, or just being outside. Where is your “upper room”? Where do you feel at peace? Where do you allow yourself to experience the presence of Jesus Christ?

During the Lenten Season, make it a point to locate your “upper room”!

Let Us Pray: Dear Jesus, help us to find a place where we can be alone, where we can find peace, and where we can focus on you and feel your presence. In your name we pray, Amen.

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!