The scene is still the upper room where Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples (Luke 22:24-30
). The blessings of hindsight deepen the offensiveness of what we see: the disciples bickered with a spirit of contentious rivalry, vying for position in the Kingdom. Ironically, they had missed the example of their Leader who presented them with the ultimate symbols of humility: the bread and the cup. Jesus did not chide them but called them away from the world’s values. Instead, he called them to embrace servant-leadership. This is the path for citizens of his future kingdom.
