"Take and eat," Jesus says to his friends. "This is my body." And he continues: "Take and drink - this is my blood." If it's true that we are what we eat, consider the implications of this first Last Supper! To consume the body of Jesus as nutrition for our faith. To have the blood of Jesus coursing through our veins. May it be true, for this night at least, that we are what we eat!

It may be a fable by Aesop; maybe not. The story about a tiger cub, orphaned in the jungle, who is adopted by a herd of goats. The tiger cub learns from the goats, follows their ways. The cub eats their food and generally begins to think of himself as a goat. No one ever tells him differently.

Then one day a mature tiger happens along, and as the goats scatter in fear, the young cub is left alone to confront him. He was afraid. The mature tiger questions the cub, "What are you doing? Masquerading as, of all things, a goat." But all the cub can do is bleat nervously and continue to nibble on the grass. So the tiger carries him to a pool and forces him to look at their two reflections, side by side, and then draw his own conclusions. This also fails.

Finally, the tiger offers the cub his first taste of meat. The young tiger cringes at the unfamiliar taste of it, but then he begins to eat more and more and begins to feel it warming his blood and the truth gradually becomes clear to him. Lashing his tail and digging his claws into the ground, the tiger cub raises his head high, and the jungle trembles at the sound of his voice! He is tiger, hear him roar!

It is mealtime in an upper room. Jesus makes a final attempt to impress upon his disciples that they are tigers - filled with the power of God. "Here eat this bread - it is my body. Drink this wine - it is my blood." The disciples are created in the image of God - the scriptures proclaim it. But if they ever realized the fact, they had by now forgotten. Sometimes they act godly ... more often they act less godly and more goatly! I'm not judging them. I am their brother.

Early in the meal, Jesus shatters the pensive silence, "One of you will betray me." He says this with sadness in his voice and a heaviness in his heart. With bread and wine he offers Judas one last chance to be the child of God he is created to be. He graciously offers Judas the opportunity to roar with the image of God inside, rather than bleat nervously as he nibbles at the meal. Judas looks into the wine goblet and does not see the reflection of God staring back. And before either the words or the meal are digested, Judas leaves the room to betray his host.

Early in the meal, Jesus shatters the pensive silence, "Simon Peter, you will deny me." In telling this to Simon Peter, Jesus offers one last chance to be the child of God he is created to be. To roar with the image of God inside, rather than bleat nervously as he nibbles at supper. Peter looks into the wine goblet and does not see the reflection of God staring back. He travels with Jesus to Gethsemene, even as he goes from dinner to denial. "I don't know the man," he says. And he says. And he says. What tragedy. Even after receiving Jesus himself in bread and wine ... Judas and Peter do not recognize themselves as anything other than goats.

We know, don't we, what happens to Judas and Peter. Judas cannot forgive himself, and doesn't stick around long enough for Jesus to do the job. Who knew? And Peter? Well, Peter lives to regret his denial. He lives to repent his denial. He lives to let the bread and the wine, the body and the blood of Jesus, to nourish his faith and to course through his veins! Peter is transformed from goat to greatness as he finally recognizes the image of God within himself. An old Gospel hymn proclaims, "there is power in the blood." It's a beautiful hymn, and a favorite of our Tres Dias community, "There is power, power, wonder working power, in the precious blood of the Lamb." And so there is.

Certainly, that last dinner together makes a lasting impression on the disciples. From Easter onward, whenever the disciples get together to read the scriptures and to worship - they break bread and sip wine, because their Lord said to do it to remember him. They do it because the bread and wine is the essence of God.

Roman Catholics have long disagreed with Protestants about the extent of the Presence of Jesus in the bread and the wine. And Protestants have long disagreed with other Protestants. But there is agreement at this point: there is something powerful going on when we kneel at the Lord's Table. There is power in the blood! We who like goats have gone astray - kneel at the rail to get our bearings. We who struggle as to who we are, get food that reminds us of our true identity. And Jesus, who shared the Last Supper - even with a betrayer and a denier - opens the table to the likes of you and me! We must always remember, it is not our supper - it is the Lord's Supper.

There are many reasons why this is a special night - including the fact that royalty shall be dining with us this evening. A queen, or at least that's what the name Regina means. This is wonderful imagery, almost like something out of Aesop. The idea of a queen kneeling at the altar rail, kneeling to receive the King of Kings. The menu is à la carte: our Lord in bread and wine! The essence of God.

So roar boldly, Christians, you are tigers in the image of God! Take and eat, children of God. "There is power, power, wonder working power, in the precious blood of the Lamb."