Precaution Room

He had yelled at me when I was trying to fix his table and set up his dinner. He had shaken the table so violently that it nearly fell over. He had complained about everything, despite the fact that I could do nothing to address his issues, except apologize. I got out of the room as soon as I could.

I went back in a few hours later to ask him all those pesky past medical history questions. A slight trickle of annoyed trepidation crept into my heart. I really don’t want to deal with a cranky old man right now.

I wheeled my computer into the room, wearing the requisite yellow gown and gloves needed when a patient has a super-infection.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier,” he said. “I’m not like that. I guess everything just got to me.”

“That’s ok,” I said. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to say?

“This has been a bad year.” He started speaking slower. “My sister has cancer. My friends have all passed away. I’ve been in and out of the hospital all year. I can’t drive anymore or garden or do anything. The wife has Alzheimer’s…” Suddenly, he stopped speaking. He had bowed his head and his lips were pressed together. I could see his eyes shining with tears and he couldn’t speak.

I grasped his hand, rubbing my thumb against his skin. And suddenly my eyes were filled with tears as well. Don’t cry. You’re in a precaution room. You can’t even wipe your eyes. Don’t cry. But I looked at him, struggling to fight back his grief, attempting to deal with his losses, trying to hold on to some measure of dignity, and my tears kept coming.

picture it

The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread
[picture it. Jesus and his friends, his companions, those who would soon forsake Him. sitting at table, enjoying food together. Passover was nearly arrived. Passover to celebrate God and the lamb who saves the people from death.]
and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said,
"This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
[picture it. the body of our Lord, Jesus, the Carpenter, the Son of God, Creator of the Universe, who sustains his murderers’ very lives. broken, sliced, whipped, flayed, mutilated, unrecognizable.]
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance
of me."
[picture it. His wounds, open before your eyes, muscle and bone exposed, joints pulled out of socket. dripping, oozing, seeping, pouring, hemorrhaging.]

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
[the death of God to save you. picture it.]