The Owner of the house – Luke 22:7-13
Go prepare the Passover meal.
“Why?”
So we can eat it, Peter.
“Oh. That makes sense. Where?”
Enter the city. A man carrying the jug of water will meet you.
“How will he know us?”
Seriously, Peter? John, this is why you are the disciple I love. Follow the man with the water jug into the house and speak to the owner. He’ll give us the penthouse for the meal.
“If you say so.”
If I wasn’t the prince of peace, I’d consider disciple-slapping you.
So that part isn’t in there and 100% of scholars that I consulted on the issue agree that it isn’t in there.
Peter and John obediently go into the city and everything that Jesus said happens. The man with the water finds them and leads them to a home. They speak with the owner and it all goes down exactly the way Jesus said.
Almost forgotten in this part of the story is the owner of the home. During Passover, Jerusalem was completely full of pilgrims and visitors. So it was not uncommon for people to rent out space to those who wished to partake of the Passover meal. We don’t get the idea that this is a random rental, though. Jesus gives specific instructions.
He “will meet you”. The man with the water jugs was expecting them. It isn’t by chance. He “will meet you”. It’s a busy city, full of people, before the age of running water. Carrying water from A to B was part of life. Everybody did it. But there’s this one guy, this specific person that will meet them.
Further, Jesus instructs the disciples to introduce him as simply “the teacher”. That is all the information that is needed. He’s not “the King” who rode in on a donkey. He’s not Jesus Bar-Joseph. He is “the teacher.” The teacher. Not a teacher. That was enough information for the owner. He was known.
Peter and John do what they’re told. They reference the teacher and the Passover and the owner takes them upstairs to a room that is already prepared.
Perhaps it was prepared because he knew someone would come and rent the room. Perhaps he knew that Jesus was coming. Or maybe he just left everything out from his Superbowl party.
The point is that the room was ready for whatever would happen. The owner was ready for anybody and his guests turned out to be “the teacher and [his] disciples”.
It wasn’t only the upper room that was prepared and open and available, either. Peter and John went to “prepare the meal”. They were in the kitchen and the pantry.
The entire house was prepared. The entire house was available. Ready for the teacher and his disciples. Ready for this intimate encounter between Christ and follower. Ready for the Last Supper, ready for the washing of the feet, ready for leader to become servant.
How’s your “house” this Easter. Not just the building and the rooms in it. I mean the place where the teacher comes in. How’s your mind? Your heart? The places in between?
Prepare the rooms. Be available. Expect an encounter.