Standing at my sink I listen to the teaching from Passion
Listening to the teaching from January, now in March a week away from Easter it seems appropriate
that she teaches on the passover;
She teaches about the cups and the hymn and I listen
The first cup is poured and taken
The cup that represents "I will bring you out"
The second cup is filled
The cup that represents "I will deliver you from slavery"
and the antiphony begins;
and the phrase dyenu- literally "It would have been enough" is repeated again and again.
how many favors has God bestowed on us?
Had he brought us out of Egypt but not executed judgment against our enemies
Dyenu- It would have been enough
Had he given us their possessions but not divided the sea for us
It would have been enough
Had he divided the sea for us but not brought us through it on dry land
It would have been enough
Had he sustained us in the wilderness for 40 years but not fed us manna
It would have been enough
Had he fed us with manna but not given us the Sabbath
Dyenu
Had he given us the sabbath but not brought us to Mt. Siana
Dyenu
Had he brought us to Mount Siana but not given us the Torah
Dyenu
Had he given us the Torah but not brought us into the land of Israel
It would have been enough
Had he brought us into the land of Israel but not built us the temple
It would have been enough
And the host of the table concludes by saying
But how much more so multiplied over are the favors our God has bestowed upon us
The antiphony is beautiful, and for a time it was enough.
But the more, that is what really is enough.
Had he only given sight to the blind
It would not have been enough
Had he only healed the broken
It would not have been enough
Had he only called out demons from the oppressed and depressed
It would not have been enough
Had Jesus only been born of a virgin but not lived according to the law
It would not have been enough
Had Jesus only lived according to the law but not fulfilled the prophesies
It would not have been enough
Had Jesus only fulfilled the prophesies but not drank the wrath of God
It would not have been enough
Had Jesus only taken the wrath of God but not risen
It would not have been enough
And nobody knew but Jesus that with out his blood it was not enough
Jesus knew that crimson red had been flowing inside of him because with out it's flow and overflow
the passover would not have been enough
That night stars were brought out and families came to feast loaded tables to take 4 cups representing
Cup 1- I will bring you out
Cup 2- I will deliver you from slavery
Cup 3- I will redeem you
Cup 4- I will take you as my people
but Jesus knew that if he was not willing to drink the wrap that we pressed like grapes into
wine beneath our own feet
drinking the liquid filled cup continually it would not be enough
Matthew 26:30 it tells us they sang a hymn and tradition tells us they sang Psalm 118
As his voice cut the night air think of the relational ties that were about to be severed
"Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free."
And remember the prayer that is about to spill from his very skin, as he sings
"The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me...."
And the hymn concludes after many stanzas
"You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you."
And as he hold the third cup
The cup that says to all who partake "I will redeem you"
The cup that reminds him of the wrath he must drink for our redemption
he sings
"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever."
And I sit and I think;
It is enough.
And because of this truth my heart can now sing
"Oh give thanks to the self-self sustaining, self determining one (Why?) because he is good (and has put his goodness on me) his steadfast love (his love with no exit-strategy) it goes on and goes on and goes on and goes on and goes on and never stops going on."
And this I remember
And it is enough.
