A popular form of education in the lower grades, for many years, has been the procedure called "Show and Tell." It has invaded some pulpits as well and preachers will do object-centered sermons; they hold or employ some particular item easily seen and understood by the congregation in order to gain attention and, hopefully, make a point that will be remembered.

It was something of that nature Jesus was doing on the night of the Last Supper, as it is recorded for us by the evangelist John. In some ways, it comes as a surprise to us just as much as it did to those early disciples. We may even find ourselves as scandalized by it as was Peter.

We are, of course, expecting what we get in the other Gospels, the tradition of Jesus taking bread and wine and sharing them with the others in rememb…