When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the
Mount of Olives. (Matthew 26:30)

The scripture above describes events at the conclusion of the Last Supper, where the Lord offered his disciples bread and wine representing his body and blood, or what is the same, his love and wisdom. In receiving these— his love and wisdom— we are nourished in our spirits and led into close communion with our Lord. But how is the Lord’s Supper connected with singing a hymn and then going to the Mount of Olives? Since we know that all scripture is given for our instruction, let us look more closely.

As we’ve written here before, the singing of hymns is a common and accepted part of our weekly worship experience. The poetry of hymns may derive from scripture or reflect deeply felt religious thought. The verses most often rhyme and contain a variety of standard meters. The music strives to lift meaning from the text and bring a greater sense of emotional content to what is said. But the most beautiful hymn, though deeply meaningful for each individual, can be brought into a higher realm of spiritual uplift when sung with others in a collective testimony to the love and truth we receive from God and share with each other in this way. So, when we consider the fact that the singing of a hymn follows directly after the reception of the Lord’s body and blood, his goodness and truth, we may see in this that the Lord feeds us so that we, once nourished, will share good actions and truthful words in harmony with those around us, not only in our church family during worship but also in our connections with others in the world.

Since singing hymns in our worship represents the most frequent opportunity for congregants to participate collectively, in this way it provides fellowship – the outward expression of love to the neighbor – to each of us on a regular basis, even when the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is not  celebrated. Given this perspective, we are encouraged to engage  wholeheartedly and with full voice, sharing our common love for God and each other in this tangible and audible way.

But the scripture goes on to say that the disciples and the Lord “went out to the Mount of Olives.” Now, why would going to the mountain be so closely related to receiving the Lord’s Supper, singing a hymn, and increasing the fellowship within that small group? Mountains in the Word signify what is highest or of the greatest spiritual quality. The mountain of transfiguration comes to mind, on which the Lord was seen in his brilliance accompanied by Moses and Elijah; Mount Carmel, where Elijah called down fire from heaven to consume his offering; Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments from Jehovah, etc. So, we can conclude that going to the Mount of Olives represented a high place, a pinnacle, if you will, in the hearts and minds of the disciples, giving them a sense of the greatness of the Lord but also a high state of closeness with each other before they experienced the coming tragedy of the Lord’s trial and crucifixion and the victory of his resurrection.

We, too, can stand on the heights of God’s love and truth as we study his Word, share in the bread and cup, sing inspired hymns together, and through these be raised to the heights of spiritual blessing. We can then go forth on our way, to experience life in whatever forms it may be presented, knowing that the power of Almighty God will nourish, guide and sustain us through it all. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)

Donald E. Dillard