1 Corinthians 11:27-32
Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of "remembrance" you want to be part of? Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe.
If you give no thought (or worse, don't care) about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you're running the risk of serious consequences. That's why so many of you even now are listless and sick, and others have gone to an early grave. If we get this straight now, we won't have to be straightened out later on. Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
From the time we are very small, we know about Holy Communion. We may not participate directly, but we most likely see our parents “take communion” at church services… or we may have even seen this ritual portrayed in movies or on television. While very young children probably do not have the capacity to understand the true meaning of Holy Communion, emphasizing that this is a reverent and important gesture is certainly appropriate.
Sadly, many of us come to adulthood with a sense that Holy Communion is a ritual… and little more. We understand the symbolism of eating the bread and drinking the cup… but we don’t truly grasp the full meaning represented in this sacrament. I’m afraid this is true of many of the ways we represent Jesus in our everyday life. We have gotten pretty good at going through the motions of our faith, while giving little thought to their impact or importance.
I will admit that I was well into my thirties before I truly grasped the significance of Holy Communion. This sacrament is a vital component of the Emmaus Walk and is celebrated each day participants are in attendance. At the Emmaus Walk, I fully realized that eating the bread not only represents the body of Christ… it also represents our sins – surrendered to Him. The cup represents the blood of Jesus washing us clean, covering those sins, and creating in us a new life. The first time you participate in Holy Communion with this in mind can be a truly humbling and moving experience. And I will tell you, I have never thought of Communion the same since. It is an honor and a privilege to participate in this ceremony… and to renew my commitment and covenant with Jesus in the process.
At the same time, we need to all examine other actions and rituals in which we participate with regard to our faith. Remember, Jesus has told us that what we have done to the least… we have done to Him. So how we treat others… how we react to them… how we think and act in everything from participating in all aspects of a worship service to smiling at someone in Wal-Mart… matters! The next time you tell someone you will pray for them… follow through and remember them to God. When you start to make fun of someone or belittle them – whether to another person or directly – consider that this person belongs to Jesus just as you do. Remember that to belittle another is to belittle Jesus. When you can’t decide whether to pay your bills and honor the commitment you made when you placed charges on your credit card or rented the apartment and hooked up the utilities… or whether to blow your paycheck on dinner out with friends, a new outfit, the latest video game or a weekend at the casino… consider the commitment Jesus made to you. What if He blew you off? What if Jesus said, “I’ll let somebody else worry about that,” or “Today, I’m going to do what *I* want to do… I’ll think about the rest later.” Do you see that in failing to honor your worldly commitments, you fail to honor your commitment to Jesus?
In everything we do, we need to be humble, deliberate, and mindful of Jesus. There will be times when we still miss the mark. Believe me…I have plenty! But I am more aware these days of how important it is to strive to live honorably in Christ. Every choice I make has consequences – in this life and for eternity. When I eat the bread and take the cup, I am saying to Jesus, “Here I am LORD… take my sin and wash me clean. Set me upright for another day.” But I want to do more. I want to back this up with my day-to-day living.
I encourage you to look for ways each day to remember Jesus… and to ask Him to remember you. You don’t have to literally eat bread and drink wine to have a “Holy Communion” experience with Jesus each and every day. Always keep Christ at the forefront. Come before Him with a spirit of humility – and thanksgiving - and He will remember you in all things.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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