The Lord’s meal or ours?
From the Lord I received the teaching that I passed on to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took the bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in memory of me.’ In the same way, he took the cup after the supper and said, ‘This cup is God’s new covenant, sealed with my blood. Whenever you drink it, do it in memory of me’. (verses 23-25)
We would never dream of reshaping to suit ourselves a meal provided by our host. Rather, we show our appreciation for the provisions already in place. Good manners also oblige us to pay attention when the host explains the meal’s significance.
When the Corinthian Christians celebrated the Lord’s Supper, they showed scant respect for their host, the Lord himself. Paul complains, ‘Each one goes ahead with their own meal, so that some are hungry while others get drunk’
(1 Corinthians 11:21). They brought their own food and wine for a supper before Holy Communion, paying more attention to this supper than to the holy meal itself. They failed to consider the greatness of what the Lord had set before them.
Paul insists: ‘This is “the Lord’s Supper”‘ . The Lord explains its significance: ‘This [bread] is my body … this [wine] is my blood’. We are not free to shape this meal and explain it as we will. It’s his supper, his gift to us, his body and blood given and shed for you!
Lord Jesus, help me to treasure your special supper and to receive it often so that I may have the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. Amen.
by Greg Lockwood, in ‘Time Out a word from God’ (LCA, Openbook, 2008)
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