Drinking to Remember

Day 68: Matthew 14:22-52

“And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, ‘Take; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.'” - Mark 14:22-24 ESV

Before we start, one thing to consider is that Jesus isn't staring down a reality that will happen in a month or even a week. He would be crucified the very next day. This fact makes this upper room scene even more powerful.

Like baptism, taking communion has been misunderstood in a lot of ways. I think this is mainly due to some who make it into a magical or mystical experience, and then you have others who downplay it and thus reserve it for special occasions for fear of making it too routine.

Why can't we have a healthy view of what the Lord's Supper is all about?

Like many things in the New Testament, it is unbelievably simple. It is bread, and it is grape juice. I mean, it sounds like a kid's after-school snack. At the same time, it is mind-splittingly deep. When we take it, we are, by remembrance, transported back to the first time we said yes to Jesus, where his blood was applied to our sin and our shame (which was a response to our faith).

We are forgetful people. If things start to go well, we somehow convince ourselves that it was due to something fantastic we had done. This is why communion is so important. In the valley, on the mountain, and everywhere in between, we need to be reminded of who it was that saved us (Jesus), and we need to proclaim that to our entire church family.

I once heard this quote from songwriter Tim Hughes, and I love it: "The world drinks to forget. We drink to remember."

I pray that passages like this motivate us to pause a little longer when we drink and eat of the Lord's supper. Savor that salvation that Jesus so graciously has given us.