Listen here.
Do
you remember the first time you received the Lord’s Supper? I was in 8th
grade. It was confirmation Sunday. I knelt at the rail at Trinity Lutheran
Church in Manistee, MI with my fellow confirmands – all in white polyester
robes. Those were the days when you didn’t dare extend your hands to receive
the host or to help with the cup … I don’t remember individual cups even being
an option then. I kept my hands folded on the rail as the elder put the wafer
on my tongue, “Take and eat the body of Christ.” And my pastor placed the
common cup on my lips and gently tipped the wine into my mouth saying, “Take
and drink the blood of Christ shed for you.”
That was a holy moment.
It is always a holy moment when we come to the altar to
receive Jesus’ body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. In fact, if you
think about it, this holy moment makes us holy, because our sins are truly
forgiven here.
This is a moment to treasure God’s love as He feeds us
this holy meal – bread and wine connected to and combined with God’s Word so
that it delivers Jesus’ body and blood to us.
And we do. We treasure this gift. That is why we
celebrate if often – almost every Sunday service. We treasure this moment
because it gives us communion – fellowship, unity – with God in Christ. We are
here at His invitation and welcomed for Jesus’ sake.
Much like the original Lord’s Super, Jesus is the host of
this meal. The people distributing it are merely His servants. Without Jesus’
presence, without His Word, without His invitation this is just a ritual for
remembrance – eating bread and sipping cheap wine.
We eat and drink this meal with Jesus in the Kingdom of
God – in His gracious power and kingship in which He gives forgiveness, life
and salvation to sinners like you and me. And we receive that forgiveness, life
and salvation by faith in Jesus.
But there is more going on here than unity with Jesus. In
our highly individualistic culture it is easy to begin to think that this
moment is about me … that its focus is me and Jesus. But when we follow Jesus
we will find that there is very little about “me” in this faith, and very
little of just me and Jesus, because Jesus always draws us into communion and
community with others. He connects us to one another, makes us his body, draws
us into the fellowship of faith, and makes us a holy communion – our unity being
Jesus Himself, His Word, His salvation … and the faith we have in Him.
We do not receive this Sacrament alone. We stand shoulder
to shoulder to receive it. I love it when, every once in a while, the ushers
send a couple too many people up for communion. If you’ve ever been in that
situation maybe you’ve heard me say, “Scooch together like you love one
another.” I love the joy of fellowship as we stand together, trusting …
believing! … that Jesus is feeding us and giving us everlasting life! I love that
we stand here together and confess that Jesus died for our sins – not just mine,
but ours – mine, yours, our children’s, our parents’, and the sins of all the
people we are connected to in Christian love. That includes folks on the other
side of the world who believe in Jesus. It includes people from every tribe,
and nation, and tongue who confess Jesus as their Savior. It even includes the
saints who have gone before us. You see, here, in this moment, eternity pokes
itself into time and God is with us binding us together in His love and mercy.
What does such and experience of God’s love do to us? Do
you suppose it is only for the last few moments of the worship service that we
are supposed to hold on to this love as we sit in the pew, pray, and sing? Or
does this love carry with us as we go out from here?
Of course it carries out with us! You see, while this
holy communion is only for those who believe God’s promise, God’s love is for
all people. And because God’s love is for all people, Jesus’ death is for all
people. But God has set this all up so that the only way that a person can
fully receive His love is through faith in Jesus.
It is in faith that we come forward to eat and drink. It
is faith that receives Jesus love and forgiveness. We have received God’s
forgiveness and love … by … faith.
How should we respond to that love?
Clearly we should love God; thank Him, praise Him, serve
and obey Him. Right? Nothing says, “I love you,” like ingratitude and
disobedience, right parents? Kids? We live lives of repentance in God’s love …
especially because of the love we get from Jesus death on the cross.
However, one of the ways God has given us to love Him is
by loving others … loving our neighbors, doing good to them, blessing our
communities through prayers and actions, and telling them about the love that
moved Jesus to let his body be broken and His blood shed for us all.
Come and receive Jesus’ love. Treasure what He is doing
in your life as he pours forgiveness, life, and salvation into you. Then love
Him … love Him by loving your neighbors – here at church and out in the world.
Share the treasure He give you here so they too may treasure God’s love and
experience communion with Him … forever. Amen.
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