THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012
1 Corinthians 11:24 “Do this in remembrance of me…”
SCRIPTURE READING: 1 CORINTHIANS 11:23-32
23For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
27Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
REFLECTION:
Jesus said, “Eat…Drink…in remembrance of me.” We gather at the table of the Lord and eat “his body,” and drink “his blood,”
With profound respect we ask, “Why?”
We tend to forget. In the daily living of our lives we forget those who have sacrificed in our behalf. Returning soldiers are grateful for the welcome-home parades but it is not long before their sacrifice seems forgotten and their bravery unappreciated by the nation they have so valiantly defended.
How must the Christ see us? We forget that we have been redeemed with His precious blood. Spurgeon laments, “The incessant round of world, world, world; the constant din of earth, earth, earth, takes away the soul from Christ...We can recollect anything but Christ, and forget nothing so easy as Him whom we ought to remember.”
Christ knew that when we remember His sacrifice, we think, we live, and we are different.
We need form. We need form in our faith to form our faith.
Modern man, actually self-centered, carnal men throughout all ages, rebel against this and every divine mandate. Godly men know they need form—not to earn God’s favor or men’s applause, but to inform, to inspire, and to instill a deeper faith.
Christ says “Do this.” The descendants of Cain say “That’s not required.” Whether it is “Take eat…and drink,” or “baptizing them,” or “forsake not the assembling of yourselves together,” or “on the first day of the week bring your offerings,” or “inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me,” they do only what they want, when they want, to the degree that they want, and then declare themselves super spiritual.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer warned against “Religion-less Christianity.” Emergent “Christians” boast of their “religion-less Christianity.” Bonhoeffer was a martyr who died for the faith. Emergents mock the faith, question and reject its form, and die for nothing. We need form.
We show forth our Lord’s death. Christianity is not only about us. It is first about the Christ who died, who rose, and who is coming again. But it is also about a lost world that needs to see, to receive, and to know our Christ.
In the pagan world of the ancients, the “Love Feast,” drew sharp attacks. Critics charged the Christians with “cannibalism”—they were eating flesh and drinking blood. The enemies of Christ were vexed by their exclusion from the table of the Lord. Yet the Church persisted to “show forth our Lord’s death,” until the day came that the very Lord they rued came to rule over them.
The devil knows that if he can expunge the cross from history he can determine our destiny. Christ says, “do this.” And He meant keep on doing this. In so doing we testify to the one and only Savior who by His blood,
justifies (Romans 5:9),
redeems (Ephesians 1:7),
forgives (Ephesians 1:7),
reconciles (Colossians 1:20),
sanctifies (Hebrews 13:12), and
cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:9).
PRAYER: Our Father in Heaven, Our gratitude is so weak, our praise is so inadequate, our talents are so few, but with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength, we want you to know how thankful we are for the Sacrifice of Christ in our behalf. Grant that we would remember, and never forget, that Christ died for us. We present ourselves to you, a living sacrifice—holy and wholly. “Jesus keep me near the cross,” today and every day. In the name above every other name we pray, In Jesus’ name, Amen. “Our Father, &c.”
No comments:
Post a Comment