A Communal Meal
One last thought about the last supper, and the sacrament of Holy Communion. We read this: "After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, 'Take this and divide it among you.'" (Luke 22:17-18)
Divide it among you! Jesus is emphasising that we are one people. It's right that we share in this moment together with other believers.
One Body, One Bread
It's common in our day to over-individualise the Lord's Supper. We say "this is between you and God, nobody else!"
But I don't know that that is true. I think this is a shared moment, divided among us as a people.
Jesus didn't gather the disciples one by one and give them bread and a cup. He didn't serve Peter by himself, then send him back and call John, and so on. They shared it together.
Heaven's feast won't be you and God in a corner of heaven. It will be all the saints, together in His presence!
I love the way we do Holy Communion at my church. We come forward and receive the elements one by one. But we don’t consume them at the front, we all go back to our seats, and then we consume the elements together as one. This, for me, is a beautiful moment of togetherness! It's a moment of communal strengthening. It's a meal together.
Together at the Table
Paul wrote this to the Corinthians and it might be familiar to you from Communion liturgies: "Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf." (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)
We who are many, are one.
We share in the body and blood together.
Perhaps you have heard the song in the background this week. It's my communion song which I released a short time ago. The first verse goes like this:
Come to the table, all is prepared for you
Here all are welcome, all may be made new
Each tribe, tongue and nation, kneeling together as one
Come to the table, the table of God's Son
If you're going to come to the table, it means kneeling together with Christians of each tribe, tongue and nation. It's not just you and God. It's us, together!
I don't know when next you will enjoy this sacrament at your church. Some churches do this every week, others only once a month or even once a quarter.
But friends, when you do: prepare your hearts for this special moment. Receive the elements and think back to Christ's sacrifice, enjoy His presence in the moment, and look forward to feasting with Him in heaven. Marvel that though we are many, in Christ all of us are one and united as we share in this meal.
It's a sacred thing. A special thing. I pray that you find healing, grace, and Jesus Himself as you go to the table.
Communion is not about ‘me-and-Jesus’. It’s a shared moment in the Christian community.