In Sunday's sermon,
Reverend Ronald Benjamin shared a point I'd like us to reflect on today: We know that in Communion
we remember Christ Jesus, but we often forget the entire phrasing of First
Corinthians 11:23-26. It says: “For I
received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus,
on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he
broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in
remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This
cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it,
in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
The
Lord who instituted communion is the Lord who will one day come back for His
people.
I think the challenge we
have is that, as Scripture asserts, there are many people who believe they
qualify as "His people" (see Matthew 7:21-23)-- but we would do well
to remind ourselves of a few passages in which God shows us what sorts of
people are not qualified to join Him in glory. As we wait for the Lord "until He comes",
let us not approach the process with pride, nor shame, nor confusion, but with
a heart to experience the grace of God.
What happens to people
who, as they wait for the Lord’s coming, fail to remember Jesus?
1. They attempt to
siphon faith from stronger Christians instead of seeking to develop their own
faith-walk with the Lord. We see an example of this in Jesus’s parable of the wise and
foolish virgins. The wise ones carried extra oil (a metaphor for the presence
of God’s Spirit), while the foolish had no reserves. In the face of the lack which was exacerbated by the length of their wait,
the foolish virgins sought to take from the resources of their colleagues. “The
foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going
out.’” (Matthew 25:8) But we are instructed to receive our resources from the
Lord. Jesus says, “I am the vine… apart from me you can do nothing.” (see John15:5)
2. They forget that
the forgiveness of God, extended towards them, models the way in which they are
to forgive others. In the parable of
the unforgiving servant (see Matthew 18:21-35), Jesus tells us that the one who is forgiven is
expected to have compassionate mercy on those who are in need of forgiveness.
The parable ends with the rescinding of mercy, because the man who was forgiven
of massive debt had refused to forgive another man of a very small debt. We must remember what our Lord has said: “But if you
do not forgive others their sins, Your Father will not forgive your sins.”
(Matthew 6:15)
3. They assume that
the Lord’s delayed appearance grants them license to disobey. Jesus shared with His disciples a brief
narrative about an unjust manager. The manager was a man who knew the desires
of the owner, but who opted to do wrong in light of the owner’s extended absence. In the narrative, Jesus said: “But suppose the servant says to
himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to
beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get
drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect
him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and
assign him a place with the unbelievers. The servant who knows the master’s
will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten
with many blows.” (Luke 12:45-47)
Let us remember the Lord's death. Let us remember the Lord's imminent return. Let us watch our wait.
Scripture
references are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright
© 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica,
Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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