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The
Pink Room: Thoughts About Intentional Living
Chapter
15/ Food.
Part
2 (Previous post contain the previous chapters.)
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I was listening to the radio on my
way home the a while ago and the most interesting (probably only to me) Jewish-now-Christian-lady
was speaking. She was obviously a New Jersey native. Communion was the topic.
She was talking about the mystery of
communion and how it was a tripping point for her to find faith. The story
wound in and out of the Old and New Testaments, then into the Catholic Church
and around to an Evangelical one and then to the Jewish upbringing. I wish
everyone had insights and connections like this woman. What she had to say was
fascinating.
Ideas like: the people were always
being pursued and taken care of--this is the heart of the message of communion.
There were provisions for them to be made presentable before God at every stage;
Communion is always about the people.
Communion is a mystical
thing—Catholics say it is a Divine Mystery. There are many things about it that
only make sense with some study, and then sometimes, only with prayer.
In the Old Testament the one giving
a sacrifice would lay their hand on the head of a flawless lamb to transfer
their sin onto the animal. The animal was to be killed; its blood spilled, the
blood would cover everything and it would have been on the one giving the
sacrifice. After the sacrificial lamb was killed, it would be burnt, or cooked,
and then the animal would have needed to be fully consumed--nothing left. Then
the sacrifice was complete.
In the same way, Jesus was the
sacrificial lamb. He told us so in the Gospels. His blood spilled out. Pilate
said he was blameless and his blood was on those insisting he be killed. Jesus
said he was to be consumed at the Last Supper. And like those at the Passover,
where the spirit of death passed by the blood covered doorposts of the Jews—they
were spared death, under the covering of blood; just like that Jesus' blood was
to cover us and spare us death as well.
In the Old Testament, Manna in the desert
was a provision to the people, holy bread from heaven provided to sustain the
people and care for their needs--bread that gave and sustained life. It was to
be fully consumed too—and never to be saved for later. Never more than what
they needed. In the same way, Jesus was the bread of life and the bread from
heaven. He was broken and His life was given for the eternal lives of many.
At the last supper, Jesus he said
he'd be broken and his blood would be spilled. Jesus tied two covenant promises
of sustaining a nation and forgiving sins together with his words at the Last Supper.
He said "this is my body...my blood" so in whatever capacity you can
receive that, receive it.
If you take part in communion these
are the things to reflect on: There is a promise that he will sustain you, there
is a promise He is in you, there is a promise He will always forgive you. There
is an implication He is the God as man and a perfect sacrifice like a spotless
lamb, there is an implication you are receiving ALL these promises. There is a
mystery of one-ness that is significant. There is a need to consume the
sacrifice that ties all of history together—and redeems for all time the need
for continually sacrifices to be presentable to God.
When you receive Communion you are
the Bride of Christ, the Church--you are wanted, pursued, perfected. And He is
the perfect lover of your soul.
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I can just barely wrap my mind
around it how huge communion is. Jesus wanted people to eat together for a
reason; it is where community happens, where family is built and where we share
life. He knew what He was doing and it is amazing and beautiful.
