Matthew 26: 26-30
Jesus is very near the end of his life. He has given the greatest commandment
to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
all your mind. And, he says, you
shall love your neighbor as yourself.[i] Then he goes on to talk about
judgment of the nations with a parable about feeding and clothing others. “Truly I tell you,” he says, “just as
you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did
it to me”.[ii] He is preparing his disciples for
their future and for what yet was ahead for him.
Then there was this plot that Jesus himself knew about but
still continued on his way as if nothing else in this world mattered. One of his disciples, Judas Iscariot
agrees for only 30 pieces of silver to expose Jesus, his beloved Lord, to the
chief priests so that they could detain him. But first a meal.
A Passover meal as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew,
And while they were eating,
Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after
blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this
is my body.”
Then he
took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it,
all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell
you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I
drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of
Olives.
These are such powerful words, these words of institution of
the Lord’s Supper. I know that I
am deeply comforted each time that I say them, or hear them before taking part
in this banquet that Jesus has prepared for us. For me they are a sweet lullaby that soothes my soul and
invites me once again to remember the story of salvation of my life.
And so it is fitting that we look at them on this World
Communion Sunday when we celebrate Christian unity and ecumenism. This celebration first began in 1933 at
the Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA out of conflict as a way to
unite the divided into one Christian fellowship. But now it has spread throughout Christian denominations
world wide and so today, around the world, we take this cup and this bread
as a sign and seal of our unity in the body of Christ.
This sacrament and meal of love, this very simple loaf of
bread and vessel of juice, and what Jesus told us to do and remember, becomes
the thread that holds our Christian quilt together, or the music that helps our
disparate voices sing in beautiful harmony. And whatever way that you choose to understand this mystery
of our faith, in the end we can know that bread and wine has been given to us
by Jesus Christ as a means of grace and a way in which we can find harmony with
one another.
This meal of remembrance does so much for our aching bodies
and searching souls. I
believe that beyond uniting us as the body of Christ, it fills us, it
challenges us, and it empowers us for this world in which we inhabit so that we
might be faithful followers of Jesus Christ when the current culture seems to
have lost its way.
Fulfills
When we take this simple meal, that everyone is invited to
partake, we are filled. Maybe not
physically filled because really, how can just a little sip of juice and a
morsel of bread physically fulfill our bodily needs? It can’t. We are spiritually filled in that we
can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are loved by God. Our spirit is fulfilled and that gives
meaning to our existence and lives.
And who among us does not want meaning for our lives? We know we are loved. We know we are forgiven, we know that
we have been created by God who knew us yet before we were even conceived. That is what lends a meaningful
foundation to the content of our lives.
The meaning of holy communion is that you, with your warts
and all, are invited to the table, there is a place set just for you because
you are a vital part of God’s creation. And it is at this table that your spiritual needs can
be fulfilled. It is God’s promise
of love.
Challenge
And yet after our bellies have been filled, our souls
satiated with forgiveness and the mercy of God I believe that this meal
challenges us. It challenges us to
be better men and women, to live fully into our own God given talents and
abilities and to live in the ways of Christ and remember the least of these who
live in the margins of the page.
Not everyones bellies are filled like ours. Real hunger exists in this world.
The youth and confirmands have been hard at work this
weekend at Heifer Farm.
Unfortunately there has to be a Heifer Farm. Heifer works with communities globally to strengthen
their local economies to end hunger and poverty. Their goal is to make sure that everyone, on this planet has
enough to eat. Wouldn’t that be
wonderful? And how they do it is
be sure that communities receive livestock, clean water and education to
sustain their living - a holistic
approach.
As myself, other leaders, the confirmands and youth
traversed the Global village set up at Heifer farm we saw first hand what life
would be like in Peru, Tibet, Africa,
the rural US and other countries where living space is limited, clean water
a luxury, and an agrarian existence produced the only food you ate. The kids eyes were opened to an existence
that perhaps they had never experienced.
One of the members of the class will tell us a bit more when he returns
next week.
This is the challenge of the Lord’s Supper, challenging us
to get out of our comfort zone and to help others find a way to live a
dignified and meaningful life.
The world does not lack for challenges. Let’s not let Heifer, Echo, or
Columbus House do the work for us.
Let us come together and seek ways to alleviate hunger closer to
home. Filled with bread and juice
we now need to help feed. That is
a challenge at our doorstep each day that we wake and take that first glorious
sip of coffee.
Empower
Finally, this simple meal of grace empowers us to take on
the ways of Christ and to live them.
It strengthens us so that we are empowered to stand up to the injustice
of this world and to see change.
It empowers us to meet the challenges of world hunger or any of the
serious maladies of today’s world.
There is so much hunger in this world and it’s not just physical. This meal empowers us to look around
and to try and make a difference.
Yes, you, as one person, can make a difference in another person’s life
that is hungering for meaning, for sustenance, for love. That is empowerment.
You cannot possibly get up from this table the same way that
you sat down you are now agents of
God’s transformative love.
And Jesus
took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the
disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”
Then he
took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it,
all of you; for this is my (cup) of the (new) covenant, which is poured out for
many for the forgiveness of sins.
Eat, drink, be filled, challenged, and empowered.
Amen.
[i] Matthew 22:
37-39
[ii] Matthew 25:
39-40
Pastoral Prayer for World Communion Sunday
Compassionate
Christ, through you we are able to know the almighty and benevolent God and so
we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for teaching us your ways, offering
us your mercy, and for your redemptive act on the cross. Connect us please more deeply with
people around the globe as we share in our Christian life together. Fill us with hope when we see despair
and love, when we experience hatred, and goodness when all bad things seem to
surround us. Challenge us to work
hard for justice in this world, indeed in our own communities so that all may
live in dignity and have food on their table and shelter for their heads. Empower us to be ambassadors of your deep
and abiding love because it is our watch now and no other.
We
come to you now in soul filled prayer and anxious expectation so we invoke your
spirit to be with us…
Sick
Grieving
and remembering
Military
Neighbors
in Need, the least among us
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