Luke 22:14-23
After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, 'Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.' And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'
Many traditions in the church are not indispensable: in some churches the pastors preach, in others the congregation share freely; in some churches people clap when they sing hymns, in some people respond with "amen" during the sermon, but in other churches members sit straight without moving. All these are man-made traditions and they vary according to culture and need. Removing them from the church won't disrupt the practice of our faith. Holy communion, however, was instituted by Jesus Himself before He left the world and He taught us to abide by it; it's not dispensable, but it's essential to us. When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we are eating and drinking the body of the Lord, manifesting that our life is connected to the Lord's life. Just like what Paul said in Galatians 2:20: "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." God and those who trust in Him will be united as one.
Through Holy Communion, our faith will be strengthened, our life will be more mature, and we will have more strength in our daily life. On the contrary, if we don't take Holy Communion seriously, we are committing a sin that offends God, and it will affect our spiritual life and daily life. Therefore, the Lord reminded us to "do this in remembrance of me" so that our spiritual life won't become lukewarm. So, what do we remember about the Lord?
First of all, we must remember how the Lord died for us. The work that Jesus completed on the cross allowed us to break away from sin, and also reconciled with God. Therefore, when we receive the Holy Communion, we remember what the Lord has accomplished on the cross. Second, we must remember the Lord in our daily life. When we remember the Lord, we will focus our heart and mind on the Lord, and we won't do anything that displeases the Lord, but rather we will try our best to please the Lord in everyway we can. Third, we must remember the return of the Lord. When we think of the Lord, we must expect the coming of the Lord, because when that day comes we will meet face to face with the Lord who loves us, and we will be connected to the Lord forever. It's just like a couple before the wedding day - they wish the day would come sooner, like the next second. In the same way, we must expect the return of the Lord.
Does your heart remember the love of the Lord? Do you often remember how the Lord died, resurrected and ascended to heaven for you? Is your heart eager for the Lord?
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