And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. (KJV)
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. (KJV)
It is right that we remember this weekend those who have died in the service our country, helping secure a place where we can be free. In no other place in the history of the world have people enjoyed a particular freedom that we have in the United States, the freedom of religion. We are free to practice our faith without interference from any agent of the government.
What does that mean for Christians? Among the many things, it means we are free to obey our Lord’s command without fear of reprisal. We can consume His body and blood in the form of communion without fear of being arrested for cultish or cannibalistic practices. And when we do this, it has an effect beyond our own blessing. As Paul reminds us, whenever we partake of this memorial meal that our Lord instituted, we are proclaiming to the world His death. In other words, when we remember Christ Jesus in the way that He instructed us to remember Him, we become the servants of His evangelistic message. The Good News is shown to the world when we remember Him through bread and wine.
Once again, God demonstrates His incredible love for us. Not only does He bless us through the celebration of communion, He uses this distinctly Christian event to bless those who do not yet know Him by giving them a picture of what He has done for them.
Gracious heavenly Father, how great is Your love for all mankind! We honor and praise You as we remember the sacrifice of Your Son at Calvary, a sacrifice necessary to secure our salvation and to send the Holy Spirit into our lives. We glorify You and Your Son, our Lord Jesus, along with the Holy Spirit, the one God of all creation. Amen.
Copyright © 2011 by Steven R. Perkins
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