2 posts tagged “grace”

  The first Sunday of every month is a day of celebration and excitement for me.  Why?  Because it’s the day when most churches partake in Communion, a.k.a., “Eucharist”.  Although I’m not sure everybody “gets” what it’s actually all about.  I mean, it’s not just a free meal, and it’s not just a coming to the table, or the partaking of the bread & grape juice...in fact, Communion is about SO much more.  Let me explain:

  First of all, in old days (Old Testament times), when a nation wanted to wipe out somebody completely, they'd make it so that even their name wasn't remembered.  But at communion, Jesus (and His name) is to be remembered. 

  Also, in the culture at Jesus’ time, people mostly just ate with friends, and their friends were often peers.  But Jesus' friends weren't peers.  And the fact that He ate with sinners and such outcasts, expresses Jesus making friends with them at meal-fellowship, and also points to the eschatolical age (the end days), when the outcasts will be (and are now) invited to eat with the Lord, as friends. 

 Speaking of outcasts, let’s take a look at the motley crew and outcasts that Jesus chose to associate Himself with regularly:  The 12 Apostles.  Other than the fact that Peter & Andrew had the same parents, neither of the 12 really had anything in common...I mean you had fishermen (religious rejects), a tax collector (scum of society), a Zealot (believed in forceful conversions), 2 guys with really bad tempers, and a thief (in charge of the money, no less), just to name a few.  If not for Jesus, you'd never see them together.  But that’s the point, for the only thing they had in common, was, Jesus.  And after Jesus' resurrection and ascension, it was Jesus who held them together even as friends. 

  So in the same way, taking communion together brings us together at the table as friends, and as siblings in Christ as we join the Lord at meal fellowship.  So even if we have enemies, we make them friends with us when we have fellowship with them at the table, because its sharing at the table with them, and also because it's sharing at the table with them in the presence of the Lord, as HE eats with us, too.  It's really pretty deep when you think about it...especially when you recognize how important meal fellowship is to the Lord.  For in Revelation 3:20, Jesus tells the struggling Church, "look, I'm standing at the door, knocking.  If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you with me."  Eating at the table with Jesus, in fellowship.

 Now let’s look for a moment at the word, "Eucharist":  "Eu-Charis-t"

“Charis” in Greek means "Grace".  So the Gentile Christians at that time couldn't even say the word "Eu-Charis-t", without being reminded of the Grace of God that bound them together as the Body of Christ (Maybe that’s connected to why they call the prayer before meals, “saying grace”?)  I also heard a story once that the early Church believed so strongly in the Body of Christ, that after one house church would partake of the elements, somebody would take that same loaf and cup to the next house church so that they too may partake of that loaf.

I loaf, 1 cup, 1 Body. So taking communion is not only partaking with other believers, but also with Christ.  The Last supper was the last time that Jesus would eat food on earth...the next time He'd eat would be in Heaven.  So it's suggested that when we partake in communion in remembrance of Jesus, not only are we remembering Him, but actually eating WITH JESUS at the table...as His friends…together,

 ---Marturo

I was just thinking about a conversation I'd had with an Evangelical-Lutheran Pastor once about Baptism.  He told me of a story his Bishop told him:

People are treading water and drowning in a body of water.  Then Jesus comes by with a boat, and lifts each person into the boat (baptism is getting into the boat).  Now, the people in the boat have a choice...they can either help row, or kick back in the bottom and relax...doesn't really matter which it is, for they're in the boat, and (according to the Bishop) being in the boat means you're saved. (So in other words, the boat actually represents the Kingdom).

I guess that's a pretty good description...if you believe in cheap grace, and that baptism = salvation.  But I don't.  And one thing that I was reminded of in prayer was that Jesus was also baptized.  So was Jesus outside of salvation? No, of course not.  But then why, according to the Bishop's example, did Jesus need to be baptized?  Also who was rowing the boat, and who helped Him in?  And technically when you think about it, would Jesus really need a boat?

Now, we've all heard the term "Blood is thicker than water."  But I like to look at something one of my seminary professors said: "Water is thicker than blood."  This is because it's that water of baptism that we're all united into the Body...the Church...the fellowship of believers.  We're saved by the blood of Jesus, and we're united with one another by the water of our baptism.  But salvation comes only through a relationship with Jesus Christ, not from baptism.

So why did Jesus need to be baptized?  Even John the Baptist was confused when Jesus told him that he had to baptize Him.  Many people (pastors, commentaries, etc.) have said that Jesus was setting an example for us: He was born of a woman, grew up as a child, had a relationship with the Father, was baptized, took Eucharist, died, and was resurrected.  So His baptism was an example to us, sort of as a process to set into motion.  But I have a different suggestion (which came to me in prayer this early morning):  If we're to look at my professor's suggestion that water is thicker than blood, as well as Paul's words, that we're united together in Christ through baptism, then maybe the reason Jesus needed to be baptized was so that He too would be united with us in baptism.  For if (since) Jesus is the Head of His Body (the Body of Christ), and we (those of us who've accepted & entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ) are all members of His Body, then wouldn't it make sense for Him to be baptized, too?

As for the decision of the new crew in comparison with cheap grace and salvation:  I think Judas is a good example of somebody who decided not to row.  John mentions in 12:6 that Judas continued in his old ways of stealing.  So then, because of his lack of dedication and participation in the Body, Judas ended up being unfaithful to Jesus, fell away from Him, and traded Him off for silver coins...now, we don't really know what happened to Judas after he committed suicide...is he now in Heaven or Hell?  We know the Apostles called him a devil & got what he deserved, but yet he did walk with Jesus, was baptized by Jesus, performed miracles, etc...but the point is, he didn't row.  So, as the saying goes, was he "in the same boat" as the others?