The Sacrament of Holy Communion
Ephesians 2:4-9; Luke 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 11:18-29
Third in a 5 week series on “Why Are We Lutheran?” Treasure as part of body of Christ, so see how this Lutheran identity shapes our understanding of the way we see the crucified and risen Christ.
The Lutheran Handbook, P.18
Two weeks ago, Theology of the Cross: God meets us not in our righteousness, but in our sin, our failure, our brokenness, our shame.
Last Week: baptism, God’s ordination into God’s mission of reconciliation.
Today: Holy Communion.
Theological journey (mine), and how this Lutheran theology guided my journey in this meal of grace Jesus offers. Starts with the issue of understanding. Partly because of the end of 1 Cor. Text, "For all who eat and drink without discerning the body, eat and drink judgment against themselves."
Discerning the body = the community of believers, those present. Whole section is Paul railing against those who, during communion at worship, are having a feast for themselves w/o concern for the poor who aren’t able to bring great meal. Judgment against cliques, against social climbing. (Vv. 21-22) "For when the time comes to eat, each of you goes ahead with your own supper, and one goes hungry and another becomes drunk. {22} What! Do you not have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you show contempt for the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I commend you? In this matter I do not commend you!"
Down Syndrome child being prevented from going up to communion with parents. Ushers restrained him because he obviously didn’t understand what communion was: retarded and too young.
Martha, nursing home resident for many years, didn’t know up from down, almost completely unresponsive. Yet expectation from congregation was that she receive communion at least monthly. She didn’t know me; no idea what was going on around her; couldn’t understand what communion was: dementia and too old
Why was one acceptable and the other not? It didn’t have anything to do with understanding – neither could. One used to, the other might some day. But really?
Gave council a test. Those who passed could take communion because they understood. Those who didn’t couldn’t. Here’s part of it:
· Explain the difference between transubstantiation and consubstantiation.
· When Jesus said, “This is my body, this is my blood.” Did he mean it?
· At communion are we being cannibals? Or is it representative? ·
If it merely represents body and blood, why didn’t Jesus say so?
How does forgiveness get into the bread and wine for me to eat/drink?
How does forgiveness get from the bread and wine to my spirit?
No one passed. Not even me. We decided there had to be more than just our understanding.
Theology of the cross: God reaches down to us just as we are. God meets us most powerfully in our sin, our brokenness, and even our ignorance. Maybe, instead of trusting our knowledge, we should trust God.
(Luke 18:15-17 NRSV) "People were bringing even infants to [Jesus] that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. {16} But Jesus called for them and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. {17} Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.""
The rest of the ELCA is catching up to this congregation on this. LCM lives out our Lutheran theology ahead of the curve. There are no restrictions here to God’s grace. Not age, not understanding, not level of faith, not doctrine. Jesus says he came for the forgiveness of sins. We believe it, and we participate with God in it.
I don’t know how gravity works. But I trust that it does. I don’t know how Jesus works in communion, but I trust that he does. This is my body, this is my blood, given for you for the forgiveness of your sins.
Another issue is worthiness. Jesus said, “for forgiveness.” Therefore, only pre-requisite seems to sinning. No sin, no need for communion.
Can you ever be too dirty to take a shower? Of course not, a shower is FOR people who are dirty.
You cannot be bad enough to keep you away from the Lord Jesus and his forgiveness in Holy Communion.
We can never deserve this meal. We have no right to it. But Jesus comes to us and meets us in our sinfulness, offers himself to us. Jesus comes to the sick, the sinful, the rejected, the unworthy, the hopeless, the despised, the unrighteous and offers forgiveness and newness – himself. To you. To us.
Our participation in this meal together is our confession that we believe the forgiveness of sins is a reality. Jesus died to provide forgiveness to those who are far from God. If those who are farthest from God can be forgiven and made whole, then we’ve got some incredible news for the world.
As we are forgiven through the body and blood of Christ, we are by virtue of that equipped to live a forgiven life in the world. Guilt-free, right with God, in a relationship with Jesus because Jesus has come to us. That is what we bring to the world. If God can forgive us and give us a new start, then God can forgive them too. And we, who are now forgiven, are the ones who will show this. After communion we will sing, “Thank the Lord and sing his praise. Tell everyone what he has done.”
Receive all that God wants to give you today. Receive complete forgiveness through Jesus Christ. See it. Feel it. Taste it. God wants you to have it. That’s why God brought you here. In Christ you are made new, ready to go out and share that hope of newness with the world. As Jesus comes to us in bread and wine, we go to the world and help them know forgiveness is real. That’s why we’re Lutheran.