Communion of Bread and Body

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? ¹⁷ For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread."

1 Corinthians 10:16-17

Jesus Christ is the Head of the body, the church which is comprised of all nations, tongues and tribes of all the earth who trust in Him.  By the offering of Jesus on the cross for sinners He perfected forever those who are sanctified, set apart as people holy unto the LORD.  The worship of believers and receiving of communion together was an act of unified worship that illustrated the spiritual reality Jesus makes possible by the Gospel.

As I considered the broken bread and cup partaken of during a communion service, it struck me that it was the same for everyone in attendance.  It was not only for the pastor but all parishioners; the rich do no receive a double portion, nor do believing visitors to the church service receive less.  As much as we hear about equity and equality in this world, nothing comes close to the full measure of grace God extends to every one of His born-again children.  When a person books a flight, there are many upgrades on offer to those willing to pay the price.  Though the same aeroplane transports all passengers, people travelling first class and business class board first and are seated separate from economy customers.  Their drink, menu options and amenities are a cut above others.

It is not so for born-again children of God by faith in Jesus.  We are all partakers of that one Living Bread come down from heaven; we all drink of the same cup that symbolises His blood shed for us.  This does not mean we are all clones, nor are we faceless and nameless passengers all crammed together:  we are beloved children of God given specific roles and spiritual gifts according to the will of the Holy Spirit (Heb. 2:4).  We cannot tell where one cell of our bodies begins or ends, yet God knows and loves every member of the body of Christ individually and intimately.  God who knows the number of the sand on the seashore and calls every star by name knows and keeps His eye on us, for not one sparrow falls without Him knowing.

How amazing, that we can all have forgiveness, eternal life and fellowship with God by faith in Jesus!  No one has special privileges others are given or denied because of age, wealth, family associations, or worldly success.  Just like God has given each of us all the time there is during the span of our lives on earth, He has freely offered Himself as our Saviour for continual communion and fellowship.  Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."  How blessed Christians are to be afforded all goodness that is and will ever be by God's grace through Jesus Christ Who unites us as one.

Invocation of Truth

When I went to university, the questions people asked and beliefs they espoused revealed a worldview completely different than mine.  In one sense I felt unprepared for the questions because at the core they denied fundamental beliefs my outlook was based upon.  Answering the question directly--instead of answering the questioner--put me in the position to always answer incorrectly and face the wrath or ostricisation of people I hardly knew and thus would likely never stick around for me to have the opportunity to explain why.  The result was a "for" or "against" mentality where deviation from secular, humanistic values was unacceptable and thus freedom of expression was stunted.

During my time in public and tertiary education I encountered many respectable teachers and professors who were open to a vast array of liberal and conservative perspectives.  But as time went on the pursuit of objective truth (if it existed at all) lagged far behind the pursuit of self-expression and personal truth which was defined by individuals with the unwavering expectation and demand all others must pay homage to it.  Those who resisted at all were often branded as "phobic" in some way, ironically an anathema to intelligence and worthy of scorn.  While it is not pleasant to be hated or mocked for your beliefs, it is wise to consider the perspectives of others and see we do not adopt their tactics.  We are not to answer a fool according to his folly lest we be like him. Our call as followers of Jesus Christ is to love others, pray for them and bless them rather than cursing.

In a film I recently viewed, it was evident people with conservative and liberal leanings have worldviews founded on different beliefs and thus work towards different ends.  The conservative man was on a quest for truth according to reality he believed people are happiest when they submit to it, whereas the liberals sought the happiness of others by affirming whatever they said.  One of those interviewed said something insightful, that "invoking truth is rude and condescending."  The word "invoking" has a religious connection, to call upon a deity for aid.  His complaint was the conservative made truth his deity when his worldview made each person his own god beyond all criticism.  In academia and beyond, it is largely considered rude and condescending to appeal to truth to which others must submit, even if it is scientifically verifiable.  It was an ad hominem attack to avoid the uncomfortable truth of God's sovereignty that nips at the conscience God created inside every human being.

It is amazing Jesus referred to Himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  If there was anyone who ever spoke with complete authority and objectivity, it is Jesus Christ.  The religious and intellectual elite absolutely hated Jesus because He spoke with authority and not like the scribes who couched their statements with precedent.  Jesus trumped even the Law of Moses by saying, "It has been written...but I say unto you..."  People observed, "No one ever spoke like this man."  Being the Truth, Jesus Christ has authority no one else on earth does.  Christians are called to speak the truth in love--in the love of God and love of other people.  As people hated Jesus for speaking the truth, when we speak the truth in humility we will be hated.  We can submit to being hated and ostricised by men knowing we are loved and accepted by God because He is gracious.  Rather than seeking to confront or argue with those who do not know or fear God, let us continue to live and speak according to the truth, led by the Holy Spirit.

As God's redeemed we are in the world but not of the world.  In His wisdom God has left us in the world so we might be for those who do not know Him like the liberals were for me in university.  Without their input I would have remained in a lazy bubble of my own thoughts, assuming everyone else should think as I did--even when I was in the wrong.  We need not fear the indoctrination of empty worldly philosophy when we are grounded in the word of God, for what is the chaff to the wheat?  Not all of us are skilled at debate or think fast on our feet, but we can carefully consider different views in light of scripture; we can examine our own hearts and see we walk in truth.  We can invoke the aid of Jesus Christ to help us and others to draw near to Him:  the God who opens blind eyes, heals the lame and raises the dead.

The Word Revealed

By His grace God has made Himself known to the world.  The living God spoke with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses to whom He gave His law.  Moses emphasised how accessible and understandable God's law was in Deuteronomy 30:11-14, "For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. ¹² It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' ¹³ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' ¹⁴ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it."

God and knowledge of His laws was not in a far off, inaccessible location found by the wisest or most pious among them.  They did not need to develop technology to launch into space to find answers to life's questions, nor did they need to invent submersibles.  They did not need to be professors like Indiana Jones who followed clues, deciphered riddles, found relics and made discoveries to know the exact spot where they needed to dig.  God's people simply were called to love God and do the things He told them to do.  Now we know how easy it is for people to complicate things, and the Law of Moses was no exception.  The Jews went beyond the letter of the Law by defining how to properly do what God said.  Jesus went further still by illuminating the thoughts and intents of our hearts that condemn us as sinful even when we have followed the Law without fail.

Jesus fulfilled the Law and summed it up in a sentence:  to love the LORD with all our hearts and our neighbour as ourselves.  Jesus gave a new commandment, that we would love one another as Jesus loves us.  Our righteousness is not according to the Law but by faith in Jesus Christ who has redeemed and reconciled us to God.  Jesus, the Word of God, has come near us--into our hearts by faith--and provides the Holy Spirit to help and guide us into all truth.  Ironically, we can feel like opportunities for ministry are far off.  We imagine we must have a particular role or ministry in the church to be fruitful, or more education is required for us to understand and enter into the deeper things of God.  People think the satisfaction they long for will be enjoyed after they are married, are in the mission field, are part of a larger or smaller church.  It is a wonder disillusionment does not derail them from faith after they actually have what they sought and still lack peace or satisfaction they assumed was guaranteed.

Though we often complicate things, the truth remains simple and very near us:  our peace, satisfaction and fruitfulness is found in Jesus Christ alone.  We do not need to go to a foreign field to freely serve God, for we can walk in His love to people in our own houses, at our jobs, in our current sphere.  The person who thinks there will be a feeling of accomplishment after preaching the Gospel to 10,000 people in one arena will be disappointed, but we can be blessed beyond words by sharing the Gospel with a friend we are eating lunch with.  We can walk in the light of the Gospel to help mum clean the kitchen, choosing to deny ourselves for the sake of obedience to Christ.  Deuteronomy 29:29 said previously, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."  The secret things only God knows have great allure, but Jesus has revealed Himself to us as LORD and commanded us to love one another.  We can do this today, right where we are, today.  What wisdom and satisfaction we have at hand in Jesus who leads us to do God's will!

Regarding Life with Compassion

Over the years I have seen many short videos of animal rescues that demonstrate the care and compassion of volunteers as well as the amazing turnaround in once neglected animals.  Listless dogs with mange that had been abandoned, abused or cooped up for years slowly start wagging their tails again, enjoying human contact they once shied away from.  After building trust, aggressive snarling is replaced by a show of affection and submission, rolling over for belly rubs.  Rather than culling these domesticated animals, it is heartwarming to see people give their time, money and effort to revive and re-home them.

Pet owners can be guilty of neglect and not provide food, care and attention their animals need for good health and a happy life.  The animal is an innocent victim in this situation, for it could not help being sold,  having fleas, or being chained to a post.  A dog cannot build a shelter to be protected from the hot sun or find warmth on a cold night.  While there are a range of opinions of the care a dog should receive by its owner, all would admit there is a point where an animal wrongfully suffers neglect that is cruel.  Proverbs 12:10 points this out:  "A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel."  It might be easier to show compassion on an animal than an adult person since people have the capacity and responsibility to make decisions in consideration of their own health and future.  Following the example of Jesus, we ought to have compassion on all people--even when they have neglected their health, been careless with money or made irresponsible choices.

Spiritually speaking, we were all born into this world slaves to sin.  The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel, and there is nothing pleasant or endearing about Satan's treatment of fallen mankind he seeks to oppress and destroy:  there is no person more proud, cruel or murderous than he.  He is glad to bind people in heavy chains of lies, guilt and shame.  He finds pleasure to watch people suffer from addictions and ruin themselves with pornography, alcohol and pride.  He loves to isolate people and abuse them with deceit.  Jesus came into this world to cause light to shine in the darkness, to set captives free, to raise the spiritually dead to new life, to plunder those awaiting destruction in hell for their sin as His own adopted children and inheritance.  Satan does not want people to know Jesus came to save them, can do so and will for all who trust in Him.  The devil seeks to make humans so jaded and embittered against God by abuse they have suffered that they will not leave the cage of sin even when shackles are removed, the door is open and Jesus beckons with open arms and a loving smile.

Jesus showed compassion which exceeds anything we can muster, for He demonstrated His love by dying in our place on Calvary.  He paid a far greater price than it costs in dollars to save a dog or cat from being euthenised by spilling His blood to atone for our sins.  Jesus did so, not to foster us for a season, but to have a relationship with Him today and spend eternity with Him in heaven.  We are not like His pets or a new "member of the family" but are made co-heirs with Jesus Christ the KING OF KINGS.  When neglected animals receive love and medical care it changes them, and when we are born again by faith in Jesus we are transformed from within.  How grateful and thankful we ought to be Jesus has shown compassion on us, and let us have compassion on those who have yet to receive Him.  God will hold every person responsible for their actions, and He also will reward us accordingly.  Jesus gave His life because He regards ours, and may His life and compassion shine through us.