Daily devotion – a most wonderful gathering!
Each month, we gather as Christ’s Church around the Lord’s table to break bread and drink the cup in remembrance of Christ’s wonderful work of grace in our lives.
It is a significant event in the sacraments of the Church and never to be treated lightly or neglected. Today as I was going over the significance of Holy Communion, I realized what a sight this gathering is in both our own eyes and the Lords.
The invitation and allowance to participate in the Lord’s Supper is significant and can only be celebrated by sinners who have repented of their sins, sought the forgiveness of Christ and received God’s grace, all because of Christ’s death and Resurrection. No other persons are able to attend this sacrament or to participate in its celebration.
Paul gave the Church at Corinth strict instructions in this regard with there being dire consequences to those who flaunt this time of thanksgiving.
1 Cor 11:27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.
However, when those who have received God’s forgiveness gather at the table of the Lord, I see another amazing picture of what is happening. We, Christ’s Church come to the table with all our quirks, our failings, our lameness, our weaknesses, yet because of Christ’s precious blood that covers us, we can eat of the bread and drink of the cup still.
So there is this masterful picture of us with all out shortfalls but hearts renewed, wonderfully and loving accepted by Christ at His table.
It gives us this masterful understanding of the greatness and wonder of God’s love and grace that covers us with Christ’s righteousness. We a rag tag base people as Paul reminds us also in his letter to the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 1: 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.
The Lord’s table is a wonder and testament of the power and grace of God to us who have bowed our hearts to Jesus and now worship Him as our Lord and Saviour. We are all accepted because of Christ’s work!
The next time we gather for communion, take a moment to see a bigger picture other than just yourself at this blessed table of thanksgiving.
It’s a wonder to behold!