Mark 2:18-19
I remember the times when my uncle would come to visit, flying back to the United States from the job he had in Pakistan. I also recall when our friends came up from North Carolina to visit us in Ohio. The normal flow of life, the monotony of the routine, the required chores and so on, were all happily discarded so that we could heap all of our time and attention on our guests. Nothing else mattered for those few days except being with these loved ones.
Jesus often challenged the norm and the rituals of his day. What question was asked when the Pharisees and John the Baptist’s followers were fasting? What metaphor does Jesus present?
The ritual of Communion carries with it the importance and significance of Christ’s sacrifice. It is also a time to remind us of our responsibilities as Christians. What we often overlook, however, is that it is also a time of celebration.
The celebration of Communion is not simply a re-enacting of what Jesus did with his disciples in that upper room. We do go through the actions that Jesus did during that time, and the purpose of that is to be reminded of what Jesus did for our salvation.
But Communion is also a time of joining our spirit with the spirit of Jesus. That is why we call it “communion;” communion means sharing a time of intimacy. As we take part in Communion, as we eat the bread and drink the cup, we are symbolically inviting Jesus to enter into us so that he might rule our hearts and guide our lives.
While acknowledging our own sinfulness and acknowledging the sacrifice Jesus made for us can be a sobering time, a time of deep reflection and prayer, we must also accept Christ’s presence. And in that acceptance, in that awareness of Jesus’ presence, we should experience joy, the same joy that guests at a wedding might feel, and the same joy that we felt when we were with a loved one who was usually so far from us.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you celebrate the presence of Christ in your life and in your heart?
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