Communion 2

Luke 9:16-17

The tradition of Communion can be very important to many believers. It is a holy moment in worship. It is a time when we are face to face with our Savior, a time of remembering the sacrifice Jesus has made for our salvation.

It is also a time of being one – communing – with our Lord. By taking in the bread and the wine we are symbolically taking in the very Spirit and presence of Christ. As the bread and wine becomes part of who we are we should see that we are making Jesus part of who we are.

In spite of his instruction for the disciples to feed the crowd, Jesus is the one who takes the food that has been offered and feeds the people. What did Jesus do with the loaves and fish? What did the disciples do? What was the result?

We can see the spirituality of Jesus in this act. Being a faithful child of God he offered thanks for the gifts of bread and fish. He praised God for His abundance. Then he broke the bread so that it could be eaten by the crowd.

In this moment of breaking the bread we should be reminded of what we know will later happen at the Last Supper. Jesus broke the bread and told the disciples that the bread was his body. He would be broken for all of us, broken so that we might be part of his holiness and part of God’s kingdom. He was broken so that we might commune with our Savior.

This meal with the crowd of more than 5,000 people is another time where Jesus gives himself to others. As the bread and fish were being set out for the people to take part, so Jesus was being set out for all to come and partake. Just as the meager offering of five loaves and two fish were enough to satisfy the crowd of thousands, so the simple offering of the body of Christ is enough to satisfy the needy souls of the world.

Even after all those thousands of people ate and were satisfied there was plenty left over. So it is with the Spirit of Christ. Jesus is enough to save the world. And as we join with him in leading souls to God there will be more than enough love and grace remaining when we are done.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you be part of Christ’s ministry?