1 Corinthians 11:23-26 When I was very young I shared with my brother an incredible story I had heard. He didn’t believe me and he gave me some advice. He said, “Don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.”
It is true that I can sometimes be gullible and believe what others have told me. I need to be more discerning in my judgment, but the cynicism of my brother’s advice was a bit too much for me.
Frequently in matters of faith and the Bible people will ask how it is we know that it is true. For much of our beliefs we must rely completely on faith, trusting that what we believe is actually real and true. But as far as Holy Communion we have some confidence in the tradition.
In his letter to the Corinthians Paul has something to say about the Lord’s Supper. Where did he get this information? What did Jesus do? What are we doing as we take part in Communion?
Paul begins his instructions with the statement that what he is teaching has been passed down from Jesus, through the disciples, to other believers. The tradition and form of the Lord’s Supper was established by Christ himself and then repeated and imitated by his followers.
It is a heartening concept to me to know that what we do during Holy Communion is very much like what happened with Jesus and the disciples on the night Christ was handed over for crucifixion. This sacrament is a re-telling, a re-enacting of what Jesus did, a celebration which has been handed down over the centuries.
As we celebrate Communion in our places of worship we need to realize that, although there may be slight changes and deviations in our traditions, the central act and theme is the same. We are celebrating and proclaiming the sacrifice and love of Jesus Christ.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you trust in the truth of Communion?
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