Fight For Communion
Mark 14:22-25
22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”
23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. 25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
Communion is a profound moment to stop and remember the sacrifice of Jesus. I have found it’s one of those things that we actively have to fight ourselves from letting it become routine; we need to intentionally keep in a position of awe because the sacrifice it reflects is so amazing. I love how we have different voices lead us in communion twice a month; it helps us focus on the sacrifice of Jesus in a fresh light, and it reminds us how radical this gift is.
This passage itself is radical. Look at how Jesus talks about his upcoming sacrifice. Jesus clearly knew what was ahead of him and prefigured it, but put it in a positive light. ‘This is my broken body, this is my blood,’ he’s saying; guys, this is what’s happening to me in a few hours’ time, but it’s good, but it is a covenant that reunites you with God, and so many others.
Jesus was under no obligation to make a covenant with us, and he was not obligated to warn the disciples about his death. Still, he did so because God so loved the world, God so loved us, and each time we enter communion, He reminds us of His great love. So we need to fight for it. We need to fight to keep communion sacred in our lives.
Written by Nick Molteno