The very life of Christ
May 15th, 2022 – Communion Meditation
Today’s Scripture is 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (NRSV) – “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”
This Scripture tells us that as we come to the table to participate in Communion, also known as the Lord’s Supper, we drink a cup of blessing or a cup of praise. The Greek word used here is “eulogia”, the source of our English word “eulogize”, which is to praise highly in speech or writing. Drinking the cup of blessing and praise is more than a symbolic act. This Scripture tells us that in doing so, we share in the blood of Christ, which is to say that we take into ourselves the very life of Christ.
This Scripture also tells us that as we break, distribute, and eat the bread, again, it is much more than a symbolic act. In doing so, we share in the body of Christ, emphasizing again that we take into ourselves the very life of Christ.
God breathed on some dust and created people who somehow carry the image and likeness of God. God breathes on some juice and crackers as we drink and eat them in order to bless and praise Him, and somehow in doing that, we take into ourselves the very life of Christ. This is so mysterious, wonderful, amazing, powerful, and transformative.
Finally, this Scripture also explains to us that because there is one bread (all food, all sustenance, all provision) which comes from God (the source, sustainer, and provider of everything), when we partake of this one bread (meaning that we share it, we participate in it, we take part in it), we who are many (abundant, plenteous, multitudinous) are one body, no longer fragmented, divided, or scattered, but a united body. Isn’t that beautiful? God somehow uses things that can be spattered or scattered, divvied up or broken into pieces, to make us unified as one in the mystical body of Christ.
Let’s read our Scripture again, this time in the contemporary translation, The Message:
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (The Message) – “When we drink the cup of blessing, aren’t we taking into ourselves the blood, the very life, of Christ? And isn’t it the same with the loaf of bread we break and eat? Don’t we take into ourselves the body, the very life, of Christ? Because there is one loaf, our many-ness becomes one-ness—Christ doesn’t become fragmented in us. Rather, we become unified in him. We don’t reduce Christ to what we are; he raises us to what he is.”
On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He took the bread and said, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (eat)
Again, Jesus took the cup and said, “This is my blood of the new covenant poured out for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (drink)
Psalm 150 (NSRV) – “Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness! . . . Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”
