Hungry

You may or may not know that the early Church was thought to be cannibalistic. (Eating humans) (I have heard this many places; people, school, and books) Maybe you have heard this same thing, if not and this shocks you, go look this up online, you will find it. I promise.

It seems almost laughable to hear and read these words. But where does this idea come from. Well it comes from one of the four important things we have been discussing out of the Acts 2:42; Fellowship of Believers, Scripture, Prayer, and the Breaking of Bread. Many think the Breaking of Bread is to be about the Lord’s Supper, and this may be the one spiritual discipline that you may frequently leave behind and forget about until that one Sunday your church does it. Is that okay though? Oh, and we will talk about the cannibalism later.

Let’s read what happened again in Acts 2.

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47 ESV)

There is obviously no perfect formula to following Christ and growing with him, but these earliest of believers were doing something right. As we have said, they were devoted to growing with our Lord, Jesus. A part of that was taking the Supper together, and being devoted to it. As a result of all of those things they devoted themselves to, people had awe, they saw miracles, they had all things in common (I wish we could see this amongst us more), they gave generously, they fellowshipped daily, their lives were marked by gladness, and they worshipped different. All these things came from an overflow of growing with Christ and people noticed. PEOPLE GOT SAVED. DAILY.

There is something to be said about what they were doing. Not only did they grow, but everyone else was too. The Church was seeing the greatest miracle happen, dead men and women coming to life, for the first time in their lives. All because of what Jesus had done on the cross, which is why the Lord’s Supper is so valuable. The Supper is a reminder of what Jesus did on the cross.

Perspective

Setting: (Jesus and the disciplines at the Last Supper; something that the disciples would have done yearly as Jews)

Jesus: (Holding the unleavened bread they were so accustomed to eating every year, remembering their ancestor’s being set free from Egypt by the power of God and by the leadership of Moses) “Take, eat; this is my body” – Matthew 26:26 ESV

Disciples: (Perplexed, formerly thinking about Egypt and Moses, now thinking about Jesus’s flesh as they ingest their meal)

Jesus: (Holding the cup they would have drank from multiple times in the meal, as a representation of the Passover blood that was spread over their doors to save their first born years and years ago) “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” – Matthew 26:27-28 ESV

Disciples: (Just as perplexed)

No wonder why people thought they were cannibals, eat my body and drink my blood. People where confused. As I am sure the disciples were in the moment. Jesus is foreshadowing his death that would be just hours away and he is likening this death to the Passover lamb and meal they would have eaten so often. He brings new meaning to the Supper.

The book of Hebrews talks about these Jewish traditions so frequently. It also talks about how these traditions just are a representation of what Christ would finally bring. What was that? A full salvation from sin. A full salvation from self. A full salvation for everyone. How? By his death on a cross and his resurrection from the grave. As Hebrews says, “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV)

Without Christ shedding his blood we could not be saved. This is why the devotion to the Lord’s Supper is so important. When we take this meal, this bread and this wine, we are proclaiming this salvation! We are screaming, “The world has a way to be forgiven!” We exclaim, “Jesus died and is now alive!” Hollering, “I will die with him and I will live with him!” That is what it means to take the Lord’s Supper.

When I see it for what it is, I must take it, I must remember. No wonder why the earliest Christians grew closer to Jesus and no wonder why people got saved. I should partake of this every day. Be devoted to this every day. Remember this everyday. Do I though? Unfortunately, no. But I have thought about it more. Taken it more. And have enjoyed it more when I do take it.

*** Food for thought and soul. We pray daily, we talk to other believers daily, we read the scriptures daily. Maybe this is a different perspective; should we not take our Lord’s Supper daily?

Instructions

Say this does become a pretty regular part of our walks, be that the daily, or just more than once a quarter on Sunday mornings, let’s see how we should take the Supper.

17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. ( 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 ESV)

Here the Apostle Paul is giving a staunch rebuke to the Church. First, for the way they are and they way they are taking the Lord’s Supper. They are divided, a big no in the Kingdom of Heaven. Secondly, they are overeating and getting drunk, while others are not able to even get full. Paul does not recommend and does not commend this behavior. The first instructions that I think we should heed from Paul are that we as the Church should not be divided and we must share equally. We must be in the best place with one another, and Jesus talks about leaving the altar if we have something against our brother’s before we make the sacrifice. ( Matthew 5:21-26)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ESV)

Next, we must remember and proclaim until he comes back. Every time. Every time we take his Supper, we must remember him, not just take it ritualistically, but remember with fervor and zeal. Proclaim until the day that he parts the sky and gathers his saints.

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:27-32 ESV)

Lastly, but I think most importantly to note is this. You must not take it in an unworthy manner. This could mean a couple of things. Allow me to offer a few thoughts. Unworthy I think could be while during blatant sin, such as being divided with other believers. I think it could also be for those who are not believers. If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, how can you worthily take this supper that proclaims you have been changed? Simply, you can not, because your actions would tell lies. You take the Supper that says I am changed because Jesus died for me, without being changed by the death looks like the greatest disrespect to Jesus. If you are sinning or not a believer, you are not concise of the body. You sinning against your brother or you not even being a part of the body is a bad place to be in. Paul says this is the reason that some of these people have gotten sick and even died. I urge you, please make sure you are doing some self-reflection before you take this supper, if you look at your heart first and confess that you are in sin, you are living honestly.