Christ's Promising Word

Maundy Thursday
April 1, 2010
What’s it all About?
Luke 22:14-20

Why is This Night Different?

“In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying: ‘Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.’

“Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink saying: ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.’”

Body and blood, bread and wine, given and shed. What happened on that first Thursday night when Jesus at the Passover with his disciples? Why is this night different from all other nights?

A New and Greater Passover

On the night of the Jewish Passover it is the job of the youngest child in the family to ask this all important question at the dinner table, “Daddy, daddy, daddy, why is this night different from all other nights? Why is it called the ‘Passover’? Why do we eat unleavened bread and bitter herbs?”

And each year the head of the household would use this question as the opportunity to retell the old story which the entire family had already heard time and time again: “It is called the ‘Passover” because the Angel of Death ‘passed over’ the houses of our ancestors in the land of Egypt. And we eat unleavened bread because our ancestors ate that kind of bread as slaves in Egypt. And the bitter herbs because they lived very bitter lives there.

“But God led us out of Egypt to the Promised Land. God brought us out of bondage to freedom and from sorrow to gladness. That’s why. That’s why this night is different from all other nights.”

And can’t we say the same as well? This night is different because the supper of our Lord marks the beginning of a repeat, a new and greater Passover—the Passover of our sins. “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

God has brought us out from a land of slavery (the slavery to our sin) through Christ’s death upon the cross. And now today, the Angel of Death “passes over” us and our bondage is turned to freedom, and our sorrow is turned to sadness, and our mourning turned to joy.

That’s what it is all about! A new and greater “Passover.”

Christ’s Presence in a Time of Absence

Did I say all? Well, not quite all. For this bread and wine we eat is more than just a plate of leftovers scraped up from a Jewish meal. They signify Christ’s present now. Christ’s presence now in a time of absence.

In one sense Christ’s presence was removed from his disciples when Jesus completed his liberating mission and ascended into heaven.

But in another sense Jesus is with us now, today—physically, visibly—in the very bread and wine we eat. This IS his body. This IS his blood. This IS Jesus on our table here.

The bread and wine we eat this night is Christ’s assurance that he is present with us now—not in memory, but in fact. Everything that Jesus once did for us AND everything that Jesus will do for us is brought forward to this table and presented to us NOW by Christ himself.

That’s what it is all about! Christ’s presence NOW.

We Become His Body in the World Today

Did I say all? Well, not quite all. Holy Communion is more than just a presentation of what Christ does “for” us. It is also includes what Christ does “to” us. We who eat the body and blood of Christ “become” his body in the world today.

Here we come together as a bunch of different individuals with a large diversity of gifts. And Jesus takes us into his hands and shapes us into “one” body—his own. However we might be different otherwise, here at the Lord’s table we are one in Christ and with each other. Unity in diversity.

As we “take” the body and blood, Christ “takes” us. And Christ pulls us together as his people and claims us for his service and sends us out to be a people who give witness to the Jesus through a life of prayer and praise and thanks.

We have a word for that. We call it “mission.” It is the very word from which our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters get their word “Mass.” The Lord’s Supper is food for Christ’s mission. “Go in peace. Serve the Lord.”

That’s what it is all about! It’s about mission. Our common mission.

A Foretaste of the Feast to Come

Did I say all? Well, not quite all. For much more is happening in this meal than what happened way back when or in our midst right now. It is a foretaste of what is still to come. An “appetizer” if you will. Or, the “starter” at a meal.

In Holy Communion we get a glimpse of heaven. We do. We really do. We begin to see the kingdom feast which is the theme of so many of the parables of Jesus: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a marriage feast for his son.” “Truly I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

This is the feast of victory for our God. How then can we approach this table without having the gates of heaven open and hearing the heavenly choir’s chants of praise: “Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God. Power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and blessing and glory are his.”

That is what it is all about! The kingdom feast to come.

A Lifetime Growing in God’s Grace

Did I say all? Well, not quite all. In fact a lifetime isn’t long enough for any one of us to grasp all the riches and the blessing that God has packed into this simple meal of bread and wine.

No single mind or heart can possibly exhaust the cause for celebration that our Lord has given us. And much of it still remains a mystery even to those who are well-read and learned in the faith.

But this I can assure you. No matter what level your understanding. No matter what degree your comprehension. No matter whether you a fifth grader who is communing for this first time tonight like Sean or an old pro who has been around here for years like his grandmother Dotty.

No matter how great or small your faith. Eat and drink the body and blood of Christ. And you will “grow.” You will grow in “grace.”

For that is what it is all about. Growing in God’s goodness and God’s grace.

© 2010 Pastor Paul Jaster

Maundy Thursday
April 9, 2009
You Proclaim the Lord’s Death
1 Corinthians 11:23-26

A Meal that Talks for Itself

This is the holy night that our Lord instituted Holy Communion. And this is a meal that talks and speaks. Whenever we eat this meal, we “proclaim our Lord’s death until he comes.”

And even if we didn’t say a word throughout this entire service…or if we all were deaf mutes…or had our hearing aids turned off, this meal in itself would still would get the message across: “Take eat, this is my body given for you. Take drink, this is my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

This meal speaks for itself. It speaks through its “sign language.”

The Clown Ministry of Floyd Schaffer

That fact was driven home for me many years ago when I was a young intern in the Cleveland area. I went with the youth group over to Sandusky for a large youth gathering.

And the main attraction for that event was the “clown ministry” of a pastor by the name of Floyd Schaffer. Floyd was a Lutheran pastor who was also a professional clown.

He took time off from the parish to train and perform with the circus. He was a full-fledged, card-carrying, licensed clown. He was a pro.

A Clown’s Transfiguration

And he got up in front. And right before our eyes he went through his transformation. A “transfiguration,” he called it.

First he got out his make-up kit and put on the white face. A “death mask” he called it. A clown dies to his old self, Floyd said, so that a whole new character can emerge. Much like we do in baptism.

And…a clown dies to words so that a clown can speak in even a more powerful language. A clown speaks through his deeds and through his actions. And children from all over the world, even though they all speak different languages, each of them know exactly what a clown is saying.

And a clown is a “vulnerable lover.” A clown loves all people, but a clown never forces himself on someone else. If a child is scared or frightened, a clown backs away. A clown is there to cheer people up and make them smile. A clown is not there to add to their griefs and burdens.

And a clown is a “servant person” who helps others. Never does a clown hurt or harm someone else. A clown takes all the pain and suffering upon himself. Much like Jesus did upon the cross. There are a lot of connections between Jesus and a clown.

Powerful Sign Language

And then for the grand finale, Floyd led an entire communion service from beginning to end without saying a single word. And I kept wondering how in the world was he going to do this, especially when it came to the communion portion of the service.

For I was taught in seminary that you had to say the words. The verba, we called them. The original words of Jesus. “Take eat, this is my body given for you. Take drink, this is my blood pour out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

We were taught that these words had to be part of every service of Holy Communion.  And I was wondering how this “clown” was going to consecrate the elements without them.

Bread & Wine; Body & Blood

But he did it. He really did. When we got to that part of the service, he took a loaf of bread in one hand and a cross in the other. And he held it up for all the world to see.

And then sloooowly and powerfully he “impaled” the bread upon the cross. And you could feel Jesus being nailed to the cross. You could feel it in your bones. And then, he took the bread and tore it. And you could see the body of Jesus torn and given as bread for the world.

And then, he took the cross and a bottle of wine. And he tipped the cross and began to pour it and fill the bottle. And you could see the blood of Jesus being poured out for the forgiveness of sin.

And it all made us laugh when he shook the cross a couple of times at the end to get every last drop out. You could see Jesus pouring every ounce of his life out for us. Every last drop.

A Loud Proclamation of Christ’s Death

And then, he broke and distributed the bread for all to eat. And he took that bottle and poured it out for everyone to drink. And I think I speak for everyone there, when I say that this meal spoke to us in a deeper way than any other communion service that I have ever been to.

The meal speaks for itself. And that gives to me a great comfort whenever I am up here speaking. I can have a bad day preaching. Or you can have a bad day hearing. And still you get the full message of the Gospel. You get it in the meal itself. The meal speaks for itself. It proclaims Christ’s death and resurrection.

Those who Eat Become the Body of Christ

And yet, the words are helpful. Especially those first original words of Jesus, the verba. Which is why the tradition included them right from the start.

And those words are particularly helpful when we start talking about the next part of the action. How those who gather around the bread and wine also become the “body” of Christ. We are the “body” of Christ. The baptized. The believers.

And Jesus takes us in his hands. And he lifts us up to God. And he blesses us. And he breaks us. And distributes us. For the sake of the world.

And it is much like Floyd’s clown ministry. In baptism we die to what we once were, so that a new character can arise. And we speak not only in our words, but also in our deeds and in our actions. And we are out to lift other people and bring them cheer (the good news of the Gospel) and not add to their griefs and burdens. And we become a “servant person” like Jesus did.

All this is involved in the meal of communion. Those who gather around the bread and wine become the “body and blood” of Christ who have given themselves for the sake of the life of the world.

Holy Communion is a meal that speaks and talks. It speaks through its sign language. And it is just as Saint Paul said: “It proclaims the Lord’s death until he comes.”

© 2009 Pastor Paul Jaster