Lectionary 20B [Pr 15]
Grace Lutheran Church
Lakeland, FL
August 15, 2021
Proverbs 9:1-6
Psalm 34
Ephesians 5:15-21
John 6:51-58
Grace to you and peace from God and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please pray with me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Over these past weeks in our readings from the Gospel of St. John we have been looking at Jesus’ seemingly audacious claim – I AM the Bread of Life. We saw the abundance with which Jesus fed the thousands. We considered the deep hunger we have for the bread that satisfies. Last week we looked at how we grow in our relationship with God and each other as we feed on the bread of life in the everyday ordinariness of our lives. And today we are looking at the Sacrament by which we are fed every Sunday, the Holy Eucharist. Or as some of us know it – Holy Communion or the Sacrament of the Altar or the Holy Meal or the Lord’s Supper.
Many of us have received Holy Communion for years and years, decades and decades. For others of us, it may be more recent. Some of us may wonder what it really is that happens in this sacrament. Some may not question it but only participate. And some may be mystified by the whole thing. So let me offer these words from Brother Martin Luther: this sacrament is “the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ himself” of which we as followers of Jesus partake. This is not a rote ritual. This is not a fond remembrance of Jesus and the Last Supper. This is something quite vital and dynamic and so important to our life together that we celebrate it every Sunday that we are able.
Jesus, the Bread of Life is truly and really present in this meal. What you receive when we commune together is bread and wine, yes; and in a mysterious and unsearchable way, we receive Jesus into our very being.
There are mysteries in our life, things that we see and watch and even partake in but that are not explainable to our rational mind. How is it that in the looking into the eyes of a newborn child, parental love itself is born? Who can explain that? How is it that from the mind and the being of Bach music comes forth? Who can explain that in rational terms? And the tears that fall from sadness or grief or joy, tears that speak volumes from our inner being, who can explain these? No, each of these are not meant to be dissected and understood; they are to be lived and felt and experienced. Taking them at face value and basking in the mystery of them. So it is with the Holy Eucharist. We do not understand it, we as people of faith do not dissect it. Yet time upon time we come to the Table to eat and drink. And in this we are nourished and sustained; fed and strengthened. In ways that defy our understanding. This mystery is a secret being revealed in the eating and drinking and in our lives that are changed because of it. Thanks be to God.
But that’s not all there is. This is a feast of which we partake together. And we do this mindful of Jesus’ abundance, our deep hunger, and our connection with each other. In this is found the fullness of this Holy Meal.
I’d like for you to think about a favorite meal. Perhaps it was a family holiday. Maybe Thanksgiving when the turkey was perfectly browned, the potatoes mashed with rich cream, the pumpkin pie with the dollop of cool whip. All this served on a table with special dishes, maybe the holiday china, and maybe even candles were lit. Or maybe it was a wonderful meal in a restaurant with a loved one. On our honeymoon, Earl and I indulged in an extravagant meal in a fine restaurant and for dessert our server prepared Strawberries Romanoff tableside as Earl and I gazed into each other’s eyes. Or maybe it was a welcome lunch with a long time friend after this very dry time of social distancing – and there wasn’t a BLT that ever tasted better. Luscious abundance.
Now, we could very well have been adequately nourished with a turkey sandwich at home, but there was something much richer, much more gratifying in our sharing this meal with others. There is a community in this. A companionship. Companion – one whom we love. The word companion in Latin means “with bread.” “Com” is “with.” “Pan” is bread – as in Panera. Companion – one with whom we “bread,” “Eat,” share a table. We each are companions one to the other as we come to the Table Jesus has prepared for us.
Many of us eat meals alone. We warm up some leftovers. We may pull a Lean Cuisine out of the freezer. And we receive nourishment. And that is adequate. But hardly the abundance that our soul craves and that Jesus offers in this Holy Meal.
So, our liturgy offers us a window into this abundance. Please open your worship folders to the liturgy of Holy Communion. This is called the Great Thanksgiving – because we approach the Holy Table with grateful hearts for the gifts that we are about to receive. In the Preface we recount the wonderous salvation that Jesus prepared for us. This gives rise to the hymn we join with all the company of heaven as we say, “Holy holy holy Lord.” This is a most sacred moment as we are literally and mysteriously joined with all who have gone before us proclaiming the majesty of the Risen Lord.
Then we offer a Thanksgiving at the Table, not unlike our praying before we partake of our daily supper. We recognize the magnificent love and mercy of God as God has persistently reached out to us with abundant grace. We offer the words that Jesus did on the night he was betrayed. And in ways that cannot be comprehended, but only perceived in faith, we hear that bread and wine is given “for us.” For our forgiveness. For our strengthening. For our sustenance. For us – for all of us gathered together.
This is a Table for which no reservations are needed. No tickets required. This is a Table for all. For all who are weak. For all who are hungry. Do you feel unworthy? Yep, me too. Do you have scars in your life? Yep, me too. Do you have regrets? Yep, me too. We are invited to a feast that fills the hole in our soul and strengthens us to continue our life in Christ.
My dear ones, at the Holy Table the gifts of God are offered to the people of God. Blessed are those who come with open hands and hungry hearts. We shall leave satisfied.
Sing – Come, come whoever you are
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving
Ours is no caravan of despair
Come, yet again, come.
Thanks be to God.
