I’ve had children ask me
before, why do I pretend the bread and wine are the body and blood of Jesus,
when they really aren’t?
The Bible says that the bread we break is a
participation in the body of Christ. The wine is a communion with the blood of
Christ. Somehow we are sharing in Jesus’ body and blood when we do this. Not
just remembering him and eating bread and wine. Rome’s answer to this is that
the bread and wine change physically, though we can’t see it. The Lutheran
answer is that Jesus’ body and blood is right here around the elements, though
the bread and wine don’t change. Zwingli said it’s all in our head, in what we
remember. We think that Calvin got it right. There is a special spiritual union
between ourselves and the body and blood of Jesus that really feeds our souls
and saves us, as we have true faith in our hearts. This union is more real than
a physical union is. The Spirit does this while the body of Jesus stays up in
heaven where He sits at God’s right hand.
It isn’t for us to figure
out the mechanics beyond this. Enjoy fellowship and communion with the Lord and
with His people. Know that God’s goal for you is that you be fixed and
forgiven, fully known and yet accepted and loved.
10/7/12
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