Matthew 26:20-34 Is Christ at the Table? March 26, 2006

A little girl asked her mother, “Mommy, why do you cut the ends off the meat
before you cook it?” The girl's mother told her that she thought it allowed the meat to better absorb the spices, but perhaps she should ask her grandmother since she always did it that way. So the little girl found her grandmother and asked, “Grandma, why do you and Mommy cut the ends of the meat off before you cook it?” Her grandmother thought a moment and answered, “I think it allows the meat to stay tender because it soaks up the juices better, but why don't you ask your great granny? After all, I learned from her, and she always did it that way.” The little girl was getting a little frustrated, but climbed up in her great-grandmother's lap and asked, “Nana, why do you cut the ends off the meat before you cook it?” Nana answered, “I had to; my cooking pot wasn't big enough.”
We do a lot of things in life, and seldom stop to ask why. This morning, we are continuing our series on the topic of the Lord's Supper and we want to better understand why we do what we do when we come to this table. One of the greatest mysteries which we may not understand is the fact that Jesus Himself promises to be with us in this meal. For many centuries, this mystery has caused argument and division in the body of Christ. This meal which Christ meant as a time of communal coming together has instead become a gathering place for debate and split. This table which was meant to call all people into fellowship has been misunderstood and used to push people away from God. Today, I want to see two important facts about this table of the Lord: 1. This is Christ's Table and He is present here at this Table. And 2. Because it is Christ's table, he calls all people to come and eat.

In many churches and denominations today, the Lord's Supper has become merely a memorial meal which is rarely understood. It is like the dinner which your church family brings over to your home after a funeral. It is appreciated, but your loved one is gone and all you can do is remember. The Communion table can be approached that way. We receive the bread and cup only to remember Jesus. He is not here with us. No special grace comes through this meal. It is only a memory. This is where many Christians are today. The Supper is poorly understood and not much emphasis is given to it in many churches today. It is, therefore, more and more common that this Supper of the Lord is being regulated to the back burner. Perhaps it is served quarterly, maybe four times per year. In a growing number of independent churches and in some denominations, the Supper is never served on Sunday, but is only served a couple of times per year and on Wednesday night. This is natural. We have forgotten what the Supper means and so it is easy to push it aside.

And yet, Jesus has commanded us to eat this bread and drink this cup until he comes again. And he commands this because he is at this table and in these elements by His Spirit and By His Grace. For over 250 years, Methodists have taught that Christ is really actually present in the ceremony of the Lord's Supper. This is not a memorial service, but is a living meal. We do not understand Jesus Christ as physically present in the bread and cup in the way of medieval Roman Catholicism where it was taught that the bread literally changed into flesh and the wine literally changed into blood due to the power of the priest's words. Instead, Christ is spiritually present by the power of the Holy Spirit who makes Christ present to the spirit of the believer. The Spirit brings Christ down to us. The love of God is expressed through the bread and the cup, signifying to us the death of Christ for us. When we come to this table, we come to the Passion, the sacrifice, of the Lord. It is not a memory of something done and gone many years ago in some far away land. It is grace and mercy still lasting, still new, still the same as when Christ was first offered for us. This bread and cup become for us the broken body and poured blood of Jesus as really present for us as if it were just happening now, today.

Once we have grasped the idea and been grasped by the idea that Jesus is here, then we may suddenly have thoughts that we are unworthy to come. It has been common in churches for centuries that there are folks who will not come to the table because they feel they are not good enough. Well, you are right. You are not good enough. But Jesus is here and He invites you to come. There are others who do not come to the table because someone has led them to believe that Christ will not receive them. Because of some sin, some fault, some fear, some doubt, they have been told that they are not welcome. But all are welcome because Christ is here and He invites you to come. Other folks do not come because they do not like the Communion service or maybe see it as not so important. I remember as a child how on Sunday mornings at church some folks would look in the sanctuary and leave when they saw that communion was being served. But we must come because Jesus is here and He invites you to come.

How many of you remember as a child going over to grandmother's house after church on Sunday for that special Sunday dinner? It was always a great feast. Roast beef and fried chicken. Vegetables everywhere. Home made biscuits with four kinds of home made preserves and apple butter. There was chocolate cake, a lemon pie, and an apple pie sitting on the side board. It had all been prepared by loving hands and the invitation was sent and you just had to come. There could be no thought of not going. Folks, Jesus Christ Himself has prepared for us a meal. He invites all to come. And we cannot turn Him down.

Some churches practice what is called “closed communion” whereby only members of that church may partake of the meal. But in our church, we have an open table. We have to do that because this is not my table. It is not our table. This Table belongs to Jesus. And Jesus invites all people to come. Now Christ does invite you to come with an intention and a purpose. You know at those Sunday dinners at your Grandmas house, you had better come with some intention and purpose. Sunday dinners at grandmas are not for the casual eater. You better come intending to eat and eat and eat some more. It was a family celebration and Grandma did not want you fooling around with her food. She made serious food for serious eaters. You could not just nibble and watch. You had to join the family and eat. Really eat. Do you know what I am talking about here? Well, Jesus calls us with similar intentions and purposes. The intention is that you are coming to be a part of the family. You want to love God and love your neighbor. And you are coming here to eat, to really partake of all that is being offered to you. And do you know what is being offered to you? This is the body and blood of Christ given for you. We do not take that casually. We are serious. We are intent. We come to this Table with the serious intention to receive all that is being offered.

Here today Jesus is with us to bring us a feast. He invites all to come. He offers to you His very self, his broken body and poured out blood. How can you turn Him down? Amen.