1 April 2010
Psalm 102; Lam. 2:10-18; 1 Cor. 10:14-17, 11:27-32; Mark 14:12-25

The mourning over Jerusalem continues but moves toward the understanding that they are to blame for all that has happened. The prophets have prophesied falsely and because they have done so the people have had no warning, no chance to repent of their sin. This is the Lord’s doing because of their sin, but who would ever have thought He would have carried it out and destroyed the place where His Name is made known. The prophet makes no pretense of innocence or justice, they have gotten what they deserve. To hear this prophetic word would be difficult to say the least. We never like to look within when things go badly in our lives and take the responsibility, much less in this situation. His advice is to allow the grief and guilt to roll down over them in order that they resolve to change.

Jesus re-interprets the symbolism of the feast and in the process gives us a new sacrament. When He does this is important, at the Passover feast, the memorial of the people’s deliverance from Egypt. They are remembering the plague of the death of the firstborn in Egypt, with the exception of those whose doorposts were covered in the blood of the Passover lamb. The festival called the people to a remembrance of that night when God’s people were clearly identified and they truly became the people of God through His mercy towards them. We are those who have received mercy we did not merit through the body and blood of Jesus. Obedience to the command (mandatum thus Maundy Thursday) is in line with that Passover feast. The sacrifice of Jesus was once offered, we simply keep it as remembrance of what He has done for us and the continuing benefit of the sacrifice.

Paul gives instruction as to the taking of communion. He has been talking about them not sharing in feasts to idols, even for the sake of evangelism, and now turns to how we are to share in the feast of the body and blood of Jesus. We are to “discern the body.” What he clearly means is that we are to confess our sins and prepare ourselves for eating the bread and drinking the cup, not because he believes in some magical properties of bread and wine, but also not because the feast is a memorial, but that something real happens in that feast. If something real were not present there would be no physical consequences such as those Paul mentions. We share in this communion as those who have confessed our sins and committed our lives to the One who gave His life for us. Obedience to the command requires us to be obedient to have prepared ourselves to receive the cup of grace and mercy as forgiven sinners.

Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:
that he looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,
to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die,