Dear Friends in Christ, For further reflection, here is a copy of the manuscript of the sermon that I preached at First Lutheran Church of Boston on the First Sunday in Lent, March 4, 2001, . Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Krueger
Let There Be Thanksgiving! By God's Eucharistic People.
Our text this morning is the earliest written record of the key words spoken at the Last Supper. In writing to the church in Corinth, about the year 54, St Paul, said, "For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, " This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." 1 Corinthians 11:23-25
Sharing in Holy Communion is not an intellectual experience but a spiritual one. I learned more about this sacred meal by sharing in it than by reading books or preaching sermons on it. What happens is a mystery. I grew in my faith in the real presence of the Lord at those weekly celebrations. I was continually strengthened by His nearness to me in the bread and wine. And because I truly believe that our Lord is really present in this Holy Meal as in no other way, I have throughout my ministry preached and taught and encouraged God’s people to be there at the Table of the Lord every Sunday to receive Him and His power. This morning I pray that the Holy Spirit would help you understand more fully the great blessings of this Holy Meal and move you to share in it as often as you can.
Our Lutheran Hymnals call this entire worship service "Holy Communion". That is the name most familiar to us, but this worship service is also known as the "Holy Eucharist". The New Testament was written in the Greek language, and the Greek word for "thanksgiving" is "Eucharist". From beginning to end, this worship service is a Thanksgiving Service and we are God's eucharistic people who have come together to give thanks.
The Words of Institution that we have memorized from the Catechism and is in the Hymnals is not found exactly like that anywhere in the Scriptures. Those Words are a collection of the words from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Only in Matthew are the words, "Take and eat" and "Drink of it, all of you." Only in Paul and Luke are the words "Do this". For a long time I thought that when Jesus said "Do this", he was telling us to eat and drink. But as I studied the earliest record of the Last Supper in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, and then looked at what is recorded in the first three Gospels, it became clear to me that the words "do this" needs to understood in the light of what Jesus is doing.
And so, what is he doing that he wants us to do? He is giving thanks as he presides at a Jewish thanksgiving meal. When he takes up the bread and the cup He gives thanks to the Father. And when He tells his believers to "Do this", He is telling us to be giving thanks in all that we do, to be Eucharistic people. Our whole worship service is to be a giving of thanks. And the blessing that he gives us in this Holy Meal is the body and blood of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins. We receive this blessing by thanking God.
This worship service, the Holy Eucharist, is not something new that we have created, or even something that comes from Luther. 100 hundred years after Paul, in the year 155, Justin Martyr wrote to the pagan emperor Antoninus Pius to explain what Christians did. Listen carefully as I read his letter, for it sounds very much like what we do here on Sunday morning when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper. He wrote:
"On the day we call the day of the sun, all who dwell in the city or country gather in the same place. The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as much as time permits. When the reader has finished, he who presides over those gathered, admonishes and challenges them to imitate these beautiful things. Then we all rise together and offer prayers for ourselves .. and for all others, wherever they may be, so that we may be found righteous by our life and actions, and faithful to the commandments, so as to obtain eternal salvation. When the prayers are concluded we exchange the kiss. Then someone brings bread and a cup of water and wine mixed together to him who presides over the brethren. He takes them and offers praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and for a considerable time he gives thanks that we have been judged worthy of these gifts. When he has concluded the prayers and thanksgiving, all present give voice to an acclamation by saying, "Amen". When he who presides has given thanks and the people have responded, those whom we call deacons give to those present the "eucharisted" bread, wine and water and take them to those who are absent."
With a few variations, we are following the same order for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist this morning. You as a congregation have called a pastor to preside over this gathering of thankful people. Like the presiding minister of 1850 years ago, your pastor does two things. He preaches on the lessons and gives thanks. He admonishes and challenges you to imitate the beautiful things we hear in the Scriptures that are read to us. And after our prayers for ourselves and others, and the gatherings of the offerings of money, bread and wine, he leads you in the Thanksgiving Meal. As your pastor’s assistant, I am privileged to preside along with him and at some services, to proclaim to you the Word of God.
Those early Christians could not conceive of gathering together for worship without thanking Christ for His gift of salvation by receiving him in the bread and wine. The Holy Eucharist is not just something added on or attached to the regular worship service. The entire worship service this morning is Holy Communion, the climax of which comes when Christ Jesus shares his body and blood with us and we share it with each other.
It seems to me that there is a growing trend in churches today to develop worship services around the perceived wants and needs of people. Polls are taken and surveys are done. Perceived needs include a strong desire to be entertained at worship as they are at home. Sermons should be like short bites. Others need to have a weekly moral uplift that will replace the boredom and weariness of life. And then there is that perceived need to have everything simple, simple, simple. Many prefer to be more passive than active in worship. "Don’t make us work too hard". And then there is that search for worship to "mean something for me in my life". I hope you don't come here for an uplifting psychology lesson. We come to offer up ourselves and to give praises to God. We open ourselves to what God may have to say to us.
After this earliest written record of the Last Supper, Paul tells the church in Corinth, and God tells us, that we are to "Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup". (I Cor. 11:28) The context of those words leads to the conclusion that we are to examine ourselves to see how we love and care for each other, how we respect and help each other, and how we welcome and care for our guests. Our examination ought to lead us to conclude that we have failed many times in welcoming each other, in loving each other as God loves us, in caring for each other, and in being patient with each other.
We are still sinners who have failed many times. Let us repent and turn again and only then "eat of the bread and drink of the cup" and receive Him and the forgiveness of our sins. When we were baptized we were joined to the death and burial and resurrection of Jesus and given a new life. that we might live this new life. Let us be Eucharistic people, thanking God that in the cross and sacrificial death of the Beloved Son, our sins and guilt has been canceled. But let us with Paul say, "Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (I Cor. 15:57)
And so my dear brothers and sisters, heed these beautiful words of Scripture from the pen of Paul, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Col 3:17) "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thess. 5:18)
Here are some more beautiful words from Paul to lift us up and encourage us as eucharistic people to gather Sunday after Sunday to thank our Lord and God: "Be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Eph. 5:18b-20)
Through my voice, Jesus now says to you, "Come, for all things are now ready." Come to the Table of Lord, you beloved people. And as you leave the Table of our Lord, remember these beautiful words of Paul "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Col 2:7) Come, let us give thanks to the Lord by eating his body and drinking his blood and you will be empowered by the Spirit for love. Amen.