The Body AND the Blood

(I cheated. There were no subways involved in the making of this story.)

The wafer morsel crumbled to pieces as I cracked it from the larger cracker. I held on to what I could, and prepared to dip it into the cup. Much of what was left was held gently between my thumb and index finger. Careful not to dip my fingers into the communal grape juice, I more or less simulated a dipping of the bread into the juice.

As I sat, eyes closed and pensive, considering the cross, I took the bread. It was dry as it crunched between my teeth and got stuck in my molars. It really is lacking without the juice.

As is the case with the body and the blood. Christ’s life serves as example for us to live by. His body (the bread) is a perfect illustration of God’s person-- His Character, His Love. But without the blood shed for us, to redeem us from our sins, His life is nothing more than an illustration of how to be a “good-person.” Both the earthly example of God’s love and the fulfillment of the blood sacrifice are necessary for the canyon that separates us from the Lord to be filled first by his grace and mercy, then by His unyielding desire for us to have a relationship with our Creator and Redeemer.

The next time you break bread as a church family, whether it be weekly, monthly, quarterly, do it in remembrance of both his life AND death. unfortunately, we just can’t have one without the other.