Four Words to Remember

Maundy Thursday, 2011

This evening we celebrate – that is, we commemorate or remember – a central event in the life of the Church. We may call it The Last Supper, or the Passover, or Eucharist (from the Greek word meaning “giving thanks”), and for many centuries Anglicans have called it Holy Communion, meaning “that which unites us.”

Whatever we call this event, I would like us to suggest that we think about it in a different way this evening. I would like us to focus on just four words.

In the Gospels and in Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians, we are told that Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it. Those are the four words that we are going to concentrate on tonight.

At that Passover meal, Jesus used bread to give his disciples something very special, but that was not the only time that the Gospels tell us about Jesus using bread in a special way. One afternoon in Galilee, Jesus had been preaching and teaching all day long. In the evening, his disciples came to him and said, “these people are hungry. Tell them to go home and eat.” And what did Jesus do? He said, “feed them yourselves!” Then Jesus took five loaves of bread, blessed them, broke them, and gave and gave and gave until more than 5,000 people were fed and there were baskets of left-overs. How about another time Jesus used bread?

On the afternoon of Easter Sunday, two disciples were walking on the road. A stranger joined them and they talked as they went on their way. When evening came, the two disciples invited the stranger to eat with them and stay the night. At the table, the stranger took bread, blessed it, broke it, and when he gave it to them “their eyes were opened” and they saw that it was Jesus.

So, on many occasions, but especially the one we celebrate tonight, Jesus used bread. But that’s not the only thing we celebrate. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says “I am the bread of life.” Jesus not only took bread, he is bread. And yes, that means that the four words apply to Jesus, too.

God took Jesus from heaven and put him here among us. God blessed Jesus. At his baptism and again at his transfiguration, God’s voice was heard saying, “this is my beloved Son, on whom my favor rests. Hear him.”

And God broke Jesus. Just moments after the Last Supper, Jesus was arrested, beaten, insulted, humiliated, made to carry a cross, and tortured to death – for you and me – so that on the third day, God could give him to us – as our Risen Lord and Savior.

Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it. God took Jesus, blessed him, broke him, and gave him to us.

But the story doesn’t end here. In Ephesians, Paul tells us that we are the Body of Christ. At the end of Rite One Eucharist, we thank God that we are “very members” of Jesus. In this sense, “very” means “real” or “true” and “members” means “body parts.” We are God’s hands and feet in this world, God’s eyes and ears, heart and voice. God is present to this world through you and me.

And yes, that means that the four words also apply to us. God took us out of this world. At our baptism, we died and were born again, not as people of this world, but as citizens of God’s heavenly kingdom. And God blesses us with the Body and Blood of Jesus, with the gifts of the Holy Spirit at confirmation, and with all the sacraments and blessings that the Church gives us. And we are also broken – by sin and suffering, sickness, loss, despair, disaster, and ultimately death. All so that God can give us to this world – to be God’s hands and feet, eyes and ears, God’s very members!

That’s what I hope you’ll remember as we worship tonight – those four words. The bread of Holy Communion, Jesus himself, and you and me – taken, blessed, broken, and given. What a wonderful gift God has given us, not only to receive the Body of Christ, but to BE the Body of Christ – Jesus the head and we the members. Let us praise and thank God for this sacred mystery! Amen.