Communion: Yours, Mine, and Ours

The Lord s Supper. Luke 22:14-20 ....

When the hour had come, he sat down with the twelve apostles. 15 He said to them, I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, 16 for I tell you, I will no longer by any means eat of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. 17 He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, Take this, and share it among yourselves, 18for I tell you, I will not drink at all again from the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of God comes. 19 He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me. 20 Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Then He took bread, and after giving thanks He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” – Luke 22:19 (NET)

And so He gave you His body. This is yours. It is yours to cleanse your soul. It is yours to cement your bond with Jesus. It is yours to remind yourself that you belong to Him.

And after taking the cup and giving thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is My blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. – Matthew 26:27-28 (NET)

Jesus called it “My blood,” but in some ways, I like to think about it as though it were my own. Not that mine is poured out, but that it has been poured out for me. What are the sins that my share of Jesus’ blood was poured out for? An obvious one is gluttony—I bear the physical marks of that one in my body.
Of course, I could rattle off more. Pride, wrath, lust, envy, sloth, and greed round out what are called the “Seven Deadly Sins,” and I have committed every one of them. But, thanks be to our God and Lord Jesus Christ, He gave a portion of His blood for me, and I am forgiven. I am no longer a slave to my sin. So think of this that we’re about to drink as “My blood.” What have you been forgiven?

Author’s note: At my church, we give an offering immediately after the Lord’s Supper, and the same man presides over both.

All who believed were together and held everything in common, and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need. – Acts 2:44-45 (NET)
For Macedonia and Achaia are pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. – Romans 15:26 (NET)

Whether this money that we are about to give stays local, or goes around the world to alleviate suffering and spread the Gospel, we can see it as “Ours.” It is through this love and sharing that we pool our resources and share with each other and with Christians around the world.