At the Table | Like Jesus

26 Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you broadcast the death of the Lord until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:26 (Common English Bible)

We like our religion comfortable. We like our church services predictable, our communion neat and tidy, our faith manageable. We prefer communion crackers that taste like cardboard to ones that might challenge us or make us uncomfortable.

But maybe there are times when communion should feel a little uncomfortable. Maybe there are times when following Jesus should push us out of our comfort zones and force us to confront parts of ourselves we'd rather ignore.

When Paul writes about proclaiming the Lord's death through communion, he's reminding us that we're not just participating in a nice religious ritual. We're declaring our allegiance to someone who was executed as a criminal. We're saying that the way of the cross, the way of sacrificial love, is the way we want to live.

That should make us a little uncomfortable sometimes. When we eat the bread, we're reminded that Jesus' body was broken for people who betrayed him, denied him, and abandoned him. When we drink the cup, we remember that Jesus' blood was shed for people who didn't deserve it.

And then we have to ask ourselves: if that's how Jesus loved, how should we love? If Jesus was willing to sacrifice everything for people who had turned their backs on him, how should we treat the people in our lives who have hurt us or let us down?

Communion challenges us to love like Jesus loved. To forgive like Jesus forgave. To serve like Jesus served. To sacrifice like Jesus sacrificed. And honestly, that can feel overwhelming. It's much easier to follow a religion that asks us to be nice, show up on Sundays, and avoid the really bad sins.

But Jesus doesn't call us to comfortable religion. He calls us to transformative relationship. He calls us to become people who love so radically that it changes not just our lives, but the lives of everyone around us.

Personal Application: In what areas of your life is God calling you to love more sacrificially? How might communion challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and love like Jesus loved?

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for loving us so completely that you were willing to give your life for us. Help us not make communion too comfortable or convenient. Challenge us through your sacrifice to love others the way you loved us – sacrificially, unconditionally, courageously. Transform us at your table into people who look more like you. Amen.