Terra and I recently went out to a fantastic Thai restaurant. We ordered something called Tom Ka. I have no memory of ever eating it, but the moment I tasted its unique flavor I knew I had enjoyed it long ago. Most likely it was when I was overseas, but I was not sure. Even though I could not remember exactly when I had enjoyed that unique flavor, I was still filled with the feelings of excitement and joy that I experienced last time I encountered it years ago.
Something long forgotten can instantly be brought to the forefront of our minds by a smell, a taste, a sound, or a location. A while ago I read a book by Skye Jethani called What if Jesus Was Serious About Prayer? In one chapter, he talks about the importance the Bible puts on remembering. Many times we see God telling the Isrealites to do something out of remembrance for what He has done for them. Jethani points out that the Hebrew understanding of remembrance and our modern view of it are quite different. He references the theologian Paul Bradshaw, who said, “In the Jewish world, remembrance was not a purely mental activity … it was not simply about nostalgia for the past, but about asking God to remember His people and complete His saving purpose today.” Jethani goes on to say, “To remember meant to bring all the power from the past event into the present.”
At the last supper, Jesus told his disciples to “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). If remembering brings all the power from a past event into the present, then when we take communion, we are bringing the world-changing power of Christ’s sacrifice into the present. Wow. We do not solely take communion to remember what Christ did. We do it in remembrance of Him so that the power of His sacrifice can be brought into our lives TODAY. Christ’s death and resurrection are not just things in the past that we benefit from. We are privileged to walk in that resurrection power in the here and now. I am being healed now. I am being saved now. I am being transformed now. I am being forgiven now.
When you drink from the cup and eat the bread this week during communion, think about how the power of Christ's sacrifice is being brought into our present lives. Thank you Jesus!