“Body Language/Communion”
At the beginning of the Bible – there is the story of God rescuing Israel from slavery in Egypt.
The story is called the “Exodus” and it is never forgotten and flavours the rest of the story of God as contained in the Bible.
The Exodus stands as the pattern and example of how humans are enslaved by forces and how God rescues them and leads them into a new life.
Within the story of the Exodus, there are key moments.
This morning – we participate in one such moment again. The Passover meal.
Communion; the Lord’s Supper.
Insofar as a Christian practice – while there are many different approaches and understanding towards communion – I have found that the vast majority of Christians approach communion with a high level of expectation, reverence and gratitude.
In short – it means a lot to many Christians.
That’s heartening.
But what about this morning? What about this time? What’s your expectation and approach to communion today?
Let’s consider just one element of the story of the Passover meal.
Last week we looked at the story of the anointing of Jesus through the lens of the phrase “she did what she could”.
In preparing our hearts to take communion this morning – let’s consider the story of the Passover meal (communion) through the lens of “body language”.
We first learn of the Passover Meal in Exodus 12.
Israel has been enslaved for over 400 years; God has sent Moses to lead them out of slavery; there has been a battle royale and 9 plagues have hit Egypt.
The Passover Meal is observed on the night of the 10th and worst plague.
The angel of death will go through the land and kill the firstborn male of every living thing.
However, wherever the angel sees blood smeared on the doorframe of a household – as instructed by Moses – the angel will “Passover” and not harm that household.
After this plague – such will be the fear, grief and anger in Egypt – Israel will be set free.
So on this night – before any of this happened – the Israelites were told to prepare and eat this strange meal.
And from that time forward – to observe this meal as a way of remembering that night.
They were instructed what to eat and how to cook it.
But let’s just consider the one aspect of that first Passover. The body language.
[Read Exo 12:11-13]
The body language is that they ate that first Passover meal on their feet, clothed ready to go, and they ate quickly.
It wasn’t symbolic – it was necessary.
Once the 10th plague hit things would change suddenly.
The word to leave could come at any moment and they needed to be ready to go immediately.
That first Passover was eaten with urgency.
That night danger was imminent. Their lives were under threat.
…and it was a night of answered prayer from years of crying out to God for freedom from bondage.
So there you have it – danger, hope, urgency, redemption all mixed in together.
Then thereafter the Passover was celebrated every year (although with some moments in history when it wasn’t).
And we come to the time of Jesus.
One night He too ate the Passover meal with His disciples.
In considering this meal – again we consider this moment by reflecting on the body language.
[read Mark 14:17-26]
Body language?
Note the change in body language from eating the Passover in haste, and with sandals on their feet and dressed to run; to now they were reclining.
And we know from John their sandals were off from the foot washing by Jesus.
Now – it might seem a bit silly to compare the fact that the first Passover was marked by people eating it hurriedly, dressed ready to run; and at the time of Christ they were eating it reclining.
So it needs to be said that reclining was simply the way people dined at that time in history. Just as we sit at a table now they reclined.
However, there is also that sense that as they settled down to the Passover meal which still held immense significance – there wasn’t the same sense of urgency as that first Passover meal.
There wasn’t in the minds of the disciples the threat of danger and evil that had been evident in Egypt all those years before.
Yet we know from reading the story of Jesus just how evil and dark that night was.
Just how dangerous things were.
Had the disciples known that night – really known maybe they too would have instinctively been on their feet eating hurriedly attuned to what was going to happen soon.
Yet there they were – in the presence of evil and darkness; in the presence of the answer to generations of prayer; in the presence of redemption.
Jesus said many puzzling things that night over that Passover. Yet it all amounted to the fact that all the Passovers celebrated in all the years prior – were pointing to this moment.
The real Passover when again blood would be spilt and the means by which the angel of death would “passover” all who associated with that blood.
This Passover – through the Passover Lamb Christ Himself – would mean the freedom and liberation from death and sin.
Yet in that moment – the danger was real.
Each of the Gospel writers finish their account of the Last Supper with a sense of foreboding.
Each account details Jesus giving warnings to His disciples, but they don’t understand and all the while the time is drawing near and the darkness is growing.
And then the meal is finished. The angel of death is nearer – and it is time to leave.
Matthew and Mark record that they sung a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
John records in more detail the conversation between Jesus and Judas at the table. Then it finishes with Judas taking the bread – the sign that he was the one who would betray Jesus – and then the chilling comment is made that Judas went out – “and it was night”.
“Night” in every sense.
Luke records another conversation about the growing hostility the disciples would be facing. The disciples said “See, Lord, here are two swords”.
All the while the tension builds.
In contrasting the first Passover with this Passover – the danger and significance has increased and is all the more powerful – but the awareness on the part of the participants is totally lacking.
From eating it with urgency ready to run – to eating it reclining and not picking up the signals about the very near danger.
But what about now?
I mean – the first example was different surely. That very first Passover meal. Sure we can maybe derive a lesson from it about their urgency – but it’s not like a plague is about to hit us.
And sure – maybe there’s some principle we can glean from the experience of the disciples, but again, that was a one-off.
You know – Jesus was there in the flesh and hours from the Cross. But we are now 2000 years after the event.
So again – yes – we see how they might have missed the clues and failed to be attentive and urgent at that Passover meal; but again – surely at this point in history and knowing what we know – it’s not quite the same.
Surely the sense of urgency and the presence of danger has passed?
Let’s consider one more example of “body language” then.
Within a church setting.
[read 1 Cor 11:17-22, 27-32]
Put very simply – at that time in church history, people would bring the food and drink to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
It was more than cubes of bread and small plastic cups of fruit juice. It was a meal.
Problem being you had rich and poor in the same church. Having rich and poor in the same church is brilliant – but when it came to food and drink the rich brought heaps and the poor brought little or nothing.
So when it came the time to eat and drink in remembrance of Jesus – the rich muscled in and ate and drank heaps and the poor were elbowed out of the way (they hadn’t really contributed afterall) and so people were left hungry and others would be drunk.
The body language was very prominent.
It was self-centred and self-serving.
No focus on Jesus and no focus on others.
They literally muscled in and excluded others. Or just had their “private” meals while others went hungry.
And just like our other two examples – they were in the presence of danger and evil and the presence of God.
And they were unaware of either.
And so Paul makes the unnerving observation that the reason some were weak, sick – and in some cases dieing.
Now – it needs to be said that was case specific to the Corinthian church at that time. The thing was – they were under the discipline and judgment of God.
Details are scarce – so we need to be careful what conclusions are drawn.
Many have read these verses and withdrawn from communion through fear of taking the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner.
The counsel for us is to examine our heart before we eat and drink from the Lord’s table.
To consider our body language as it were.
Stepping back and surveying these three Biblical moments about the Passover meal (Lord’s Supper) – we can see this relaxing of the sense of urgency but no relaxation of presence of danger – of the presence of God.
That’s the key to bear in mind.
That when we take the bread and drink the cup – it is as Psa 23 puts it…
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows”.
And so to today. To you. This morning.
How do you approach this communion?
As such – what is your body language?
What does your posture say about your approach to communion this morning?
Obviously – when we serve communion for the most part you are directed to remain seated and the elements are brought to you.
But – if you had been given free reign this morning and you had been invited to take communion any way you like – I wonder what your posture would say about your awareness of what communion means today.
In the three moments in history that we have considered this morning; those three moments of great evil and greater redemption; they stood that 1st Passover; they reclined when they had it at the Last Supper; they muscled in at Corinth – what would you have done this morning?
If you had no inhibitions; didn’t care what others thought – what would you have done this morning?
Sat?
Knelt?
Stood?
Cut in line?
Do you take communion with a sense of urgency? With an awareness that evil still wars against humanity; that God still works His redemption every day.
Offers His creative power every day?
In Christ, your salvation is assured. Your forgiveness complete. Your access to the Father open.
None of that is in question.
But God’s mission is still being worked out in our world in our time.
Jesus said He would not drink the “fruit of the vine” until He drank it anew in the kingdom.
The end is still to come.
I suggest taking communion without a sense of urgency; without acknowledging the presence of evil and the greater presence of redemption and the power of God – is to miss the point of this Passover meal.
Presented By: Rev. Geoff New