Minding the Lord's Supper

Khen Lim



Image source: mercerjourney.com

It isn’t far-fetched a claim to say that even ‘strong’ Christians who are so Christ-engaged in many other ways can still underestimate the importance of the Lord’s Supper. While they immerse themselves in different ministries and pouring the hours and effort to doing their part, it is possible that when it comes to the Lord’s Supper, the same attention and focus might not be as high. And perhaps there might be a few things we should be mindful of.

Firstly, there are those of us who somewhat think that because they partook of the communion, their ‘latest sins’ are forgiven. This attitude and practice is apparent among those who don’t come on the usual Sunday services unless where there is Holy Communion.

However the Lord’s Supper isn’t about pardoning sins. And neither does it hold any special arcane power. When we remember the body and blood of Christ during communion, we accept that they are offered for our forgiveness. And then when we partake of them at the Lord’s Table, we do so in sobering memory of it. 1 Cor 11:25 puts this in the best possible words, saying, ‘Do this in remembrance of Me.’

Secondly, this misconception leads some to (wrongly) believe that forgiveness for sins would not be granted for those who are unable to partake of the Lord’s Supper on any given Sunday that is, at least until which time, communion takes place again, which may be a week or a month thereafter depending on the church practice. 

Naturally if we aren’t able to be with the disciples, we do miss showing the Lord’s death till He returns. But it sells the Lord short if we think that He doesn’t know why when we cannot do it. After all, the Lord does not expect the impossible or the improbable from any of us. Just that we do what we can when we do our best for Him.

Thirdly, with the Lord’s Supper, disciples come together in unison and in communion according to what we understand of the tradition portrayed in the New Testament. Put another way, Scripture does not record Paul, at any time, observing the Lord’s Supper privately and individually, and neither did any of the other apostles. 

None of them did so in the privacy of their own homes or during their travels or wherever they were after they dispersed. It was only when they were able to assemble the disciples together as one that the Lord’s Supper could then be observed in its intended proper manner and setting.

Scripture is replete with a simple ‘Remember’ command and Deuteronomy, for example, bears many of them. The idea is that God does not ever want us to forget the things He commands us to remember. 

Here in the New Testament, God made Paul be the bearer of yet another reminder and one in which there is much to benefit from if and when we regularly observe and reflect on the true purpose of the Lord’s Supper. In that sense, when we absent ourselves from observance, we not only forfeit our privilege but the Lord will certainly not view our disobedience with favour.

Other than remembering the death of Christ, there is also importance in the fellowship of togetherness among those who share in our faith in the Lord. And that togetherness is so poignantly reflected in at least four instances through 1 Corinthians 11: ‘when you meet together’ (v.17); ‘when you meet as a church’ (v.18); ‘when you meet together’ (v.20), ‘when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other’ (v.33).

Without a doubt, the Lord wants us to be brought together as one in observing the Supper.