Bread and Truth (John 13-17)
I met an convert who told me that when he was a Catholic he wanted to be the best, actually the Pope. Convinced by the priests he was a sinner however he became instead the best at the other end, in fact a hitman. He said he would wait until the end of the week to commit the crime so that after confession he was made right in time for Sunday Mass. How out of touch we can end up in a set of rules and distorted teachings.
In fact the essence communion was the love feast of the early gathering of Jesus followers. It was not actually a wafer and sip, or bread dipped, but rather the believers eating together their main daily meal. We can see at the Passover feast (John 13: 24-28) a very different context as Jesus uses what we believe is communion to identify the disciple who was about to betray him. The disciple leans close to Jesus in confidence and asks which of the twelve is the betrayer. Jesus uses the bread dipped to signify who it will be and gave it to Judas. How things have changed when the Church now dips the bread to bring the individual into community rather than, as Jesus did, signifying seperation.
Notice the words in the reading, "Now after the bread, Satan entered him." We learn that Judas was helping himself to the money box and consequently might think from this that Satan then had touched him. These words "entered him" suggests Satan was tempting Judas but now Satan possessed him. Jesus said that one already sins when the desire enters the heart. Here the shepherd orchestrates his own betrayal as he taught us to pray the Father, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." However the Lord's prayer also says, "Give us this day our daily bread...and...deliver us from evil."
The way stay remain right with God is not so much about communion with bread and wine, dipped or undipped, but rather as he says by believing Jesus. Sanctification is associated with the coming of the Holy Spirit saying, "He will convict the world of sin... because they do not believe in Me." (Jn 16:8-9) Obviously Judas did not believe Jesus rather taking things into his own hands. However it was prophecied that the son of perdition would betray Jesus to accomplish the Father's purposes. Jesus makes it clear in these four chapters of John that believing in the truth in fact sets us free.
Jesus speaks concerning prophecy, "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass you will believe." (Jn 14:29) Then he speaks concerning righteousness saying, "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." (Jn 15:3) Jesus follows this concerning their safety, "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble." (Jn 16:1) Later Jesus reveals how they are kept safe when he prays the Father, "Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth." (Jn 17:17)
Victory is in the still small voice of Gods Spirit whispering truth to guide us away from peril. Best we listen to him; hear what the Spirit says to the Church.
In fact the essence communion was the love feast of the early gathering of Jesus followers. It was not actually a wafer and sip, or bread dipped, but rather the believers eating together their main daily meal. We can see at the Passover feast (John 13: 24-28) a very different context as Jesus uses what we believe is communion to identify the disciple who was about to betray him. The disciple leans close to Jesus in confidence and asks which of the twelve is the betrayer. Jesus uses the bread dipped to signify who it will be and gave it to Judas. How things have changed when the Church now dips the bread to bring the individual into community rather than, as Jesus did, signifying seperation.
Notice the words in the reading, "Now after the bread, Satan entered him." We learn that Judas was helping himself to the money box and consequently might think from this that Satan then had touched him. These words "entered him" suggests Satan was tempting Judas but now Satan possessed him. Jesus said that one already sins when the desire enters the heart. Here the shepherd orchestrates his own betrayal as he taught us to pray the Father, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." However the Lord's prayer also says, "Give us this day our daily bread...and...deliver us from evil."
The way stay remain right with God is not so much about communion with bread and wine, dipped or undipped, but rather as he says by believing Jesus. Sanctification is associated with the coming of the Holy Spirit saying, "He will convict the world of sin... because they do not believe in Me." (Jn 16:8-9) Obviously Judas did not believe Jesus rather taking things into his own hands. However it was prophecied that the son of perdition would betray Jesus to accomplish the Father's purposes. Jesus makes it clear in these four chapters of John that believing in the truth in fact sets us free.
Jesus speaks concerning prophecy, "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass you will believe." (Jn 14:29) Then he speaks concerning righteousness saying, "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." (Jn 15:3) Jesus follows this concerning their safety, "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble." (Jn 16:1) Later Jesus reveals how they are kept safe when he prays the Father, "Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth." (Jn 17:17)
Victory is in the still small voice of Gods Spirit whispering truth to guide us away from peril. Best we listen to him; hear what the Spirit says to the Church.
Comments