“At the end of the day, you either believe or you don’t.”
The statement above is spectacularly offensive to proud human ears. Who dares tell us to “just believe, take their word for it”? We are intelligent. We’re educated. We live in the 21st century and have a seemingly unlimited portal to information. So don’t tell us to “just believe”. Prove it!
Now there are a good deal of horrible examples in human history of people following evil leaders just because they were told to go along with what these nefarious people said. There are countless tragic examples of broken trust in which individuals in whom many people put their deepest confidence were found to be unworthy of that trust. So, it is extremely wise to be very, very sure of the person or thing in which you are placing your confidence.
Jesus said much the same thing when people wanted to follow him. He almost seemed to discourage some by saying, “Don’t follow me because of your emotions. Make sure you know what you are getting into!” But once people came to the point where they were convinced by many and varied evidences that he is the Messiah, the Son of God, then he began to teach them the importance of trust. He did this not because he wanted blind followers, but because human beings are limited in what we can understand about the unlimited God.
One of Jesus’ teachings that continues to cause confusion among his followers is Holy Communion which he instituted the night before he was crucified. It is a shockingly simple ritual. Bread, wine, and the words, “Take and eat. This is my body and blood, given for you for the forgiveness of sins.” No need to take graduate level classes to do that!
What makes us stumble is that in such simplicity, the power of God is working on our behalf. In a supernatural way Jesus Christ comes to each participant in a uniquely personal manner to affirm his covenant with them and the forgiveness of their sins. So simple, yet so eternally awesome. How it happens we can’t understand. The simplicity of Holy Communion requires the humility to say, “I believe even though intellectually I am unable to grasp how it happens.” For many, the humility of such simplicity is too great an obstacle to overcome. What about you. When Jesus says, “Just believe,” can you humbly receive the blessing he offers?
Weekend worship service times: Saturday: 6:00 pm
& Sunday: 10:00 am
