Broken Bread, Poured Out Wine
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. (I Cor. 11:24)
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
(Is. 53:11-13)
We are all familiar with the events surrounding the celebration of the Passover, the night before Jesus death. We affectionately call it, “the Last Supper.”
That night, Jesus stood among his disciples, and took bread and broke it in front of them. He declared it to be a symbol of His body. “This is broken for you”, He said. Then, taking the cup, He said, “This is my blood…which is shed for many.” Concluding these things, Jesus said, “This do in remembrance of me.”
Though we often refer to and quote these verses for our communion services, I can’t help but wonder if perhaps Jesus also had a broader interpretation in mind. On a grassy hillside, Jesus saw a multitude, hungry, and had compassion on them. Taking the few loaves of bread that were available, He gave thanks, broke them, and fed thousands.
As I contemplate these events, a single thought comes to mind. We are to be imitators of Jesus. And just like Jesus, I think that the Lord wants us to allow Him to ‘break’ us, and allow ourselves to be broken and given for the refreshment of many. I think God wants us to allow ourselves to be ‘poured out’ for His purposes, and be those ‘elements’ who will be “intercessors for the transgressors.” How does Jesus break us? In many ways, and in many areas of our lives, we have all been broken at one time or another. But instead of fighting our brokenness, I believe the Lord would have us submit ourselves to it, and showing the grace and mercy of the Lord, reach out to the ungodly, lost and lonely, and the hurting and rejected. After all, is not this exactly what Jesus Himself has done for us?
For me, this gives new meaning to the words Jesus spoke, and a grander view to all He calls me to endure in my life, and for His sake. Are we WILLING to be ‘broken bread, and poured out wine’ in love to Him?
Dennis M. Carey
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