Advent Devotional: Day 24

And when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.  And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”  And  He took a cup, and when He had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. And He took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”  And likewise, the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with Me on the table. For the Son of Man goes as it had been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”  And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to this.  Luke 22:14-23 ESV

The invitation to come to the table was offered every so often for believers to partake of the cup and the bread; I only watched, not because I was not a believer, but because of an allergy.  I became a believer at age eleven, but I had not participated in the Lord’s Supper until I was in my thirties. I couldn’t drink the grape juice.

I remember taking the special cup the pastor set aside for me. I sat in my seat holding my first cup, tears running down my face. As I looked around, I experienced a moment of joy. Those around me went through the ritual they experienced every time the invitation was given to come to the table.

But for me, I finally had a place at the table. I could partake and it was more than a ritual for me, it still is. The cup is filled with the opportunity to be a part of the body of Christ. The invitation to come to the table became a calling for me later. Even though I was a member of the body, I felt I did not belong. My shame identity caused me to struggle even as I took the elements of the Lord’s Supper.  God called me to “Come To The Table” and replace that identity with the one the Lord’s Supper represents.

The joy of this event is indescribable.  It is a renewal of the calling I felt at eleven, “Come, you have a seat here.”  But not until this year did I ever feel I belonged. Now as I partake, my joy is complete because of the confident Hope I have in my true identity. The cup was once a stumbling block, now it is the living water I need to cleanse me and my thoughts.

Lord, never let me take the elements of the Lord’s Supper for granted.