The Power of the Eucharist

      There is a wonderful prayer that I say every Sunday when I am behind the altar celebrating the Eucharist.  It starts by recalling the moment in the Last Supper when Jesus took the bread, held it up and told his disciples:  This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.  After supper, he took the cup of wine and said to them:  Drink you all of this. This is my blood which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.  As often as you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.  This prayer has been with us for two thousand years, helping us to understand that when we receive the bread and wine of the Eucharist, we are receiving the body and blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

            Eucharist is an important moment in our worship.  In this place, it is available for any of you.  You don’t need a ticket to participate.  God’s love is here and now and it is for all of us.  We don’t need to be a part of a special group to receive it.  All of this is made clear by the Gospel of Luke in the story of the two travelers on the road to Emmaus who meet a man on the road whom they don’t know.  They are a bit astounded that he doesn’t seem to know what has gone on in the last couple of days – how Jesus the prophet was betrayed by the religious establishment, given over to Pilate the governor, tried and crucified.  Now they say that some women have said that the tomb is empty and that they don’t know what has happened to Jesus’ body.  The stranger went on to explain the scriptures to them and point out every place in them where the Son of God is present.  When they get to the place where they were going, the stranger seems to want to continue his travel, but they invite him to come and to break bread with them.  Jesus does so and in the context of the meal, breaks the bread and drinks the wine and all of a sudden, he is made known to them as the risen Christ.  He then disappears and they go on with their lives, amazed at what they have seen. 

            The other thing that strikes me about this story is that it begins by saying that two of Jesus’ disciples were on the road to Emmaus. One of them is named Cleopas.  Cleopas is not a name that I am familiar with and it suggests to me that our normal understanding of twelve disciples may need to be expanded a bit.  Jesus had the last supper with the twelve that we know, and this post resurrection supper with two who may have been left out of some of the other stories.  This is unimportant, but it tells me that the number of the disciples has grown and continues to grow.  It also amazes me a bit that none of the women are mentioned as a part of those who attended the Last Supper.  Elsewhere in the story, the women are prominent, certainly at the crucifixion and at the resurrection, it is the women who made the most difference.  The men had drifted away.  But here are two new men who carry the story of meeting the risen Christ on the road with them as they get on with their lives. 

            All of this is why the Eucharist is such an important part of our worship.  It is the celebration of the presence of Jesus Christ, the Son of God in our midst and in our lives.  As I suggested to you last week, facts are lacking, then and also in this story.  It isn’t a provable concept.  It involves faith and belief.  The two men on the road to Emmaus had a life changing experience.  That is evident from listening to the story; and always what I hope your receiving the Eucharist is also.  Here we are in a worshipping community that has promised to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbors as persons like ourselves.  I can’t imagine a more welcoming community to be a part of.

            Our lives don’t always go well.  We all experience ups and downs and sometimes great grief as our days go on.  Here is where we can find comfort and compassion when we need it and also joy and fellowship on a regular basis.  You all bring important talents to this community.  You have the ability to listen and to share your lives.  That makes a difference.  We bring with us our joys and our failures with us when we come to this place to worship.  That always gives us a basis for conversation.  When we share our lives with each other, I hope that compassion and mercy are the major part of our response to each other.  When we do that, God’s infinite love is present among us.  There is nothing more wonderful that we can share.