Green Pastures and Still Waters
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“Struggling”
“The struggle is real.” Sometimes the phrase is used in jest, but often we really mean it! Life is a struggle. By definition, struggle is a “violent conflict.” It doesn’t have to be with another human enemy, it may be within. Some of the greatest struggles we face are the ones on the inside. There are emotional struggles, mental struggles and moral struggles, just to name a few. The sources are many, often the enemy or one of his minions is involved. The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. But Jesus said that He came to give life, or, in the context of our Hebrews study, He came to give us rest. That cannot mean that He came to remove all our struggles. His followers certainly had struggles. They were persecuted, they were rejected, some were beaten, some were in poverty and they all died! So since Jesus won’t remove all our struggles, what He does want to do is give us rest in the struggle. In other words, He wants to meet us in the conflict, in the tension and, in the frustration. He wants to bring rest to us, He wants to bring peace to us. And, He has given us His Word and Himself to help us. He knows. He knows what it is to struggle. He learned obedience by the things He suffered, yet He promised us His peace. So, these two things can be true at the same time; we can be struggling AND experiencing God’s rest. We have What we need and Who we need for this rest to be experienced…we just have to accept the invitation to the throne of grace.
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"Meal, Supper...Banquet"
The dinner table in the Bible, especially during Feasts of the Old Testament, are loaded with theological meaning. It’s no coincidence that many significant Biblical images are in the context of a dinner table – the Passover Meal, the Lord’s Supper, the Messianic Banquet, and the picture of Heaven as a Banquet… See, Potluck is theological!!!
As one scholar stated it, “The [Old Testament] seldom dissociates worship from eating. Dinner is not something that follows worship. Dinner is an integral part of worship.” Mealtime with Jesus at the center surrounded by community is an aspect of a life of worship. The Lord’s Supper, as we now call it, was initiated at a Table during a Passover Seder. It was at that table that Jesus conferred new meaning on that "Meal" and initiated a New Covenant. That's what we're going to talk about Sunday, the significance of the Lord's Supper, in context, followed by coming to the Table as a church to partake of the Lord's Supper, a tangible sign that nourishes our faith.
Guest blog - Pastor Josh Haus