1.
Grace, mercy,
and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. Amen. The message from God’s Word on this Maundy
Thursday is taken from 1 Cor. 11:23-32 and is entitled, “On the Night When He Was Betrayed,” dear brothers and sisters in
Christ.
2.
At age 96,
Claire’s eyes were bright, her smile contagious, and her faith strong. For many
years, God had granted her Lutheran Pastor the privilege of visiting her and bringing
the Lord’s Supper. Every time her
pastor came, he would be sure to bring his hymnal, because Claire loved to sing
her faith. And each visit would end with Holy Communion. Each time, Claire
would receive Christ’s very body and blood for the forgiveness of sins, life,
and salvation. Her pastor looked forward
to his visits with Claire in the same joy she had in receiving her pastor. Eventually, Claire asked her pastor to help
plan her funeral. She could sense that her body was growing weaker and that she
would soon end her pilgrimage on earth. Finally, the day came when Claire’s
pastor came to visit her to find her lying in bed facing the wall. She was too
weak to turn toward her pastor. He asked her how she was feeling, and she
responded, “Not too well.” In more
than twenty years of visiting with Claire, her pastor had never before heard a
response like that. Both Claire and her
pastor sensed that this was going to be their last visit. They celebrated the Sacrament of the Altar
and said their good-byes. Just two weeks later her pastor had the privilege of
preaching for her Christian burial.
3.
It doesn’t
take too many years in the Holy Ministry before a pastor experiences such a
moment in sharing the Holy Supper of our Lord with the fellow redeemed. In the
text recorded by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians, we recall the most touching
celebration of the Lord’s Supper ever shared, and already that night Jesus saw
what was coming for us.
4.
It was the
night on which Jesus was betrayed. Unlike Claire, the disciples were ignorant
of an impending death. But Jesus was deeply aware. He would use this occasion
to leave behind his last will and testament. Like Claire, he was preparing for
his departure. What Jesus would leave
behind on that Holy Thursday was the New Testament in his body and blood, given
and shed for the forgiveness of sins. It was the Good News for his disciples to
receive and share for the rest of time. On this night so many years
later, we have the privilege of receiving the gift won by Christ on the cross,
the precious treasure of the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. It’s the
pure Gospel, the love of God for lost and condemned sinners.
5.
How unfortunate
it is then that some feel no hunger and thirst for this great treasure of the
Lord’s Supper. Jesus asks us to do this often in remembrance of him, but even
on that first night, Jesus foresaw many who wouldn’t. Some are lazy. Some make
excuses. Some claim freedom. Still, Martin Luther reminds us in the Large
Catechism “that no one should by any
means be forced or compelled to go to the Sacrament.” In fact, he says, “Indeed, those who are true Christians and
value the Sacrament precious and holy will drive and move themselves to go to
it” (LC V 42–43).
6.
The real
danger comes if a person withdraws from the Sacrament. He may become more callous
and cold and will at last disregard the Sacrament completely. To avoid this,
let us spend a moment to examine our hearts and consciences so that they won’t
be cold, but instead desire our Savior’s last will and testament of his body
and blood. You may feel you shouldn’t
come to the Sacrament because you’re not prepared. When we view the Sacrament
as something we do, it’s natural to feel unworthy and unprepared. We sin daily.
If we were to wait until we were pure, we would never come to the Sacrament. There are also those who should stay away
from the Sacrament because they lack repentance. They are unprepared to receive
forgiveness of sin because they have no desire to be godly. St. Paul tells us
in 1 Cor 6:9–10, “Do you not know that
the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who
practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
7.
Thanks be to
God that these words no longer apply to us. In v 11, Paul goes on to say, “And such were some of you. But you were
washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
8.
Luther
reminds us: “This Sacrament does not
depend upon our worthiness. We are not baptized because we are worthy and holy.
Nor do we go to Confession because we are pure and without sin. On the
contrary, we go because we are poor, miserable people. We go exactly because we
are unworthy” (LC V 61). Each of us can join Luther and say, “I, indeed, would like to be worthy. But I
come, not upon any worthiness, but upon Your Word, because You have commanded
it. I come as one who would gladly be Your disciple, no matter what becomes of
my worthiness” (LC V 62).
9.
Jesus
saw all this on that first holy night of the Sacrament. So we come because of
his promise, for he declares, “This is My
body, which is given for you. . . . This is My blood . . . shed for you for the
forgiveness of sins” (LC V 64). Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are
all for you! Luther
says, “Here in the Sacrament you are to
receive from the lips of Christ forgiveness of sin. It contains and brings with
it God’s grace and the Spirit with all His gifts, protection, shelter, and
power against death and the devil and all misfortune” (LC V 70). “If,
therefore, you are heavy laden and feel your weakness, then go joyfully to this
Sacrament and receive refreshment, comfort, and strength. . . . If you wait
until you are rid of such burdens, so that you might come to the Sacrament pure
and worthy, you must stay away forever” (LC V 72–73).
10.
Still this
may not be enough for some. Luther says that some may ask, “What, then, shall I do if I cannot feel such
distress or experience hunger and thirst for the Sacrament?” (LC V 75). He
gives 3 down-to-earth answers to this question. Luther’s first answer is this: For
those who are of such a mind that they don’t realize their condition I know no
better counsel than that they put their hand into their shirt to check whether
they have flesh and blood. And if you find that you do, then go, for your good,
to St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians. Hear what sort of a fruit your flesh
is: Now the works of the flesh are
evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity,
strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy,
drunkenness, orgies and things like these (Galatians 5:19–21). (LC V 75)
11.
For those who
still need more encouragement to go to the Sacrament, Luther suggests, “In the second place, look around you. See
whether you are also in the world” (LC V 79). Contemporary Christians have
ample evidence for sinfulness and misery in the world. You may have a satellite
dish, cable TV, and the Internet. You may watch TV or listen to the radio. Wherever
you turn, you will discover a world filled with violence, anger, sin, vice, and
despair. Any one of these things will move your heart to the Savior in the
Sacrament.
12.
Finally, if
these aren’t enough to drive you to the Sacrament, remember that you also have
the devil to contend with. He’s a liar and murderer. He will do anything to
lead your heart away from God’s Word. Luther observes, “If you could see how many knives, darts, and arrows are every moment
aimed at you . . . you would be glad to come to the Sacrament as often as
possible” (LC V 82). On the Night When He Was Betrayed, Jesus Looked
Forward to This Night and Gave You a
Great Treasure and Gift.
13.
It was his
very body and blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. He gave
it for Claire, for you and for me. He gave it for all who are weary and
heavy-laden with sin—right now, this night, in our real lives and our real
world. Come here tonight and find rest for your souls. Amen.
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