May 13

A Psalm Of Communion

I will take the cup of Salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. — Ps 116:13

And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many unto remission of sins. — Matt 26:27-28

Every christian disciple should partake of the Lord’s Supper regularly. It is a Sacrament. In the days of the Roman republic, the youths were brought to the altar and sworn to serve their country to the death. So our first Communion is our oath of allegiance to our King, It is a proclamation, or confession, of our faith. We bear witness to the death of Christ as our hope of forgiveness and salvation. We testify our desire to put His cross and grave between us and the world. It is also a bond of Christian union.

It is a Pledge of the Covenant. The Death of the Cross was God’s sign and seal to the new covenant, the provisions of which are recited in Heb 8:1-13. When we drink the wine it is as though we said: “Remember thy Covenant.” Let me appeal to all, and especially to the young disciple, to draw near and take the bread and wine, and to meditate deeply and reverently on that supreme Gift which demands our self-giving. “What shall I render unto the Lord? I will take the cup, I will pay my vows” (Psa 116:13-14).

The expression in this Psalm is remarkable: “I will take the cup of salvation.” When we enquire what salvation, we read: “Thou hast loosed my bonds” (Psa 116:16), and we are reminded of Rev 1:5, “Unto Him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by His blood.” We are tied and bound by our sins; our sinful habits bind us fast in our thongs. But our Lord looses us by His cross.

Notice how triumphantly the Psalmist avows his loyalty to his Heavenly Master. Again, and yet again he avows: “O Lord, truly I am thy servant. I am thy servant.” And we are the servants or bond-slaves of Jesus. If it be asked what “the sacrifices of thanksgiving” are, we may reply: First, the sacrifice of ourselves (Rom 12:1). Next, the sacrifice of our praise and gifts (Heb 13:15-16). Not grudgingly or thoughtlessly, but with cheerful eagerness, let us come to the altar of God. Because of all we owe to Him, let us never cease to live and serve, to praise and give.

Prayer

We pray that we may eat and drink, and do whatsoever we are called to do, in remembrance of Christ, and to show forth His life. May the spirit of worship pervade every act of daily life. Amen.