Body of Christ
Originally scheduled for
August 2
Those
familiar with the Scriptures will quickly recognize three different but related
meanings for the phrase, “body of Christ.”
The
first meaning is the most obvious: the actual, physical body of Christ. One of
the most important tenets of the faith is that Christ came in the flesh – not
some angelic visitor, or vision, or mental image. He has a body like every
other human being.
The
second meaning comes after the resurrection: it means the church. We, as his
people, are the body of Christ.
The
third meaning, expressly stated by Jesus, is the bread which is used in
Communion. “This is my body,” he said.
These
meanings can be used to help us discern the body of Christ when taking
Communion. The first is easy: do we acknowledge that Christ came in the
flesh, and suffered in his physical body just as we can suffer?
When
we contemplate his body as the church, we realize that our faith is no solo
flight. By his command we are to accept this organization as his will for us.
Along the same vein, we also know that if we are a part of the church we
represent our Lord to the world.
The
bread as body presents us with two thoughts:
First,
bread is physical. In using a physical token, we acknowledge the physical
reality of Christ.
Second,
we are what we eat. Christ is the food of the full grown Christian.
All
this will become clearer when he returns. Then we shall see him in his
physical body – the resurrected one. Praise God, we will be raised with just
such a body as well. The church – one Lord, one body – will rise to meet her
Lord and join him. But we will no more partake of the bread in Communion, for
faith will have become sight. We take this bread and cup in hope – the sure
and certain hope of the resurrection to come.
