Taxes
Originally scheduled for
October 30
Some time during the year you will get a very cheerful letter.
It describes all the wonderful things your money is going to do.
It's not a pitch for a charitable contribution; it's a delightful
letter from your county tax assessor.
Oh, it's very convenient. They provide you with a handy form with
all the relevant information on it. They even give you an envelope
preprinted to avoid it being sent to the wrong address. True,
they're too stingy to put a stamp on it. They even include as part
of the form something you can file away in your file cabinet. But
the bottom line is still the same: this is a reminder of what you
owe for your taxes.
Not all reminders come in an envelope. We are explicitly told the
communion is a reminder. It's not all cheery like the tax
collector's letter; in fact, it's rather somber. It doesn't come
with a form to fill out; rather, it comes in the form of ritual. As
for records, God keeps them; you needn't bother with it. The bottom
line, however, is the same: it's a reminder. It's not a reminder of
what you owe, but a reminder of what Christ did for you.
Let's just think about what he did for us:
·
First,
there is the incarnation. The God of the universe, he who spoke and
the worlds began, descended into the form of a baby. He was born in
a stable to a couple living in a nation occupied by foreign
invaders. He grew up just like we do. He know what it is to be cold,
to have his feet hurt, and most of all, the limits of the human
body.
·
Next,
there is the atonement. Of his own free will he went to the cross to
pay the price for your sins and mine. He suffered a horrible death,
bled and died, all because of the love he brought to us.
·
Finally, there is the resurrection. It is the great guarantee of our
hope: someday, at his return, we will rise from the grave.
As you partake today, be reminded of the great sacrifices he made
for you.
