We Tend To Forget

 

Have you ever wondered why Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper?  Was it because He just wanted to hang out with the Disciples? Maybe.  Was it because He wanted to impress upon them how nasty their feet get? Well, there's that.  But permit me to share what I believe...Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper because He knows we have a habit of forgetting.  I have a confession to make, I tend to forget more than I remember.  I have a habit of looking for my glasses when I'm wearing them (the lenses just need a clean).  I can't remember, most days, what I had for breakfast.  Why? Because these things aren't overly important to me.  We tend to not remember the things we don't consider essential for our day.

1. We Need To Remember How Quickly We Forget.

Now, think about this, the world says "Have a drink and forget."  But Jesus reminds us to "Take, eat, drink...and remember."  

I was reading about Martin Luther who said he had to preach the Gospel to his congregation every single day otherwise they would forget every single day.  But also consider Martin Luther preached the Gospel every single day so Martin Luther would remember!

2. We Need To Remember Our True Condition

We have this insatiable need to be right.  We want everyone to see us as "good".  We want others to see us correct the sin of this troubled world.  Why? Because that is our sinful nature.  Remember when Jesus ate with the drunkards, tax collectors, and prostitutes?  Jesus didn't talk with them using hard words.  He reserved His hard words for the "religious" people who believed it was their goal in life to be "good" and be perceived as "good" when they were far from it and more judgmental than anything else.

Jesus used these words to them: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look pure and clean outwardly, but inside is corruption and uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly look 'righteous and pious' to others, but you are really full of hypocrisy and chaos." - (Matthew 23:27-28).

3. We Need To Remember Where Jesus Found Us.

The Apostle Peter wrote: “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” (1 Peter 2:10).  When Jesus found us, we had no identity as a people.  Abba when to a LOT of trouble to teach us truth and love.  You see, sin isn't sin because it's ugly. Sin is sin because it stains your heart. When it stains your heart, Abba's heart breaks because He loves you.  I read a quote by Steve Brown: "The cross isn't a sign of God's judgement...it is the sign of His broken heart."

4. We Need To Remember How Loved We Are

"See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1).  Because of Abba's love, I'm Abba's CHILD! I no longer have to consider myself to be without hope!  I am LOVED without conditions or hesitation!

Take time to remember!