Holy Communion
Holy Communion should not be viewed solely as an elixir for healing. Religiously or legalistically, some would embrace this truth of healing as though, like taking medicine or antidotes. They dissected the whole meaning of Holy Communion into different components. They will only savour its healing component, neglecting the whole purpose of Eucharist that was instituted by our Lord and Saviour.
Like a diamond with many facets, healing is only one of the many goodness of the Lord’s Supper. It is a supplement or “super food” for Christians in this pilgrimage. When we partake the Holy Communion, as our Lord urged us to do it as often as we can in remembrance of Him. Our fellowship with the Lord will grow in greater measure of intensity. That does not mean we will not fall sick or die. If we do fall ill, that does not mean there is sin that God want to deal with us. God does not bring illness, as we understand from the operations of the Law. Sickness is not a result of God being angry with us, rather it is man’s failure to be obedient that brought forth the punishment. That is the demand of Law. Adam and Eve were good illustrations of this opinion. They disobeyed God, sins entered the world. Apart from the entry of sins, sickness, diseases and death are results of punishments brought forth into mankind. In that sad episode, God did not mete condemnation and punishment on them, instead gave them a skin of animal to clothe them. The first instance of sacrifice of the peace offering was instituted despite not implicitly recorded. That graciousness of God’s acts foreshadowed the coming of Christ as the perfect Lamb of God.
In the advent of the dispensation of Grace, He came in person, and multitudes of sick people are healed. So, if sicknesses are from God to punish us for sin, then Jesus should not be going around healing. He would be contradicting God’s will. But He claimed He only does what His Father wants in John 6: 38, I quote, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of the One who sent Me.” unquote. Therefore, that is what He did while in those short three years span, healing the multitudes that were physically sick and disadvantaged.
We have put to rest the misconception that God punished sinful and unrepentant people, His own or not, with sickness, diseases and physical deformities. That’s not the nature of God. If He claimed that He is the personification of Love blatantly, why then would He do the opposite? Did not God the Father send His beloved son, darling of heaven, to be the propitiation for our sin?
Jesus Christ our Savior was brutalized beyond recognition, on His way to Golgotha. There, He was nailed onto the cross. His side of the body, both hands and feet bled from the spear and rusty nails wounds to flow blood that would satisfy God’s demand for our righteousness. God demand for righteousness does not equate God is responsible for the punishments that mankind has wrought upon themselves. Sin is the culprit, Christ become the cure for our spiritual and physical afflictions!
The bread element in the Holy Communion represented Christ’s body, broken and mangled, for our healing. Some would vehemently dispute this statement with the claim that both elements of the Holy Communion are for the healing of the spiritual man corrupted by sins. Do we need both two elements to do that justification with the contents of the verses in relative to Isaiah 53: 6. After all, Jesus did say He is the bread of Life in John 6: 35. Throughout the Bible, bread is a symbolic representation of God’s life-sustaining provision. If that is so, can we then claim that the provision of the bread elements in Holy Communion was to do just that instituted by the Lord in His Last Supper? That is His gift of life sustaining provision of health, if we will to partake it in faith and trust. The wine, as we are told, signified His blood shed for the remission of our sins.
In conclusion, partaking of Holy Communion is a celebratory act or time of sharing intimate fellowship with God and fellow Christians. This ritual is not only for the remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for us, but also a confirmation of our oneness or togetherness with the Godhead. Therefore, if we are to be in one with Jesus, who is at the right hand of the Father, we are dwelling at the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Because, as He is now in the acme of health, so are we in this world.
With the understanding of the truth behind the significance of partaking worthily the Holy Communion: that His body was broken for our healing. We release the inherent power of healing, blessing, restoration and wholeness of Christ’s sacrifices for our health.