Remember and Celebrate 记念与庆贺
Dexu Xia
[Jesus] took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19
On December 6, 1907, explosions rocked a small community in the US state of West Virginia, producing one of the worst disasters in the history of the coal-mining industry. Some 360 miners were killed, and it’s been estimated that this horrific tragedy left behind about 250 widows and 1,000 children without fathers. Historians maintain that the memorial service became the seedbed from which the celebration of Father’s Day in the US would eventually grow. Out of great loss came remembrance and—eventually—celebration.
The greatest tragedy in human history occurred when human beings crucified their Creator. Yet, that dark moment also produced both remembrance and celebration. The night before He would go to the cross, Jesus took the elements of Israel’s Passover and created His own memorial celebration. Luke’s record describes the scene this way: “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me’ ” (Luke 22:19).
Still today, whenever we take communion, we honor His great, unflinching love for us—remembering the cost of our rescue and celebrating the gift of life His sacrifice produced. As Charles Wesley said in his great hymn, “Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”
How often do you find yourself just going through the motions when taking communion? What are some ways to keep your focus on the cross?
Father, when I come to the memorial table, help me to remember why my forgiveness was so costly, and help me to celebrate Your great, awesome love.
[耶稣]又拿起饼来，祝谢了，就擘开，递给他们，说：“这是我的身体，为你们舍的，你们也应当如此行，为的是记念我。”—路加福音22章19节
在1907年12月6日，美国西维吉尼亚州一处矿坑发生爆炸，震撼当地小镇，造成史上最惨重的矿灾事件之一。有大约360名矿工在这场浩劫中不幸罹难，估计有250名妇女失去丈夫，上千名孩童失去父亲。因为这场矿灾，当地举办了一场记念追悼礼拜，历史学家认为，这后来逐渐演变成美国父亲节的庆祝活动。遭逢巨变的哀伤，对受难者的悼念，最终转为欢庆喜乐。
人类史上最大的悲剧就是人们亲手将那位创造主钉死在十字架上。然而，这幽暗的时刻却也带来记念与庆贺。耶稣在被钉十字架的前一晚，赋予了逾越节的饼和杯新的意义，将这晚餐转变为记念祂的筵席。路加福音记载，耶稣“拿起饼来，祝谢了，就擘开，递给他们，说：‘这是我的身体，为你们舍的，你们也应当如此行，为的是记念我。’”（22章19节）
时至今日，每当领受圣餐时，我们尊崇祂对我们那份伟大、坚定不移的爱，记念祂为救赎我们付上的代价，并欢庆祂的牺牲带来的新生命。如同查理 · 卫斯理在所写的一首诗歌中称颂道：“奇异的爱，怎能如此，我主我神，竟为我死！”
你常觉得自己在领圣餐时只是流于形式吗？
你要如何专注思想十架牺牲的爱？
天父，当我领受圣餐时，
请帮助我记得，我是耶稣以重价赎回的罪人，
让我颂扬祢那伟大奇妙的爱。