Read: Luke 24:30-35
He took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. (vv. 30-31)
After preaching to the two disciples all the way to the village of Emmaus, Jesus revealed himself to them “in the breaking of the bread.” The disciples’ hearts burned within them during the preaching of the Word, but they don’t actually see Jesus until the breaking of the bread—New Testament language for the Lord’s Supper.
The Lord’s Supper is the center of Christian worship. It’s the moment when Jesus Christ is most revealed to us, and yet he is also hidden from us. We see both of these actions in Luke 24, when the disciples recognize Jesus and he vanishes from their sight.
It’s really hard to believe that celebrating Communion is important, because so often we feel as if nothing happens. It’s just ordinary bread and grape juice. But the Lord’s Supper is not about how we feel. It’s about the secret power of the Holy Spirit opening the eyes of our heart to see Jesus, filling us with a grace that is even deeper than our emotions. Even when the Lord’s Supper doesn’t feel special to us, we are being quietly fed for the journey of faith, sustained and renewed. This hidden, freely given power of God in the sacraments is the way that God works in the world. “The Lord has risen indeed!” Come find him at the Table.
As you pray, ask the Lord to satisfy the burning of your heart with a hunger for his Table.
About the Author
Steven Rodriguez lives in Rochester, New York, with his wife and four children.
