Welcome to Eat This Bread Drink This Cup. The title of my meditation today is "Cracks in Your Foundation." I read from Luke 6: 46-49. All quotations are from the New Living Translation (NLT) and are used with permission.
46 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? 47 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49 But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”
Jesus taught in parables, and the metaphors He used spanned many subject areas. This parable is drawn from the construction trade and is one in which Jesus had personal knowledge. As recorded in the Gospels, Jesus was a carpenter like His father, Joseph. I can imagine the two of them working together building a home. Jesus divides those who hear His words into two categories and compares them to different builders. The one who listens to His words and follows them is like the builder who constructs his house on a solid foundation. The one who ignores His words is like the builder who constructs his house on no foundation at all. When the floodwaters come, the builder’s foundation will be tested. As His listeners nod their heads, Jesus tells them that the house on the solid foundation will stand; the house with no foundation will collapse into a heap of ruins. As anyone who has lived will tell you, calamities come often, in different forms, and without warning. Just like a house built on a solid foundation will stand, Jesus tells us the one who hears and follows His words will stand when the challenges of life come. Today, we celebrate Easter, the anniversary of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Today is a good day to reflect upon Jesus’ words and inspect the foundation of your house. What or whom is it built upon and how is it holding up? Jesus assures us of one thing in this life—any foundation other than Him will fail, either in this life or the next. God offered proof of Jesus’ message to humankind. As Paul told the assembled Athenians (Acts 17:31), “For he [God] has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” For Jesus to be resurrected from the dead, He first had to die. As we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we remember the cruel death He suffered on the cross so that we might have the forgiveness of our sins and new life in Him. He gives us a new solid foundation upon which to build our lives. Do not miss out! Let us pray.
Abba, Father. Today we bless and set aside this bread and the fruit of the vine in this cup to remember Your Son, Jesus. We know that the bread represents His body that was nailed to the cross, and the fruit of the vine represents His blood that He shed for us. As we pour out the wine from the cup, we are reminded of how Jesus poured out His own blood that our sins might be forgiven. What a glorious day it is, Abba, Father, as Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Your Son, Jesus, from the dead. It is a day of testimony to the world that Jesus is Your Son and His words are truth. We remember that He offered His life for us that we might have the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life in heaven with You. Thank-you, Abba, Father, that Jesus is our solid foundation; in this life and the one to come. In His name I pray. Amen.
Today, Jesus invites you to partake of His supper. I read from Matthew 26: 26-28.
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” Let us partake of the bread.
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many." Let us partake of the cup.
And the assembly of believers said, "Amen!"
Until next time, from Numbers 6: 24-26, "May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace."
Artist's Note: If you have questions about the Lord's Supper, I invite you to visit my website, https://eatthisbreaddrinkthiscup.com, for a brief overview. The Eat This Bread Drink This Cup podcast is listed in most podcast directories, and I invite you to add my podcast to your favorites and be notified of new posts. There is a written transcript that accompanies each podcast, and you are free to use the transcript in accordance with US copyright law. My prayer is that you will benefit personally from this time with Jesus and encourage others to observe the Lord's Supper. In these trying times, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus!