St. Boniface House

In the parable Jesus told about the unforgiving servant, he painted a picture of a man forgiven a debt so great that it could not have been repaid in many lifetimes, who then turns around and refuses to be merciful to those who owe him far less.  When the king who forgave the debt found out that his servant had not been merciful in accordance with the mercy he had been given, he was cast into prison until he should pay every penny. The point, of course, is that we have all already received far greater mercy from God through Jesus Christ than we could ever possibly be asked to give by our brothers and sisters who sin against us.  How then could we hold a grudge against our brothers and sisters who sin against us?  How could we fail to forgive them even as we have been forgiven?

As we come to the Lord’s Table I want you to remember what I have often told you—that the Supper we eat with the Lord in the Heavenly Places is a paradigm or model for all of life.  It is here that we eat with the Lord, but it is also here that we learn how to eat and live out the rest of our lives.  Here is God’s testimony to you that he has not only forgiven your 10,000 talent debt, but he has also showered upon you 100,000 talents more blessing in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Everything you owe is paid.  But that does not just bring you to a “zero balance”, for in Christ Jesus all things are being brought under your feet and you have received and are receiving the new heavens and new earth.  This is the testimony of his gift of bread and wine for you at his table.

Learn from this.  If you have received such mercy, and have been given such blessing right here at this table, how will you act towards one another at your own tables?  Will you, having eaten bread from heaven and having drunk the wine of the Kingdom by his rich mercy toward you turn to one another and hold a grudge, or leave one another in sin, or be harsh with one another, or be selfish with what you have?  No, here at the Lord’s Table you are shown the pattern of the Christian life.  The Lord of glory descended to take on the form of a slave, that he might provide satisfaction for your sin and bring you into the presence of God with him.  He has given you every good gift and is not stingy with you.  Learn from this.  Learn the magnificent grace of God by which you have everything, and humbly make your life a conduit of the same mercy you have received.

This is the Lord’s Table…