Yeast and Wine

We took part in Communion tonight. The breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup is always a reminder of Christ's sacrifice; sometimes the reminder is much more powerful. Tonight with the pastor painting a word picture of what Christ's words meant to the disciples in context of the culture at that time I was reminded that giving myself to God is not so much a privilege for Him, but rather an awesome opportunity with a lot of responsibility for me. When Christ gave the cup to the disciples, he was literally (essentially) proposing marriage. Awkward. I am offered that same cup today; will I accept, and drink the cup and become his bride like a maiden of Israel may have done in those days? If I do, I am obligated to all the responsibilities that come with that. If not, I will never get to take part in the tremendous relationship with Him that is only known by believers and never understood by non-believers. Any husband and wife in a good marriage knows that the sacrifice one makes in getting married is more than worth it; it really is not a sacrifice at all, but rather an improvement in life. So it is with accepting Christ's cup, His "marriage proposal": the things we give up to follow Him are not sacrifices, for we are not losing anything when we gain the security of our souls for eternity. By not giving those things up, we lose our souls for eternity in exchange for an earthly lifetime of pleasures that really do not satisfy anyway.

What an awesome opportunity: the choice between a lifetime of disappointment, or an eternity of full satisfaction. How much more simple of a choice could one have to make? And yet, so many of us choose the former, convinced that we will not be disappointed by the things that life and the world offer. It is strange that even though I know what is permanent and what is only earthly, I still regularly attempt to satisfy myself, only to be disappointed yet again when the day is over.

Only God in His wisdom had the foresight to see that we would never be capable of redeeming ourselves; only God in His grace would give us the opportunity to redeem ourselves, to "cash ourselves in." What we get in return for giving ourselves over to God is more than just an exchange, or a good deal. It is beyond the opportunity of a lifetime. Accepting His cup, His "marriage proposal" is a simple choice, yet an unbelievable gift, for He is truly the Model Groom.