Eucharistic Meditation

The preeminent picture of a king is sitting enthroned. Sitting pictures rest; sitting pictures faith and confidence; sitting also pictures rule. And thus we sit down at this table to dine with our Lord, our Master, our King. We are his nobility, his lords and ladies in waiting. Ultimately we sit because that is how Jesus taught his disciples to celebrate this memorial meal. In fact, they were probably reclining a bit, leaning back on the floor all around their table. You’ll also notice that I sit at this table. Even in many congregations where sitting is the accepted practice the pastor and elders continue to stand even when they are not serving. But Jesus sat, he reclined at the head of the table, and as minister of the gospel, a deputy and authorized representative of Jesus Christ, I sit just as He does even now in heaven. And this is the beginning of Wisdom. Wisdom does not look sideways at the chaos in the world. Wisdom does not fear man or politics. Wisdom does not worry about finances or unexpected bills. Wisdom sits down at this table with eyes of faith fixed on Jesus, unrelenting, full of certainty that the God of all the earth will do right. This is the feast of Wisdom; and Wisdom cries out, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here! Come, eat of my bread and drink of my wine I have mixed. Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.” (Prov. 9:4-6)