The Breaking of Bread—Communion

Communion is a time of deep searching. We must have a fear over us when we come before God and partake of the body of Christ. It is extremely important that peace reigns in everything we do. Jesus’ peace must rule in our hearts and in the church.

“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’” Luke 22:19. Few people understand the significance of Jesus’ body being broken. Jesus allowed Himself to be broken rather than live according to the flesh He had taken upon Himself. We are baptized with one Spirit to be one body—that body which was broken. Therefore we too, can be broken and trained in the circum­stances of life.

We need to examine ourselves and see whether our body is crucified with Him so that we are no longer led by our body and the lusts and desires that live there. Think about the situ­ations of your life. Who is leading your life? If Christ leads us by His good Spirit, we receive anointing from Him, and our body is also broken so that sin never gains power. Our spirit comes to life by being led by the Holy Spirit. No lusts are al­lowed to live and rule over us.

Our body becomes extremely useful for God when our spirit is alive because of righteousness. Our spiritual service is to present our bodies according to the laws of the Spirit of life. This is something we must always be conscious of. Godly sor­row produces a repentance for which there is no regret. Sor­row in this godly way so that you can be in the leading of the Spirit. Then the lusts in your body are kept in death, and all your works will be a spiritual service to God.

“Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’” Luke 22:20. When I drink from this cup, I testify that I have entered into a covenant with God. The covenant is two-sided. If we are faithless, He will be faithful to curse us. If we are faithful, He is just as faithful to bless us. If we are not faithful, it will have a bad effect on us, both spiritually and physically. After so much time in the church, we should have come to much more than we have. The deeds of the body that you did not see because of unfaithfulness should have been seen and cleansed away. These deeds limit your ministry. Let us hate these deeds of the body and put them to death by the Spirit so that we can live.

Jesus was thinking about you and me when He suffered and drank His cup. To make it possible for us to come to this glory, Jesus paid with the blood of His own heart. Now we must drink our cup with Him according to the laws of the Spirit of life in the new covenant. Obeying these com­mandments will cost us our life in this world. The blood is taken into the heavenly sanctuary and testifies that there will be a resurrection together with Him.

We have not yet attained to what we have seen. There is more to lay hold of. Walking in the light makes many things clearer for us. We see that we need a deeper cleansing in Jesus’ blood. The preaching of the death of Christ must be active in our life. Just think, we have received grace to under­stand what it means to judge ourselves. When we understand that, all things become new. Eph. 5:14. Christ will shine for us! Only then is a person really awake. He who repays evil with good must shine for us. His humiliation must be our example. We too, must become a bread that is broken and can be given to others so that they can grow and develop. The saints are people who have won victory through striving and battle. There has never been any outward glory about them. They have been gripped of Christ and been fully assured that there is unspeakably much to lay hold of. Inwardly Paul was wide awake, and Jesus’ life shone for him. He rejoiced over the fact that he could be sacrificed and could receive opportunities to be conformed to the Son. Many circumstances come our way where we have an opportunity to be poured out as a sacrifice.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, accept­able to God, which is your reasonable service.” Rom. 12:1. Paul labored by the mercy and grace of God. We too, need grace over us in our work. Do not think more highly of your­self than you ought to think. Think soberly—you are a mem­ber of the body! You have a work to accomplish, and we are members of one another.

It is a great comfort that we can partake of such a cov­enant. Jesus said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:20. He knows what it means to go the way of death, and He is with us. Without this comfort, we would not be able to fulfill the covenant. Only by hoping in Him can we complete it.

The breaking of bread is a time of fellowship and strengthening—strengthening for ourselves to go into the works that God has given us to do. Let us labor to maintain fellowship in our home churches. How little does it take to make you turn away from fellowship? How much are you willing to sacrifice? How much are you willing to be broken so that fellowship can be preserved? That which is strong needs to be broken. Jesus cherishes and nurtures His church. Eph. 5:29. May we also serve and labor that no coldness is ever allowed to come out of our bodies against any person. “Whatever you ask in my name, I will do for you,” Jesus said. He is our Lord, but He has also made Himself our servant and our errand boy.

We sing in New Songs 117: “Honor and greatness mean nothing to me.” It was the same for Jesus. The friends must be reminded of Jesus’ life when they are with us. Human nature is very vulnerable to flattery. Therefore, we must consciously battle against all honor and arrogance. Jesus became a life­giving Spirit, and He opened the way to be exalted and lifted up from this earth. John 12:31.

Our own thoughts bring a great deal of unrest and restless­ness, but the cross brings us into connection with heavenly thoughts. By nature we tend to be quick to speak. If I am awake, I can hear and receive life-giving words from God that will help to gather. Jesus’ heart is to gather those who are weary of doing their own will. When Paul writes about com­munion in 1 Corinthians 11, he could testify, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you.” Today too, the church is dependent upon brothers and sisters who are able to hear and receive from the Lord. These people bless and build the church. They give nourishment and food. Our ministry must be according to the leading of the Holy Spirit, not old habits.

In 1 Corinthians 11:27 it is written about eating the bread and drinking the cup of the Lord unworthily. Nothing out­ward can increase your value in the new covenant. Our value comes by practicing the Lord’s death and allowing ourselves to be broken. When we have difficulties and we allow our­selves to be broken in our personal lives, we come to rest. If a person does not allow himself to be broken, unrest usually comes into the situation. Some people are always blessed by God. We recognize that their life and ministry are anointed. That is because they are walking in the light. They give their own life. They also have grace to bless their fellow man with words from heaven. They preach the Word of the Lord to the sheep and allow the anointing to teach people to grow up as independent individuals in Christ, and they do not meddle in the private business of others. That is why we must have a spirit of fear when we are dealing with the elect. Then all par­tiality, envy and jealousy will cease, and the friends will grow together through the counsel that is planted in their hearts by the Word of God.

The breaking of bread should take place at least once a year in most churches. These gatherings should not be adver­tised publicly. If there are serious difficulties in the brother­hood, you should wait so that you don’t lead people to partake of communion unworthily. Determining if a person is unwor­thy is up to that person himself. Each one must take that re­sponsibility upon himself. Now and then you can really won­der when you see who participates. Therefore people should be reminded of the seriousness—that you can become sick or even die. A horrible judgment comes relatively quickly if a person is unworthy, especially if he is cheeky or mocking. To be unworthy means that you do not bear the death of Christ in your body. You are tempted, but the death of Christ does not work. At the same time, you preach God’s commandments. If you judge yourself, you will not be judged, but if you do not judge yourself, you will be judged. This seriousness should be made clear to all the friends.

“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any com­fort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy . . . .” Phil. 2:1. The brotherhood that has passed through the fire together has the same mind. Our comfort in Christ is that we are finished with sin. Faithful people experi­ence fellowship in the Spirit very powerfully.

“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continu­ally goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubt­less come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Ps. 126:5-6. There were tears and prayer battles in Jesus’ life too. He battled so that the things that dwelt in His flesh would not take control. He went first, and He opened the way. We are walking on a way that is already open.

We must understand the importance of praying for our children. Then the time will come when we will be comforted. Let us bear this seed in our hearts—a prayer that they might not sin against God. No one should lose hope in the battle for the children, even though there is often tremendous suffering. Comfort those who pray for their children. Participate in each others’ sufferings. Then we will also partake of their comfort when their children are converted and it goes well for them.

“For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full as­surance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ.” Col. 2:1-2. If I have a “knowledge” that does not knit together, then it is not from Christ. All of the knowledge in Christ knits us together. Ask yourself: Is what I am saying now helping to knit the body together? If you are selfish in your knowledge, you will not receive grace to serve in a way that knits the friends together and gives comfort. Times of storm also come over the church. Then we are cleansed and purified and become even more united in the same mind.