|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19, NLT).
Scripture teaches that we read the Bible, pray, and serve the body of Christ. We know there are many references to fasting throughout the Bible, but we ignore this discipline on Thanksgiving Day!
Did you know that one of the major disciplines of faith is gratitude?
In fact, it should be considered the primary discipline of the Christian faith – more than Bible reading, prayer, tithing, and turkey dinners.
In Luke 22, Jesus gives thanks. Then He said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
The Greek word for thanksgiving is “eucharistos.” Immediately, you are thinking, “HHHHMMMHHM, I see in this the Greek word ‘eucharist,’ which many use as the official term for the Lord’s Supper.”
Yes, you are right. Readers of Interruptions are extremely observant and intelligent!
While instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus uses “eucharistos,” which became in many theological circles the word used for the Lord’s Supper!
“Thanksgiving” or “Eucharist” is the core discipline of the entire Bible. Why do I say this? Because Jesus uses the Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper to remind us of His death, burial, and resurrection.
We know that without the resurrection, everything else about the Bible is useless.
As the Apostle Paul teaches …
For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24).
The focal point of our worship together is the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist or Thanksgiving!
The word “eucharistos” is used about 70 times in the New Testament.
Gratitude should be a focus during our worship and the events of our daily lives. It enables the power of the resurrection to be released into our daily walk with Jesus.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done (Philippians 4:6).
Gratitude is our “eucharist” or resurrection for worry!
Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God (2 Corinthians 9:11).
Thankfulness is our “eucharist” for receiving the wealth of God!
I think we get the point about thanksgiving as the most important discipline of the Christian faith. Gratefulness is an attitude, an action, and a spoken word that we are commanded to ingrain into our life.
We must be determined to be thankful. We do this by watching how we speak. Let’s begin conversations by mentioning something specific for which we are grateful.
On Thursday of this week … or Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.A. … be grateful or “eucharisto” that we live in a country blessed by God.
(And that you receive Interruptions six days a week!)