Title Blessings and Curses You decide
Holy Week (Special) Blessings and Curses are Yours to Decide
< The three meanings of the Eucharist >
The sacrament has three important meanings. First, it is ‘the meaning of gratitude for grace’. The sacrament is called Eucharist in English, which means 'thank you'. In other words, the core meaning of the sacrament is thanksgiving. Before giving the cup to the disciples, the Lord gave thanks to God (verse 23). It speaks of the priority and importance of gratitude. Gratitude is not done after receiving the blessing, but you must first express your gratitude to receive real blessings. The foundation of the Christian life is first to be thankful for God's grace.
Second, there is the meaning of 'the pledge of allegiance to the Lord'. The Lord's Supper is like a pledge of allegiance that renews the covenant with the Lord and promises to commit to the cross (verse 24). Sometimes when we preach the cross and devotion, some people are moved and committed to their heart even though they have heard so much. On the other hand, some try to avoid the cross, saying, “It becomes a burden.” However, the image of a being who became a child of God through the devotion of the cross of the Lord trying to lead a life of faith without burden as if they were disrespectful across the river is not a blessing at all.
Third, there is ‘the meaning of the blessed fellowship between saints’. The Lord's Supper also means to have fellowship with each other in love and to share each other's needs. So, every time we partake of the sacrament, we should use it as an opportunity to make a new determination, “How can I try to live more peacefully with my brother?” Peace, the greatest blessing of believers, is obtained when we acknowledge others with a humble heart and strive to become one in the Lord (Ephesians 4:3). How high are the walls between churches and denominations now? That is the greatest weakness of Protestantism. What is missionary? Opening the heart and lowering the walls is mission.
< Blessings and curses are decided by you >
Really big people don't fight over small things. Diversity is an expression of unity. Conservatives and liberals should be able to encourage each other by saying, “They fill in the gaps and areas I lack! Jesus came to this earth with the heart of a missionary to bridge the huge difference between heaven and earth. With such a big heart, great thoughts, and missionary heart of Jesus, practice love and live.
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for he is called the Son of God.” After all, the most successful people are not those who gain money and fame, but those who make peace. No matter how high your status and how much money you make, you are a failure if you make enemies everywhere and do not create peace. In the end, the most important thing for believers is not 'fighting and winning', but 'creating peace'.
Of course, not all believers have to agree. Opinions may differ. Don't be offended by a difference of opinion, acknowledge the difference. For example, there are pre-millennialism, post-millennialism, and amillennialism with respect to millennialism, and there is no need to fight too much about it. Different theories do not mean that heaven and earth will be opened. If the essence is the same, please accept the disagreement of the doctrine, and if you express a different opinion respectfully, give the freedom to express a different opinion.
One day, the disciples of St. Francis asked. “Teacher, how can I be humble like you?” Francis answered. “Take one true look at Jesus. Then man can never be proud.” Excessive pride and envy is evidence of gradually moving away from Jesus, and overflowing love and forgiveness is evidence of drawing closer to Jesus. Who is cursed and who is blessed? It is not decided by a connoisseur or a fortune teller, but by himself. If you trample on your neighbor, you are cursed, and if you serve your neighbor, you will be blessed.
If I bear other people's burdens, miraculously, my life's burden becomes much lighter, and if I bind up other people's wounds, miraculously, the wounds in my life become much less. In the end, finding the weak and giving love and hard work makes the protagonist of a more miraculous life than seeking miracles and finding miracle servants and miracle meetings. Of course, we must always love with the premise that justice is as important as love. Such love unfolded on the basis of justice inevitably leads to great history.