Read the Large Catechism with me.
Ten-minute studies on short readings from the Large Catechism.
Let's do this.
Click on the link below and read the short assigned reading. Then, if you have time, check out what I have to say about it. If not, no problem. Just soak up the goodness of the LC.
The Sacrament of the Altar, Part 1: Click here and read 8-19.
The basics:
- What is the Sacrament of the Altar? It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in and under the bread and wine which we Christians are commanded by the Word of Christ to eat and drink.
- The Sacrament is bread and wine, but not mere bread and wine, such as are ordinarily served at the table, but bread and wine comprehended in, and connected with, the Word of God.
- Because this not the word or ordinance of a mere man, but of the sublime Majesty, all of creation must affirm it is as He says, and accept it with all reverence, fear, and humility.
- Luther tells us that even if a hundred thousand devils and any false teachers rush forward crying, "How can bread and wine be the boy and blood of Christ?" that we are to know that all spirits and scholars together are not as wise as is God in His little finger.
- Because we know Christ can never lie or deceive, we must believe the words from His lips as He used them, so it is His body and His blood.
- Luther answers the question of whether or not it is the true Sacrament even if it is distributed by a wicked priest. He describes why it is still the Lord's body and blood, because it is not founded upon the holiness or men, but upon the Word of God.
- No matter whether we or our pastors are worthy or unworthy, we have His body and blood by virtue of the Word which is added to the bread and wine.
My thoughts today:
I wish I would have read this about two weeks into learning about Lutheranism. Communion was seriously the biggest stumbling block for me. I just couldn't fathom believing it was the true body and blood of Christ.
This passage from Luther just blows me away.
Seriously - make every non-true presence Christian you know and love read this and discuss it with them. Seriously. It is like four paragraphs. Everybody has time to share four paragraphs with somebody.
Use these quotes for great conversation starters -
Quote - "Now, it is not the word or ordinance of a prince or emperor, but of the sublime Majesty, at whose feet all creatures should fall, and affirm it is as He says, and accept it with all reverence, fear, and humility." Paragraph 11.
Discussion - God created the heavens and the earth because He SAID it into existence. All creation listens to His Word. How can you believe that and not believe He could also do as He says in the Sacrament? How can you believe in the creation and not believe in the creative word of God? "This is My body." Well, then so it is.
Quote - "With this Word you can strengthen your conscience and say: If a hundred thousand devils, together with all fanatics, should rush forward, crying, How can bread and wine be the body and blood of Christ? etc., I know that all spirits and scholars together are not as wise as is the Divine Majesty in His little finger. Now here stands the Word of Christ: Take, eat; this is My body; Drink ye all of it; this is the new testament in My blood, etc." Paragraph 12.
Discussion - Sometimes the fear of sounding ridiculous keeps us from standing firm in the faith. When discussing the true body and blood of Christ in Communion, we need not explain away our faith. We are on the obvious, literal stance of the Bible side. It should be up to the person who does not believe to explain why. We have the words of Christ to stand on. We need no other or firmer foundation.
Quote - "For it is not founded upon the holiness of men, but upon the Word of God. And as no saint upon earth, yea, no angel in heaven, can make bread and wine to be the body and blood of Christ, so also can no one change or alter it, even though it be misused."
Discussion - For many Christians, the idea that a man could stand up there and change bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ is ridiculous. And, we can rightly agree that no man, indeed, can do this. The pastor is not the creative voice of God, but he does speak the creative words that Christ spoke and speaks through him. Our belief of the true body and blood of Christ being present in, with, and under the bread and wine is not based on the holiness of men, but upon the Word of God.
There you have it - a few points to get you started with those hard conversations. And I know I said I wish I would have read this two weeks into learning about Lutheranism, but the truth is, I might not have been ready to comprehend it then. So, if your conversation falls flat or you don't convert every person you know to Lutheranism, do not lose hope. God's Word still does what God's Word says it does - it creates faith.
