As we noted last week, there is another complaint that has been brought against us—in our observance of the Lord’s Supper, we serve alcohol to minors. There are many principles involved in all this, but we need to focus on just one of them right now, and bring this wisdom with us as we come to the Table next week.
The adversary wants to draw us into a position where we are fighting over the Lord’s Supper, and away from what we are currently doing, which is fighting with the Lord’s Supper.
What God is doing through this meal is establishing His people, His community, His kingdom. This is not done when ostensible Christians go through a perfunctory rite, not knowing what they do. That only makes our condition worse, not better. St. Paul tells us that the Lord’s Supper can do more harm than good—it is a covenant meal, and this means blessings for faith and curses for disobedience.
But when God’s people assemble in faith, and renew covenant with Him on a weekly basis, as we have been doing, it is not surprising that our opponents want us to come down from the wall we are building, and quarrel with them on the plain in front of the wall. But why would we ever do that? We are doing a great thing—why should we come down?
This great thing I speak of is the “great thing” of Christ building His kingdom, despite all opposition. We gather together here, to worship God. If our God were deaf, dumb and blind—like theirs—this should be of no concern whatever. What should it matter to them if we all gather in a room in order to talk and sing to the ceiling?
But this is not what is happening. We worship and serve the living Christ, the one who rules all heaven and earth, and those who try to ignore His sovereignty through lies are thrown into a panic when Christians rediscover the truth. And so they start caring about the next generation receiving this cup, this bread. God is good, so let us all partake together.