The doctrine of God’s providence is a doctrine of a Father’s love, care, mercy, and protection. God looks down the course of our journey and anticipates on our behalf. At every stop along that journey we find provisions waiting for us. This is one of the stops, and here are the provisions.
We are cared for. We are provided for. God has given us everything we need for life and for godliness. We are never stranded or marooned. There are times when we are stretched, when we might feel stranded, but we never are. The provision is always present.
Because the Father is a Father, He provides. This is what fathers do. And this is how we should understand the presence of God in this Supper. The Holy Spirit of God is the Spirit of both the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the one who is present here, knitting us together in love. Love, fellowship, kinship, community, affection—this is the true nature of the provision, and it all comes to us in the form of bread and wine.
We are not to look for Christ in the nouns, but rather in the adverbs. We are not to look at a fragment of bread under a microscope, or analyze a drop of wine, looking for Christ in the bread or wine. Christ is in the bread and wine, as we gratefully receive it from the Father, and as we lovingly pass it to our neighbor.
We have all been given provisions, and the more we share them, the more we will all have. Love is a grace that grows.
So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.
Ahhh,how lovely your words are. How sad however that so many have no earthly models that demonstrate what this truly means, “Because the Father is a Father, He provides. This is what fathers do.” So we have all this knee jerk emotionalism around the concept of “God the Father,” a father being perceived as one who runs off, who abandons, who abuses. How do we change those misconceptions? The love of Christ I suppose, but it is such an uphill battle.
I’ve often said that one of the greatest graces of my life was the faith to believe in what fatherhood should be despite my experiences of what it shouldn’t be. How do we change those misconceptions? The same way we correct any lie: by telling the truth in word and proving it in deed.
The snowball effect works in both directions. Love to see this in The Pilgrim’s Progress.
Thanks.