Have you ever heard a fan or coach yell to an official, “Open your eyes, ref!” or “Open your eyes, blue!”? The comment clearly implies that they believe the referee made the wrong call. If you’ve ever been an umpire or a referee, you know it can be difficult to see everything accurately. Often, it's easier to see things clearly from a better position to make the right call. But it just seems like some officials may not make enough effort to get into the right position to make the right call. If they had just taken a few extra steps, maybe they would’ve been able to see clearly. Could it be the same for us sometimes? If we would just seek to understand, to see things from a different perspective, perhaps we could make the right calls more often. But it’s a lot easier to judge than to understand, right?
Communion is a special time when we can pray for God to help open our eyes, to help us see where He is, to help us see where we are, and where He needs us to be. As scripture tells us, it's a time to examine ourselves to ensure we are focused on what we should be thinking about at this moment. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 states:
“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper, he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’”
The new covenant that Jesus established through His blood opens our eyes. Let me share a personal story. Our family was in Washington, D.C., eating in Union Station when a man approached our table and asked me for money for transportation. Working in Canton, I am frequently asked for money and have developed a knee-jerk reaction. I am just into a habitual, more efficient way of responding in these cases and it’s just easier to judge than to understand. I told him no. My daughter questioned me, asking, "You mean you can’t help him?" I explained that I would be willing to take him to a restaurant to buy food. Sure enough, a second individual approached asking for money. I offered to buy him food instead, and he agreed. As we stood in line together, I wanted to get to know him. It was hard. It was awkward. I fumbled over my words, and after we received his food, I let him know Jesus loves him. It was in that moment I realized my initial knee-jerk reaction, that habitual way of thinking about a circumstance, had closed my eyes to an opportunity to show Christ’s love to others.
This morning, let’s ask God to open our eyes to the impact of His body and blood on our lives. Pray that He will help us see where we are and where He wants us to be.
Would you pray with me:
Father, thank you for Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross. Help us see where You are, where we are, and where You want us to be. Give us the courage, the energy, and the motivation to get into the proper position. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Would you pray with me:
