After we receive our Lord’s body and blood along with the bread and the wine in His Supper, we pray in the post-communion collect, “We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us with this salutary gift.” Each week during this Lenten season, we will be exploring the different images and metaphors used by Holy Scripture to highlight the blessings of the Lord’s Supper, many of which are reflected in our hymns.
Christ’s Words of Institution clearly proclaim the primary blessing of the Lord’s Supper: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Christ won the forgiveness of sins for us on Calvary. He turns around and offers us the same forgiveness in the Sacrament of our Lord’s body and blood. That truly makes this blessed Supper a “salutary gift.” But that’s not all. There are a number of different images and metaphors used in Holy Scripture to highlight the blessings of the Lord’s Supper, many of which are reflected in our hymns.
In Stephen Starke’s hymn “The Tree of Life,” (LSB #561) the Lord’s crucified body and blood are depicted as a life-giving fruit that is offered from the tree of the cross. “For all who trust and will believe, Salvation’s living fruit receive. And of this fruit so pure and sweet The Lord invites the world to eat, To find within this cross of wood The tree of life with ev’ry good.” This fruit is contrasted with the fruit that Adam and Eve ate in the Garden of Eden, bringing the world into sin and ruin. It is not difficult to connect this “pure and sweet” fruit with what we receive, eat, and drink in Holy Communion.
Another benefit of the Lord’s Supper is its nourishing power. Martin Luther in the Large Catechism calls the Lord’s Supper a “food of souls, which nourishes and strengthens the new man.” Hymn #625 in the Lutheran Service Book makes this the dominant image in the first words, which are also the title: “Lord Jesus Christ, life-giving bread.” The hymn then continues with the prayer, “May I in grace possess You. Let me with holy food be fed, In hunger I address You.” These words remind the communicant who hungers and thirsts for righteousness (as Jesus describes in Matthew 5:6) that God has lovingly prepared a nourishing meal for us in the Sacrament to strengthen us in our lifelong journey towards the promised land of heaven.
We can also describe the Lord’s Supper as a healing balm or medicine, like David W. Rogner does in his hymn “Jesus Comes Today with Healing” (LSB 620). In it, he describes what “the blessed feast” offers: “pardon, grace, and peace.” When we suffer, we can take comfort in the Lord’s Supper as a healing medicine which strengthens our faith and brings healing to our souls in this world so that we can look forward to the complete healing of our bodies in the resurrection.
The goal of this series is to set before our eyes the many blessings and benefits of the Lord’s Supper, foremost being the forgiveness of sins. Our hymns help us in this regard by making connections that we might not otherwise make. They draw upon the themes of Holy Scripture and teach us to appreciate the full range of blessings that are present when the faithful are gathered around the life-giving, nourishing, and salutary gift.
We invite you to join us for all our services this Lenten Season:
Ash Wednesday – March 2, 2022
“Life-Giving Fruit”
Midweek of Lent 1 – March 9, 2022
“Bread from Heaven”
Midweek of Lent 2 – March 16, 2022
“Healing Medicine”
Midweek of Lent 3 – March 23, 2022
“Blest Communion”
Midweek of Lent 4 – March 30, 2022
“Rest for the Weary”
Midweek of Lent 5 – April 6, 2022
“Nuptial Feast”
Holy Thursday – April 14, 2022
“Covenant Meal”
Good Friday – April 15, 2022
“Sacrificial Banquet”
Easter – April 17, 2022
“Feast of Victory”