1 Corinthians 11:23-26
23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
“… Do this in remembrance of me …”
The word remember literally means to put back together something that has been stored in the memory. It’s a reassembly process of the brain that returns to mindfulness something that happened previously. It’s like calling up a program stored on your computer so that it can be re-examined.
Jesus calls us to do the same. We are to remember, not just what happened at the last supper, but to bring back to mindfulness all that Jesus said and did. It’s a directive to reassemble in our own hearts and minds the words and actions of our Lord, including his suffering, death, and resurrection. Remembrance is not just about bread and wine. It’s about who Jesus is as God’s Son, giver of life, and Savior of the world.
That means, when we gather this day to celebrate with Jesus the Passover meal with his disciples, we are re-entering the upper room, sharing the bread, drinking the wine, and hearing Jesus tell us again of his betrayal. We are also standing with Jesus on this hillside as he feeds five thousand, at the well where he encounters the Samaritan woman, at the pool where he heals the lame man, and on the cross where he dies for the sins of the world.
“Do this in remembrance of me” is more than just bread and wine. It is a reminder of all that Jesus did and is doing for the sake of the world.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your command is to remember. Open my heart, mind, and soul that I am able to bring back into mindfulness all that You have done for me, the world, and all creation. Amen.