The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1915, Page 11

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

The Lutheran Pioneer.

il

their love is not increased, and their whole life and
conversation shows that they are deriving no benefit
from the Sacrament. But how can the behavior
of others excuse our despising of the Sacrament?
The fact that others misuse the Lord’s Supper
surely does not give me the right to ignore Christ’s
plain command. You might as well refuse to eat
and drink in future because some people you know
make an improper use of their food and
drink! No, no; the abuse of the Sacrament
by some communicants should not keep us
away from the Lord’s Table.

Others answer, “We have had trouble with
this or that person, and therefore cannot go
to the Sacrament.” ‘To such people Christ
says: “If thou bring thy gift to the altar,
and there rememberest that thy brother hath
aught against thee, leave there thy gift be-
fore the altar, and go thy way; first be recon-
ciled to thy brother, and then come and offer
thy gift.”

Still others say, “We are not prepared
and not worthy to go to the Lord’s Table.”
This is the excuse of two widely different
classes of people. With one class it is an
empty excuse, used as a cloak of malicious-
ness. ‘They have, perhaps, given this excuse
for years, and yet they make no attempt to
cease from their sins. ‘They withstand the
truth, and continue to sin against their con-
science. That such should not approach the
Lord’s ‘Table is plain, for they will eat and
drink damnation to themselves. By par-
taking of the Holy Supper they would harm
themselves, the Church, and the children of
the world. But whose fault is it that they
are not well prepared? Does not their very
excuse show where the fault lies? From one
sin they take opportunity to commit another.
Truly, their excuse will not justify them be-
fore men, much less before God. If such
persons partake of the Lord’s Supper, they
sin; and if they do not go, they also sin. Oh,
that such would come to a knowledge of their guilt,
and contritely say with the publican, “God be merci-
ful to me, a sinner.” For then they could approach
the Lord’s Supper without sinning, since then they
would come with a heartfelt longing for grace, and
thus receive refreshment for their soul and strength-
ening of their faith.

The other class of people that says: “We are
not worthy to go to the Lord’s Supper,” are weak

Christians. The thought of their own unworthi-
ness, on the one hand, and the solemnity and sacred-
ness of the Sacrament, on the other, so fills their
hearts with awe and fear that they would deem it
shameless audacity on their part, if they were to
partake of the Lord’s Supper; and yet it is for
just such weak Christians that Christ instituted
the Sacrament. Those who realize the weakness

Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and

I will give you rest. Matt. 11, 28.

of their faith are the very persons that -should
come to the Lord’s Table to be strengthened. ‘To
them Christ says: “Come unto Me, all ye that
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

If our partaking of the Holy Supper were de-
pendent upon our own worthiness, who would dare
to approach the Table? And should one actually
approach the Lord’s Table trusting in his own right-
eousness and worthiness, Christ would surely. say
to such a one, “Friend, how comest thou in hither,