Until He Comes

David Francis

“I don’t believe it!” exclaimed Victor Meldrew, in the British sitcom ‘One Foot in the Grave’. Perfectly played by Richard Wilson he experienced many unbelievable and hilarious situations that generated this iconic saying.

As we hear and see far worst occurrences in our troubled world, do we realise that quite regularly we declare that one day, things will get better?

Some may say “I don’t believe it!” - but not us, as we participate in our regular communion service!

But at what point do we do this? When do we declare that the world will find lasting peace, prosperity and joy? When will things get better?

Sharing communion during last week’s service caused me to dig deep into many of the meaningful phrases we often recall when reflecting on the sacraments of communion. I’m not a fan of sugary grape juice or fast baked white bread so it was definitely the symbols and their meanings I needed to think upon.

We read:

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
1 Corinthians 11:26

Through His death Jesus obtained His destiny as the worlds final, divine monarch. His body and blood are the epitome of all He represented, our acceptance to God, the Saviour of the whole world, the consequence of our sins removed. His resurrection was the royal seal of approval that witnessed, that God had inaugurated His kingdom on earth.

Bread and wine are also powerful symbols of sustenance and joy:

Wine to make them glad… and bread to give them strength
Psalm 104:15

They are part of God’s bountiful blessings and reflect His grace in this earth’s amazing ability, with God’s blessing of ‘rain in due season’ (Leviticus 26:4) to produce all we and the created world needs to function and results in the praise of God.

Let all that I am praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 104:35

The joy and substance of His divine rule over us as well as the world to come, is what we also proclaim as we eat and drink. The Spirit transforming us with His very presence into the way we think, speak and live.

God’s rule & reign, under Jesus is the only one which has the wisdom, power and might to successfully transform our world and be the true food and eventual joy it needs.

I am sure most of us hope for the ‘not yet’* while we pray Thy kingdom come ‘now’.

As we continue our fellowship and meetings with communion as and when, let these symbols and optimistic understandings ‘stir us all up to love and good works’. (Hebrews 10:24) ‘until He comes.’

‘I do believe it!

*https://vineyardusa.org/what-is-the-kingdom-the-now-and-the-not-yet-of-the-kingdom/