In Remembrance

Joshua 214:1-3a, 14-25; Amos 5:18-24

Joshua has gathered the people who crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land to reaffirm the covenant with God. Joshua is making it clear that the people must choice to follow God and thus the ordinances set before them.  Thus in response to God saving them from slavery they were to follow the statutes and ordinances and disregard the gods of of their ancestors beyond the river and the gods they picked up from the Amorites.  They said a resounding “yes” because of God’s Love (Grace).

Amos a wonderful prophet speaking to the Northern Kingdom.  The fact that at his time there were two kingdoms should expose there most be issues if the people are not united under the One God.  Well he writes very harshly that God is not happy with the festivals and sacrifices; God is not happy with the fulfillment of the ordinances and statutes.   It seems clear that the system has been used to control people rather than in response to God’s Love. Even those that want to respond to God, are now intertwined in this system of injustice.  Thus Amos is making it clear that it is not the rules, rather the covenant that is important. 

We Christians come to church every week (or try to) and we have ordinances and statues we follow.  For Disciples, we come to Jesus’ Table each week, thus the question is do we come because we are supposed to?  Are we doing church to fulfill a rule be it written or inherited by a parent?  Do we lose the meaning of the ceremony to the ceremony?  I hope to remind us that we are doing this “in remembrance” of Jesus.  We remember that He saved us from Sin and Death, not because we did anything, but because of God’s Love (Grace). 

It is clear in Luke 22:19 and in 1 Corinthians 11:24-25, that we are to come to the Table “In Remembrance” of Jesus.  I believe this is what we need to do, just as Joshua wanted the people to renew their covenant, we do only if we remember our salvation. 

Jesus did say “in remembrance” according to Matthew and Mark as well, but not at the table, rahter,

  Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.’ (Mark 14)

Jesus tells us that the Gospel is proclaimed in remembrance of this unnamed woman that anointed Him.  Well He did.  We are to constantly make it clear that Jesus is the anointed one, and when we remember what He did for us with His love (Grace) we also remember all those that witnessed to us Jesus was the anointed one, the Christ, the Messiah.