Wholly Weak

3/26/2016

1 Corinthians 11.23-26 23 “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” – St. Paul

Last night, Good Friday, I went to a communion service at my church. It seems to be a tradition for us to do that during Holy Week. We Pentecostals are not big on liturgy, but I think we’re coming up a bit. The service was intended to do several things, the highest of which was: remembrance. Jesus said “…do this… in remembrance of Me.” So we remembered.

So, we shared a video clip from The Passion of the Christ, shared a reading from the Word, and all partook of the wine and the bread. (Okay for you purists, it wasn’t really wine, but it tasted good, and looked reddish…) Then, at pastor’s request, we hung around for a bit, and talked, and enjoyed each other’s company. He said, “It’s an insult to come to someone’s house, eat a meal, and the dash off to the next thing.” So we hung around. I long for the day when we can freely use real wine.

And so this morning, I woke up and thought: Wholly Weak. I assumed God would have something for me in my devotional reading, so I looked alertly for indicators, that I had, indeed, heard the Word. So,I read the last two chapters of Joshua: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Choose: weakness or Strength.

And then, I read Psalm 44: We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love. And then, I read 1 Corinthians 11.17 where Paul said: In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. And then I saw it: we are wholly weak and in need of Savior. We say and do the stupidest things because we are wholly weak and in need God's salvation.

The point of Easter (or the Resurrection) is because we are wholly weak. Whatever transpired in the Heavenly realms between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday is simply this: we are wholly weak, but He is eternally strong. Seeing our weakness isn’t rocket-science – it’s just plain obvious. What isn’t so obvious is our need for a Savior who became wholly weak and took upon Himself the punishment that was meant for us, in order that we might escape death and find He is eternally strong.

Holy Week is about the majesty of the eternally strong becoming wholly weak in order to save the wholly weak that they may become eternally strong in Him forever. That’s a gift worth receiving.

Eternal God, how mighty and strong are; You, who goes after the poor and weak, and becoming weak, in order that they might become strong in You. It’s not rocket-science Lord, it’s just the way You intended for it to be: You, in all Your humility, coming after me in all my arrogance, and between the two finding life forever more. I am wholly weak – You are eternally strong. I am glad, and I am saved – Amen.