Missy was a brand spanking new Christian. I was shocked at how little she really knew about Jesus. I’m serious. She had no idea what Christmas was about, aside from Santa Clause and trees. Easter was just bunnies and eggs. Missy is not a child, but no one had ever explained Jesus to her. I had just assumed that every American knew who Jesus was.
This night was also Missy’s first communion. It was a simple breaking of the bread and drinking of the wine. I blessed it and passed it around. After a short prayer and a quick “hallelujah”, Missy came over to me. Her eyes were dancing and she couldn’t keep still.
“I get it…It’s an open table!” she said. Her eyes had been opened!
"What do you mean Missy?" I asked.
“Everyone is welcome, I’m welcome. This is amazing!” she said.
I got it. I had taken for granted that everyone knew that they were welcome. There must be a perception that not everyone is welcome to the table. Wow. Missy had recognized this is JESUS.
TWO TREES - Eat the fruit of one and find judgement and death and the other, eternal life.
Then this morning, after our communion, my wife and I were led into a discussion about the Garden of Eden. The serpent was working on Eve to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Eve tells the Serpent, "God says, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’
Genesis 3:3
The Serpent said, "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:5
The Serpent sells Eve on 'having her eyes opened'.
The serpent gets her focus off of the Lord and onto the promise of the fruit's ability to 'open her eyes'. He sells it, 'You want to be like God don't you? Well you can! Because if you eat this you will know what God knows.' She is dazzled by his salesmanship. So Eve gets her 'eyes opened' She now recognizes good and evil.
The fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil opened Eve’s eyes to the laws of good and evil. Notice it was not just the knowledge of evil, but also of good. This gives Adam and Eve the sense of power to judge good works from evil works, for themselves and for others.
As soon as we place any conditions on the grace of JESUS we too are biting on the fruit of that tree. Law puts the power of judgement right into our hands. Even the smallest infraction of the law is considered absolute failure and we will reap the consequences. If we try to obey the laws we fail. If we try and do good, it’s not good enough. It is a 'lose-lose' situation.
Compare this to story of Emmaus. Jesus meets Cleopas and Mary, another couple (though it does not say it was his wife in the scriptures, it is assumed by many scholars that they were going to their home after Passover). Jesus walks with them for 7 miles. He opens up the scriptures to them. They see Him, they hear Him, but they do not know Him. When they arrive at Cleopas’ home they insist that this stranger come inside.
"When He was at table with them, He took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight."
Luke 24:30-31
Cleopas was not at the Last Supper. Yet Mary and His eyes were opened when JESUS blessed and broke the bread and they recognized Him. They were eating the fruit of the Tree of Life. JESUS is the Tree of Life!
The Open Table that Missy discovered in Communion with Jesus is where we all feast on the bread of eternal life and the blood of our redemption. That's what made her heart skip a beat. JESUS arms are always open to everyone! If we close the Table for any reason because of the knowledge of good and evil then we make it a table of judgement. Understanding an open table for communion is a taste we get from the Tree of Life.
This night was also Missy’s first communion. It was a simple breaking of the bread and drinking of the wine. I blessed it and passed it around. After a short prayer and a quick “hallelujah”, Missy came over to me. Her eyes were dancing and she couldn’t keep still.
“I get it…It’s an open table!” she said. Her eyes had been opened!
"What do you mean Missy?" I asked.
“Everyone is welcome, I’m welcome. This is amazing!” she said.
I got it. I had taken for granted that everyone knew that they were welcome. There must be a perception that not everyone is welcome to the table. Wow. Missy had recognized this is JESUS.
TWO TREES - Eat the fruit of one and find judgement and death and the other, eternal life.
Then this morning, after our communion, my wife and I were led into a discussion about the Garden of Eden. The serpent was working on Eve to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Eve tells the Serpent, "God says, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’
Genesis 3:3
The Serpent said, "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:5
The Serpent sells Eve on 'having her eyes opened'.
The serpent gets her focus off of the Lord and onto the promise of the fruit's ability to 'open her eyes'. He sells it, 'You want to be like God don't you? Well you can! Because if you eat this you will know what God knows.' She is dazzled by his salesmanship. So Eve gets her 'eyes opened' She now recognizes good and evil.
The fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil opened Eve’s eyes to the laws of good and evil. Notice it was not just the knowledge of evil, but also of good. This gives Adam and Eve the sense of power to judge good works from evil works, for themselves and for others.
As soon as we place any conditions on the grace of JESUS we too are biting on the fruit of that tree. Law puts the power of judgement right into our hands. Even the smallest infraction of the law is considered absolute failure and we will reap the consequences. If we try to obey the laws we fail. If we try and do good, it’s not good enough. It is a 'lose-lose' situation.
Compare this to story of Emmaus. Jesus meets Cleopas and Mary, another couple (though it does not say it was his wife in the scriptures, it is assumed by many scholars that they were going to their home after Passover). Jesus walks with them for 7 miles. He opens up the scriptures to them. They see Him, they hear Him, but they do not know Him. When they arrive at Cleopas’ home they insist that this stranger come inside.
"When He was at table with them, He took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight."
Luke 24:30-31
Cleopas was not at the Last Supper. Yet Mary and His eyes were opened when JESUS blessed and broke the bread and they recognized Him. They were eating the fruit of the Tree of Life. JESUS is the Tree of Life!
The Open Table that Missy discovered in Communion with Jesus is where we all feast on the bread of eternal life and the blood of our redemption. That's what made her heart skip a beat. JESUS arms are always open to everyone! If we close the Table for any reason because of the knowledge of good and evil then we make it a table of judgement. Understanding an open table for communion is a taste we get from the Tree of Life.