by Steve » June 13th, 2006, 6:01 pm
I had an odd experience yesterday, reading Letters to Philip, where Lewis is discussing Communion. He says he is puzzled how to interpret Communion as purely symbolic because bread and wine are such odd symbols to choose.
Yet in my understanding this isn't difficult at all. Am I missing something obvious?
Here is my understanding: Jesus referred to the bread and the wine being his body and blood because He was giving new meaning to the Jewish tradition of the Passover Seder. He is saying in effect "This bread that you share with each other, to remember the deliverance from Egypt under Moses, is now also a remembrance of me delivering you from sin and instituting the New Covenant." (Similarly for the wine).
Psalm 139:17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!