Sacrament: Visible Words

Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."          –Luke 22:19

So much of God is beyond our understanding, beyond our verbalizing, that we have to use metaphors in order to get even close to what it all means.  Jesus uses the metaphors of bread and wine to speak of what he is doing for us on the cross and leaving for us in Holy Communion.

Augustine called them “visible words,” and this includes the water of the sacrament of baptism.  The word of God is signified by the physical element, and, in our Lutheran understanding, vitally present in water, wine, and wheat. 

Luther, in his attempt to capture the mystery, talks about the “real presence” of Christ.  Somehow (and it remains a mystery) Jesus is truly present when we eat and drink.  Jesus becomes part of us in body, mind, and spirit.  The word of God is accomplishing its purpose.

We will never fully figure out the full height, depth, & breadth of God’s work in this world, but seeking understanding, asking questions, and giving it time to meander in our minds, helps us more fully digest these ‘visible words’ and make them ‘really present’ in our lives.