Devoted Focus
Hebrews 12:1-2 –
‘Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’
We have a dog, she is very sweet - but she has a new focus…
Squirrels.
She is mad about these fluffy-tailed animals in our back garden. Single mindedly focussing on them, she barks at the back door and when it’s open, legs it towards them with a determination she has for nothing else.
Of the four basic devotions that the Early Church practised, ‘breaking of bread’ was all about shifting their focus. Jesus broke bread with his disciples before he was taken to be crucified, ‘He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, he gave it to them, saying, ‘this is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me’ (Luke 22:19).
It’s easy for us to get caught up in our own world, whether it’s work or home, friendships, relationships, worry, money, bake-off evictions…When we spend too much time looking at our own lives, we forget what Jesus has done. He knows what we are like - so he was really specific in giving us a vivid illustration, the consuming of bread and wine, which we do in communion. It shifts our focus again to Jesus’ and his death on the cross.
Remembering what Jesus has done for us always renews our focus on him and causes us to be thankful. Not a ‘cheers mate’ kind of glib thankfulness but a deep awareness of the grace we have received, a breaking of our hearts at the cost paid for us. It should overwhelm us and flow out in worship. Essentially the breaking of bread is to shift our focus.
We are called to single-minded determination to live for Jesus, to run the faith-race with perseverance keeping our eyes focussed on him. ‘Communion’ started as a meal in homes, eating and drinking together, remembering what Jesus had done. Over the centuries it has been developed into a sacrament in church with a small bit of bread and sip of wine. There is also an echo of ‘communion’ in saying ‘grace’ when people gather for a meal.
When we share communion it’s normally in a set service as part of our worship: It has become detached from a normal meal. Maybe we need to rethink our attitude towards it. Instead of only doing it in the context of the church service, why not make saying ‘grace’ before meals an intentional act of remembering Jesus, being thankful for what he gave for us, and transforming our meal-times into worship and communion?
Prayer – Jesus we thank you for the cross, that you died in our place and rose again to bring us eternal life. Remind us to shift our focus back to you each day, remembering your sacrifice and being thankful that you chose each one of us. We commit to being devoted to this way of life, a devotion to gratitude and worship, to remembrance and reverence. We need you, Jesus, at the centre of our lives.