Communion and Co-Suffering Love – Eden Jersak
Communion Sunday May 29, 2022
This has been another tough week!
For those who are burden-bearers, you may have found yourselves overwhelmed with the grief in our news cycles. For those of you who don’t identify as burden bearers, it was a tough week to watch and listen to news.
Jesus’ work on the Cross was about “Co-suffering Love.” And I believe we are being invited to co-suffering Love at the communion table this morning.
Sympathy and compassion are more than feeling bad and sad for someone else. You are actually suffering alongside another in solidarity. Em”pathy”, “sym”pathy”, “com”passion”, each of those endings means “suffering.” “Em,” “Sym,” and “Com” all mean “with”. This implies that we bear one another’s burdens, together in our “withness.”
This is a central reason Jesus died on the Cross. Jesus assumed human nature and the human condition, including death on the cross AS the ultimate expression of Co-Suffering LOVE. He has experienced our limitations and testings, and knows how we suffer!
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
There is a beautiful mystery in Communion, because in receiving communion we are participating in Jesus’ Co-Suffering love, not just for ourselves, but "for the life of the world." Co-Suffering LOVE has the power to heal and transform. I don’t know how that mystery of love works but I do believe that Jesus understood what he was inviting us into.
As we receive the body and blood of Christ at the table, we are being invited to Co-Suffer with the world around us. As we do this in remembrance of Jesus, we are bringing the families who have lost their children this week with us. As we eat the bread we are co-suffering with the families in Ukraine that have been torn apart, those who have died, and those who are fleeing for their lives. We co-suffer with our indigenous siblings as their grief continues and they continue to wait for true justice. As we drink the wine, we co-suffer in solidarity with families and friends who have lost loved ones for no other reason than someone hating the colour of their skin. We mourn with the millions of people who have lost loved ones through this pandemic.
It is in our “withness” that we will join in Jesus’ co-suffering love. So we don’t need to be afraid of the darkness! With Jesus, we won’t need to be afraid of the sadness. We will not be afraid to quietly sit with Jesus beside those who cry, and join in their sorrow. Because . . . Co-suffering is an essential manifestation of how we follow Jesus.
This is what Jesus did for us and this is what our communion together is about.
At the Last Supper, Jesus fed his disciples and in essence invited them to join in with him in co-suffering LOVE. And as we drink from his Cup, Jesus invites us to that same Co-suffering Love.
Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for your co-suffering LOVE. Help us to feel your “withness” with us, and show us how to co-suffer in LOVE with others. Amen.
Eat and drink in remembrance of HIM.
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