Eucharist and the Distinctive Kingdom

In the essay, Leadership, three kingdoms were described: kingdoms governed by the desires of the powerful, the Kingdom of Israel founded by conquest and ordered by the covenant, and the Kingdom of sacrificial love founded by Jesus, where love is defined by the cross and empowered by the Spirit. This essay will reflect on these three kingdoms and connect that reflection with the Holy Eucharist. First, however, let us open up our hearts to God in prayer.

Heavenly Father, by your heavenly grace pour out upon us the Spirit of discernment that we might recognize your Kingdom in the midst of the kingdoms that seek our love. Even more, we pray, give us the authority by your Word and Spirit to set forth your Kingdom in this sinful world. For the sake of the Lord Jesus who died that we might live. Amen.

Thinking back on our essay, Worship and the Covenant, let us describe the social entity of a kingdom as composed of three factors: a common history, a common body of laws, customs, and practices, and finally, rituals, educational forms, and celebrations that instill the history, custom, and law into the members of the kingdom. By "kingdom," we mean what we commonly call nations, and we may note that the world is composed of many nations speaking many languages with many and varied histories, laws, customs, and practices. Within these nations there are many subgroups, ethnic groups, clans, tribes, and geographical regions with their common histories, laws, customs, rituals and celebrations.
As we survey these many nations, tribes, and ethnic groups, as we study their histories and the ways in which they govern themselves, we see many differences, and yet at the same time, there are many similarities. All of them, to one degree or another, were established and maintained by violence in various forms. Within Scripture, one may think of the Kingdom of Israel. It was begun in violence and it continued in violence. It began with an escape from Egypt, wilderness wandering, an invasion, and bloody battles of conquest. Once in the land, the nation was afflicted by frequent conflicts, both internally and externally. At times, as under King David, Israel was victorious. By and large, however, Israel suffered terribly in these wars, and in the years 69-70 after Christ, Israel was utterly destroyed and its people dispersed. This is the fate of the kingdoms of this world. In the words of Jesus, "all who take the sword will perish by the sword." (Matthew 26:52).

I am a citizen of the United States of America, a nation that, at the moment, is a very powerful nation. It was founded by violence, a rebellion that took place in the late 18th century, and it has been held together by violence, the worst being a terrible civil war that erupted in the nineteenth century. In the last hundred years, it has fought numerous wars, and now it possesses a powerful military with massive destructive power. This power guarantees, for the moment, a feeling of security for its citizens. This security, like the security of all nations, is only temporary. This nation, like all others, will collapse, destroyed by the violence and death at the heart of it. Even if this nation were to last forever, it could not solve a fundamental problem, the fact that we all die.

Once a group of people have established themselves in a land, they must organize and govern themselves. By and large, this is often to the good, enabling a people to live together with some degree of peace, protecting the citizens from criminals and enemies, and enabling commerce and communal life. This communal life is often governed by some degree of law, and the law always requires force to uphold it. Israel was governed by the laws of the covenant. These laws had their roots in Israel's history, God's liberation from Egypt and the gift of the land. The laws were enforced by violence, such things as stoning, for example, or what is known as the lex talionis, "It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot" (Deuteronomy 19:21). God himself enforced the laws as well, sending Israel into exile for her violations of the covenant. As seen in such essays as Land and Work, or The Righteous King, one of the purposes of Israel’s law and leadership was to protect the weak against the strong. Frequently, however, this did not happen. Although Israel had a law based on justice, she often fell back into the Egyptian pattern, that is, a nation ruled by the ruthless, the wealthy, and the powerful, who used their power to oppress and exploit their fellow Israelites. We studied this in the essays on the prophetic judgment, Micah Three, Isaiah Five, and Amos Five.

Even under the best of conditions, within nations that are governed by just laws and rulers, these laws must be maintained by force to prevent the ascendancy of criminal elements, and therefore, coercion upholds even the best of societies. It is not unusual, however, for the laws to favor the powerful against the weak, allowing the strong to confiscate the lands, resources, and labor of their weaker citizens. In all societies, and this is true in varying degrees, there are constant struggles among individuals, factions, and centers of power, all seeking to impose their will on others and to use them to their advantage. This can also be seen in Israel's sorrowful history. Her history of evil kings, faithless priests, and lying prophets, interspersed with a few good kings and true prophets, is similar to the histories of this world’s kingdoms. All these societies carry their history of sin in their souls, and they cannot escape the consequences of that sin in their ongoing histories.

Further, all societies raise their children and educate their citizens to honor and keep the laws, customs, and practices of their respective countries. In Israel, the renewal of the covenant, seen for example, in Joshua 24, was an occasion to educate the people in the life of the nation, and all the great feasts had the same function. Many nations set aside times of celebration and their leaders often appeal to their nation's history or fundamental beliefs to justify their actions.

In the United States, for example, the Fourth of July is such an event. On this day its citizens celebrate the Declaration of Independence, the day in which the founders of the country threw off the yoke of England's rule. At major sports events, it is not unusual for the National Anthem to be sung, an anthem bringing together the violence of war, the flag, and the "land of the free and the home of the brave." All nations and social groups have these rituals, and these rituals are easily twisted by unscrupulous and deceitful rulers who manipulate their populations. In fact, it is rare for leaders to be completely honest with their followers. The history of the world is filled with charismatic leaders who promised their followers wealth and power, and then led them to destruction.

When one considers the church, one sees similar conditions. It is not unusual for church leaders to use their positions to profit off of their followers, nor is it unusual for pastors to be engaged in struggles for power and influence. Church members often divide into warring camps, fighting over property, doctrine, moral norms, their leaders, and many other matters. The divisions that afflict the wider society, divisions based on wealth, power, national and tribal differences, infect the church. Anyone who reads First and Second Corinthians can see that there was conflict in the Corinthian Church, and the history of the church has its share of religious wars. Because of these failings, many people leave the church, finding it little different from the world which surrounds them. In many ways they are correct, but there is a profound difference between the church and the kingdoms of this world, and this difference begins with Jesus.

Unlike the founders and leaders of other nations, Jesus was sinless, and the character of his sinless nature can initially be seen in his temptations (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13). Jesus was led into the desert and there the devil offered him bread, the kingdoms of this world with their political power and wealth, and finally, Jesus was tempted to produce a great sign of his favor with God to justify his spiritual authority. Unlike other leaders whose goals are wealth and power, including religious leaders who justify themselves by some form of spiritual authority, Jesus was driven by one fundamental concern -- to love God and to keep his Word. What began in the desert ended on Calvary. There, above all, he revealed his obedience to the Father and his willingness to put God's will above power, wealth, physical relief, status, spiritual authority, or any other value offered by the kingdoms of this world. That is where his Kingdom began, and that is why his Kingdom is different from the other kingdoms of this world.

Furthermore, Christ established his Kingdom by his life, death, and resurrection. He did not create his Kingdom by conquest, by political manipulation, or by accumulating wealth. When Jesus was brought before Pilate for sentencing, Pilate asked him if he were king of the Jews. Jesus replied, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world" (John 18:36). This is the essence of the matter. The Kingdom of Christ was founded by sacrificial love, not by force of arms. Love is its root and source, and for that reason, when it flowers, it produces the fruit of love. Other kingdoms grow out of their roots as well, and since their roots entail conquest and killing, their fruit is expansion, conquest, and eventual decline and death. Since Christ's Kingdom was not founded by force of arms, it cannot be expanded by conquest. It can only be expanded by the proclamation of the gospel, the gospel that Christ died to reconcile his followers to God and each other.

It must also be said that Jesus, unlike other leaders, did not promise his followers wealth and power. He made great promises, above all, the privilege of knowing him, the greatest gift of all. He also promised healing, blessings, protection, provision, life, and love, beginning in this life and completed in the life of the world to come. All these things happen in the lives of Christians. But he also said we are to take up our crosses daily. Life does not always go the way we expect. Salvation now is only partial. Only at the end will God fully wipe away all the tears from our eyes. Only then will we be fully safe. From the beginning Christians have been persecuted. Paul said it succinctly, "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ..." (Second Timothy 3:12). This is a statement of fact. Sometimes this persecution is of the hard variety, being robbed, harmed and killed. At other times, it is of the soft variety, being ignored, slandered, and pushed to the side. Unlike other leaders who promise wealth and power, Jesus tells the truth and he can tell the truth because he knows that knowing him, being faithful to him, is worth everything. Here are some of his words.

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: "A servant is not greater than his master." If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:18-20).

Why did Jesus say this? From the beginning the kingdoms of the world have sought to seduce or coerce Christians into following or justifying their sinful programs. Christians have been seduced into fighting wars that should not be fought, persecuting minorities who have committed no crimes, and accumulating wealth at the expense of the impoverished. Until Christ comes again, there will always be injustice and corruption, and Christians cannot escape some degree of participation in this evil world. At the same time, Christians are called to witness to Christ and to discriminate between certain evils that God's forgiving grace may well permit and evils that must be avoided at all costs. Wars are evil, but some wars, for example, must be fought to overthrow terrifying tyrannies. Under normal circumstances, taxes must be paid although they are not always used for righteous purposes. All Christians need some degree of material well-being to raise their families and work for the Kingdom, and these resources can only be gained by participating in an economic system that always suffers a degree of injustice. The forgiveness of God reigns supreme as we participate in sinful systems, but this is no justification for Christians participating in every action proposed by the nations to which they belong. Some wars are wrong. Some economic practices must be condemned. Violent actions against innocent minorities are never acceptable. Even when Christians participate in wars that must be fought, or financial enterprises that reflect a degree of injustice, it must be recognized that they are not founding the Kingdom of God, but doing the best they can to sustain this broken world under the providence of God.

Christians often fail, however, in their witness to Christ. They participate in their nation’s evil practices and, even more, bring this sin and shame into the church. In spite of these dismal facts, however, the church lives by the person of Christ bringing life to the church. That is what makes the church so very, very different from the kingdoms of this world. Since these essays are primarily from an Anglican perspective, let me introduce Article 19 of The Articles of Religion, an article defining the visible Church.

The visible church of Christ is a congregation of believers in which the pure Word of God is preached and in which the sacraments are rightly administered according to Christ's command in all those matters that are necessary for proper administration. As the churches of Jerusalem, Antioch and Alexandria have erred, so also the church of Rome has erred, not only in their practice and forms of worship but also in matters of faith.

The article describes the visible church. It does not describe the invisible church. The invisible church is all those who by faith truly believe in Jesus Christ and are in a living relationship with him. The visible church is a congregation “in which the pure Word of God is preached and in which the sacraments are rightly administered.” All who belong to the invisible church under the lordship of Christ will manifest their obedience to him by living in relationship with other believers, and therefore, they will be members of the visible church. Not all, however, who are in the visible church believe in Christ and are members of the invisible church. There are those who become church members for reasons other than serving Christ, and further, there are churches which claim to be Christian, but are not. These are "Christian" bodies that have abandoned the faith and believed a false gospel. They, according to the definition, are not a part of the visible church, although individual members in the mercy of God may well hold the Truth.

Churches that have not abandoned the faith are those in which "the pure Word of God is preached and in which the sacraments are rightly administered according to Christ's command ..." Within Anglican Churches, there are norms which determine whether the preaching is pure and the sacraments rightly administered. First and foremost, there is the norm of Scripture. Every Sunday in Anglican Churches, three lessons and a psalm are read from God's Word. This, above all, is the pure Word of God. As one hears the Word in Christian worship with an open heart and empowered by Spirit, God creates his distinctive Kingdom of love, a Kingdom created by crucifixion, resurrection, and the giving of the Spirit. Further, within Anglicanism, there are subsidiary norms, the Creeds, the homilies (sermons written at the time of the English Reformation and recognized as truthful renderings of Scripture), and the teaching of the Prayer Book. These, by the corporate discernment of the church, have been recognized as presenting the pure Word of God because they set forth the true teaching of Scripture.

Many, many churches, and not just Anglican Churches, are filled with believers who weekly preach the pure Word of God. Of course, all preaching has an element of sin in it, as do all churches since all have erred as Article 19 states. Nevertheless, by God's justifying grace, and sincere efforts in pursuit of purity, preaching can become pure and does throughout the Christian world. Nowhere else, in no other kingdom, does one hear the Word of Life and therefore, it is vital that all who wish to know the Lord Jesus and to enter into his distinctive Kingdom, find a fellowship and join with others in seeking and proclaiming the pure Word of God.

Further, for Anglicans, there are two sacraments, baptism and the Supper of the Lord (Article 25). The “Supper of the Lord” refers to what we have termed “The Holy Communion,” the second part of the Holy Eucharist. As described in these essays on the Holy Eucharist, Anglicans worship by means of liturgies, and Anglicans have inherited and purified the ancient liturgies that have blessed the Church for centuries. These, in and of themselves, proclaim the pure Word of God and enable believers to meet the living God. These liturgies, like the one offered on this website, A Liturgy for Eucharist, enable the congregation to celebrate according to Christ's command. Among other things, the liturgies for the Holy Communion specify the use the elements (bread and wine), the words, and the actions that Christ commanded when he said, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19, First Corinthians 11:24-25). The essay, the Formation of the Eucharist, described how the church developed these liturgies in accord with their biblical form.

As is the case with the Word of God, so it is with the Holy Eucharist. There, and only there, in the church and in no other kingdom, can one eat of the Bread of Life. Only there does one hear and see the words and deeds that bring one before the living God. There and only there does one sit at table with God, his Son, and the company of the redeemed. Only there does one remember the one who suffered violence to found his Kingdom of love. Only there, receiving his broken body and spilt blood does one enter the everlasting Kingdom. Always, everywhere, in churches that keep the faith, preach the pure Word of God and celebrate the Holy Communion, sinful human beings are united to God through the blood of Jesus and made a member of that Kingdom that has no end. For this reason, all who seek hope are called to join that fellowship, and the church, for her part, is called to purify herself that she might faithfully proclaim the Word of God and administer the Holy Communion.

Many Christians have been blinded by the glory and powers of this world, and this glory often manifests itself in the social group to which they may belong, whether their country, class, tribe, or geographical region. Nevertheless, from the beginning Christians have belonged to another Kingdom, a Kingdom not of this world. It is idolatry to love one's country, or tribe, or ethnic group, rather than loving God and one's neighbor. Scripture never commands anyone to love their country. Nowhere in the Old Testament are the people of God commanded to love their native country Israel. Aside from one reference that might hint at such a thing, Scripture nowhere states that any of God’s people loved their country.(1) The people of Israel were called to love their neighbors, even the alien in the midst, but not their country. Israel lived by the love of God, the first commandment, and not by self-love. God loved Israel, but Israel was not called to love herself. The same holds true for the church. Christians are called to love God and each other, as well as their enemies, but are never called to love the church. The church is the bride of Christ. She loves her husband, not herself. When Christians love the church, they put the success of the church, its programs, property, and power, above the love of God and their neighbor. There are many successful churches whose members love the church, but have little love of God. Just as Christians are not called to love the church, they are not called to love any other society such as their country. The example of Paul is instructive here. In his letter to the Philippians, he proclaims that he had more confidence than anyone in the things of this world, that is, in the flesh. He was "circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; ..." (3:5). He was an Israelite, his tribe was Benjamin, his people, the Hebrews. But then he says,

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, ... But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:7-9, 20-21)

Paul was a Roman citizen, and Rome was the greatest power in the Mediterranean world. He was also a member of the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people. Yet he counted these as "loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." The writer of I John proclaims a similar message. "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1John 2:15). The nations belong to the world, the system that is passing away. It is no accident that the only place the state is mentioned in the Nicene Creed is in reference to Pilate, a representative of the state who sentenced Jesus to death.

Although Christians are not called to love their country, they are, however, called to respect and honor authority, both in the church and in the world (Romans 13:7, I Peter 2:17). For this reason, it is amiss for Christians to drag down their countries, or to virulently attack their leaders. By and large, Christians are called to work for the welfare of their countries. Even so, however, there are times when nations become the beast arising out of the sea (Revelation 13:1). When that happens, Christians cannot participate in her blasphemies. It is always good to remember the words of Paul, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, …” (Philippians 3:20).

The church at times seems so weak and pitiful, and her members so hypocritical, ineffectual, and constantly at odds with one another, that we fail to see that she carries in her bosom the hope of the world. That is where we belong, with other sinners like ourselves, sinners who have the incomparable privilege, Sunday by Sunday, of entering into the holy of holies to meet the living God who loves us without end. Let us remember the words of Jesus, "I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Mat 26:29). Those words apply to us, to believers who can, by the grace of God, receive the living Word of God and are blessed by the Holy Communion, and this happens, over and over again, in the church. It is a blessing to belong to that distinctive Kingdom which is Christ’s, and that Kingdom is manifest in the church. We need to be faithful to that blessing by rejecting the idolatry that ranks one’s country alongside God as the object of our love..

Finally, when believers come into the church, they enter a universal Kingdom composed of persons from every nation and class upon the earth. The divisions of the world, however, are carried over into the church, and it is not unusual for a church to split along lines of national origin, tribe, or class. This cannot be. As believers come forward to receive the Holy Communion, they commit themselves to unity, to serving others, and to forging bonds of love across all divisions that afflict this sinful world. Here is Paul,

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1Corinthians 10:16-7).

When the unity given to us in the body and blood of Christ becomes a living fact in the church, then and only then does the church become a living witness to Jesus Christ. Jesus stated this clearly in John’s gospel, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). For this reason, it is imperative that believers, united by the body and blood of Christ and washed by the preaching of his word, live in peace with one another, leaving behind the conflicts and divisions of the world, and uniting themselves with joy into the great Kingdom that will have no end.

In our essay, Eucharist as the Dawn of the Age to Come, we proclaimed that we enter into the great Kingdom as we come before God in the Holy Eucharist. We saw how that never-ending love could become real even upon earth as we worship the one who sits upon the throne. Let us end this essay by remembering this again, remember in the strong sense of In Remembrance of Me.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen." (Revelation 7:9-12).

Finally, a prayer:

Heavenly Father, pour out upon us we pray your Holy Spirit that we, beholding the face of your Son, Jesus Christ, may bring forth your Kingdom in the church, and by your mighty power, become a blessing to the world. These great things, beyond our abilities, but within your power, we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Questions for Discussion

1. No country is fully good or evil. What are some of the ways your country has been a blessing to you? Have you seen a spirit of self-sacrifice for others at work in your country? What has been its history of warfare? Have you seen the desire for physical gratification, lust for power and wealth, and the need for status and honor, at work in your country's life? Are these same tendencies at work in your church and in your own life? What do you need to do to reflect the sacrificial love found in the Holy Communion?
2. How has the preaching and the Holy Communion found in the church brought you closer to Christ and enabled you to love others?
3. Do the Christian churches in your community work together for the good of the community and thereby make a good witness to Christ?
4. Does your country ask anything of you that you cannot do as a Christian? Does your country, or your fellow countrymen, expect you to love your country? If so, what has been your response?
5. What, in your mind, is the difference between honoring and respecting one's country and loving one's country? Why does Scripture never command us to love one's country, and why are we commanded not to love the world? What do you think is meant by the term "world" in 1 John 2:15?

Endnote

1. In Isaiah 66:10, the Lord proclaims his salvation for those who love Jerusalem. This is the only case in Scripture that I could find that referred to the people of God loving their homeland. In context, the passage refers to God showering his blessings upon Jerusalem so that those who come to her are blessed by God’s gracious presence. This can in no way be construed to say that one should love one’s country, tribe, or social class. These entities can be respected and valued, but never loved. The church is the New Israel, the New Jerusalem, the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:2), and nowhere in the New Testament is it ever stated that anyone ever loved the church, or should love the church. Further, the New Testament would never state that one should love one’s nation. Given the emperor worship prevalent in the Roman Empire, where the emperor represented the spirit of Rome, to love one’s nation would be a terrible idolatry. The early Christians were persecuted and killed for refusing to worship the emperor.

The Rev. Robert J. Sanders, Ph.D.