Eucharist as the Restoration of Eden

Let us begin this essay with a prayer.

Heavenly Father, thank you that by the sacrifice of your Son you bring us into your presence where we are fed with everlasting life. Pour out upon us, we pray, that same spirit of sacrifice that we may bless others with all the blessings of Eden. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

In the essay, Eucharist as Covenant Renewal, we learned that we renew our covenant with God in Christ each time we receive the Holy Eucharist. This covenant is a commitment on God's part to bless us with all the blessings in Christ, and on our part, to serve him with all our heart, mind, and strength. Among other things, as seen in the essay, Eucharist as a Direction of Service, the Holy Eucharist is a commitment to work for the service of God and others as God directs and empowers us. In this essay we will examine one dimension of that service, our work to fulfill God's desire that all people be blessed with the material blessings of Eden. To that end, let me ask the reader to read Genesis 1 and 2 and notice the following points.

1. God created the world as a blessing. After God created human beings, he gave them all the blessings of the material world that they would need for life (Genesis 1:28-29). The word “Eden,” in the original language of Genesis, means “delight.” It was a delight to be in Eden for it was a garden filled with fruit-bearing trees (Genesis 2:8-9).

2. Human beings are made for work, but the work was not hard for life in Eden was a delight. Only after sin, Genesis 3:17-19, did work become painful.

3. God did not create chaos, floods, droughts, disease, and death. God protected the world from floods from above by the creation of the sky (Genesis 1:6), and from droughts by the water which flowed out of Eden (Genesis 2:10). Only after sin entered the world was the land cursed (Genesis 3:17-20) so that it did not yield a rich harvest.

4. In the beginning, God did not create divisions among people, divisions between different races, tribes, and nations, or between rich and poor. Nor did God create certain people better or above other people. All were to be together and all were to be blessed by God. God’s good earth was given to all so that all could enjoy its benefits.

In the essay, Passover and the Holy Eucharist, we learned that the Eucharist is a modified Passover. The Passover itself, however, is part of a larger complex of revelation which links the escape from Egypt with the wandering in the desert, the covenant at Sinai, the conquest of the land, its division by tribes, clans, and families, and covenant law which protected families from losing their land in times of economic difficulty. The gift of the land, its distribution, and laws protecting its citizens from impoverishment, was God's first great step in blessing his people with all the blessings of Eden.

Further, it was understood that if the people kept covenant with God, he would bless them materially, and if they did not, the land would fall under a curse and not produce its plenty. This can be seen in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. In fact, however, Israel did not keep covenant with God, and therefore, they lost the gift of the land and its blessings.

In Jesus, however, the curse has been broken because he is the Passover Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. For this reason, in his presence, there was abundance. Not only did he heal the sick, he also fed the hungry as seen in the miracle of the loaves and fishes (Matthew 14:5-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:12-17). In these passages, Jesus receives the food given him by his disciples, blesses it, breaks the bread, and gives it to the disciples who distribute it to the multitudes. These four actions reflect the Eucharistic actions described in the Formation of the Eucharist, and thereby connect the feeding of the multitudes with the Holy Eucharist. In John’s gospel, this connection is made explicit in that Christ’s teaching on his body and blood given in Eucharist is presented in association with his feeding the multitudes (John 6:45-58).

Since the Eucharist is a modified Passover, the Eucharist is not only connected to Christ’s feeding the multitudes, but also to the original Passover and deliverance from Egypt and entrance into the land of milk and honey. This event, however, was God’s first great step in giving the blessings of Eden to his people. Looking forward, Christ’s institution of the Lord’s Supper on the night of his betrayal led to the Holy Eucharist celebrated by the church through the centuries, and all these manifestations of God’s desire that his people be fed, will be consummated in the marriage feast of the Lamb as described in the Book of Revelation. "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9).

We now have the following series of revelatory events by which God feeds his people: Eden, the liberation from Egypt, the manna in the wilderness, establishment in the land of milk and honey by conquest and covenant, the loss of the land, restoration in Jesus by his miraculous feedings, the Passover meal before his betrayal and the institution of the Eucharist, the celebrations of the Eucharist throughout the centuries, and all these consummated in the marriage feast of the Lamb.

Since the Eucharist is a modified Passover, it is similar to yet different from the Passover instituted in the Book of Exodus. They are similar in that both reflect a liberating act of God in which God feeds his people. In the one case, it is liberation from slavery and an entrance into the Promised Land. In the other, it is liberation from sin and death in which he feeds believers with his body and blood. In the one case, Israel was spared death while the Egyptians suffered the death of their firstborn. In the other, Jesus was not spared death and all who believe in him are given eternal life and called to give up their lives in service to others. In the one case, God revealed his desire that Israel be blessed with the material blessings of the Promised Land, in the other, the Lord Jesus fed the multitudes, instituted the Eucharist, atoned for sin, called believers to follow in his footsteps, and in eternity, invites his own to the marriage feast of the Lamb.

The church is the body of Christ. She belongs to the Eucharist instituted by Christ. As she follows the Lord Jesus, the church is called to live as he lived, and in Eucharist, they are given the grace they need to follow Christ. Since Christ fed the hungry, those who receive Eucharist commit themselves to feeding the hungry as well. This can be clearly seen in John 6. In this passage Jesus feeds the five thousand, thereby affirming God’s original intent that all be fed. Then, as is characteristic of John’s gospel, this sign of God’s favor is followed by Christ’s teaching. In this teaching he contrasts the food of his body and blood with the food he gave to the five thousand, or the manna the Jews ate in the wilderness. The food he gives will give eternal life, while those who ate the manna and the ordinary bread will die. The bread that he gives is his flesh (John 6:51). He begins this section of John’s gospel with these words,

Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal" (John 6:26-27).

John’s gospel presents a series of contrasts -- life and death, above and below, light and darkness, those who believe and those who do not. According to the teaching of Jesus, those who believe are not called to labor for the food that perishes, but “for the food that endures to eternal life.” In light of Trinity and Incarnation, those who believe in Jesus are called to do his deeds, and the food given in the Eucharist gives the grace they need to live as he lived. Therefore, just as Christ gave up his life in sacrifice, those who receive his body and blood are called give of themselves by living as he lived, and one important aspect of his life was his feeding the hungry. As they do this, they fulfill God’s hopes given from Eden onward, and as their final reward, they are invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb.

This connection between Eucharist and feeding the hungry belongs to a wider gospel context which commands believers to use their resources for the sake of the poor. Restricting ourselves to Luke’s gospel, for example, we may note the parable of the rich fool who hoarded possessions with no concern for others (Luke 12:16-21), or Jesus’ call not to worry about what we eat or wear but to give to the poor (Luke 12:22-34), or the parable of the Great Banquet in which Jesus commands his disciples to invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame (Luke 14:15-24), or the parable of the Shrewd Manager who used his position to cancel the debts of others (Luke 16:1-15), or the parable of the rich man who had no pity for the poor man Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), or the example of Zacchaeus, who, out of thankfulness that he had been honored by Jesus, gave half of his possessions to the poor and paid back four times over those he had defrauded (Luke 19:1-10), and the example of the poor widow who gave out of her poverty while others gave only from their wealth (Luke 21:1-4).

In actual practice, working for the food that endures to eternal life has taken many forms throughout the history of the church. Some have directly given to the hungry, acts of charity that bring relief and please God. Others have founded enterprises such as the monastic movements or Christian business ventures that operate according to the norms of the Kingdom. Some have worked in development, enabling poor communities to use their resources well. Others have entered politics, enabling policies that established justice for all. Others have worked to enhance the position of workers that they might work under humane conditions and be paid a living wage. Many, many churches for centuries have met the needs of those in their communities.

All of us have our own needs to consider, such as family and friends, and in all these things prayer and discernment are required. God guides all according to his mercy and justice. Not all are called to make the same sacrifice, but all are called to live sacrificially, and this entails using resources for the glory of God and the relief of those who suffer.

As can readily be seen, the impulse to accumulate, hoard, and spend excessively is a powerful impulse that drives our world. Entire nations have been driven into poverty because of financial speculation. Terrible wars in pursuit of territory have ravaged entire continents. Do not let it be so in the church. Let the church be a light in the darkness. It is an offence to the suffering of Christ to see Christian leaders, pastors, evangelists, and teachers using their influence and ability to accumulate wealth. Leaders, if at all possible, need to live at the material level of their congregations. Sometimes this can be difficult. On the mission field, for example, persons raised in affluent cultures have difficulty adjusting to the poverty of other cultures. God understands these things and freely accepts our weaknesses even as he strengthens us to be good witnesses. We are justified by Christ, not by being perfect in financial matters, but by faith in his atoning love. But because he loves us, we are called to serve others with our resources. In the Eucharist, believers can experience that heart-rending love. Once that is known, once he comes to us bereft and broken on the cross, once we see that we have put him there, then our hearts are broken, we are humbled by our sins, and anxious to stretch out our hands in love to those who, like him, have no place to lay their heads (Matthew 8:20, Luke 9:58).

To help us think how God might use us to serve others in material need, I will end with the questions given in the essay, Land and Work. I will reword them slightly and place them here for your consideration. Discussing these questions with others in a small group is a good way to bless the Lord, yourselves, your church, and your community.

Questions for Discussion

1. In Israel, relatives were to help their family members who lost their land. In Christ, family members are still responsible for each other (1 Timothy 5:8), and yet, the bonds that bind Christians together are stronger than the bonds of one's natural family. Our fellow Christians are also our nearest relatives, and we are responsible for them. In parts of the world where people lack land and employment, how can church members work together to start small businesses or cooperatives, or to acquire land, so that all church members can have the opportunity to work?
2. Does your small group have any means, land or resources, that you can use to enable persons in your community to work? Are their ways you can cooperate with the leadership of your church to enable church members to work? Are you willing to cooperate with Christians from other churches, even differing Christian bodies, to work on building up your community? Also, if some of you are political or community leaders, what does Christ call you to do in regard to land and resources? Here you will need to seek God's help, and you will need the help and prayers of Christian friends, for in certain countries, it is very difficult and even dangerous to reform deep evils.
3. It is not good to be idle. If, at this moment, you do not have work, are there ways you can work in your church or community, even if there is little or no pay involved?
4. Scripture commands believers to give ten percent of their produce or income to the church for the work of the church and to help the poor. Are you giving ten percent and trusting God in this matter?
5. According to II Thessalonians 3:10, if a man or a woman will not work, they have no right to eat. If you have no work, are you seeking work? If you do have work, do you do your work well? If you are an employee, are you working to the best of your ability?
6. All Christians belong to the great family of God. If your church has more than enough resources to meet its material needs, are you working with other very poor Christian churches to help them develop ways of meeting their material needs? What these churches need, above all, are persons who are skilled in forming cooperatives, or in developing better farming methods, as well as capital to start small enterprises or obtain resources such as clean water.
7. Are you, as an individual, using your material resources wisely, not wasting money on luxuries or excessive living, and using your surplus for the good of others?
8. This question is especially important for those who are leaders in commerce, or in business. Is your business being conducted in ways that honor God? Do you seek God's direction by daily prayer and study of his Word so that God will direct your business according to his plans? Are you paying a living wage and treating your employees fairly?

Let us end this essay with a prayer.

Heavenly Father, thank you for blessing us with all the abundance of Eden in the Eucharist, beginning in this life and completed in the life to come. Help us to be thankful for your blessings, to come to you with all our needs, and to bless others in their times of difficulty. Finally, we pray, give us, even today, a foretaste of that heavenly banquet where, with angels and archangels, we may dine with you in your heavenly Kingdom. All this we ask in Christ's name. Amen.

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