Meditation (“discerning the Lord’s body,” 1 Corinthians 11:29) is an important part of taking the Lord’s supper. Here are some images to focus your thoughts on the body of Jesus:
- The head that lay on Mary’s bosom, that would soon wear the King’s crown—is now torn with thorns.
- The ears that heard the cries of the lonely and desolate, that heard the Father speak from heaven—are now filled with curses of His enemies.
- The eyes that beheld the crowds—are now scratchy as His body is dehydrated.
- The hands that tenderly held children, healed the leper, worked in a carpenter’s shop—now quivering with the raw nerves touching the iron nail.
Many of us have seen or heard about little boys plucking flowers to give to their adoring mothers. A little-known song recounts a similar story of one small boy who came running to his mother with tears streaming down his cheeks and roses in his hands that he had gathered as a gift for her. The tears were shed because he had cut his hands on the thorny stems of the beautiful red roses. The song’s refrain says, “He was showing his love, and that’s how he hurt his hands.”
In my mental images of Jesus, I often think about His hands and how He used them to show love for others. With His hands, He cleansed a leper (Matthew 8:3). He placed His hands on the tongue and ears of the deaf mute, causing him to hear and speak (Mark 7:32–35). With His hands, He gave sight to the blind (Mark 8:23). To the failing faith of a sinking man, He extended His hand in assurance (Matthew 14:31). To a maiden asleep in death, His hand had the power of life (Mark 5:41).
At no time were those hands more precious or more loving than when they were nailed to the cross for you and me. Those bleeding hands, that bloody brow, His stricken back, and that sword-pierced body were given as a sacrifice for my many sins. Indeed, He was showing His love, and that is how He hurt His hands. Let all of us see more clearly the love in the hands of Jesus. He truly loves and cares for you.
“This do in remembrance of Me.” – Luke 22:19
