Remembering Jesus

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."

1 Corinthians 11:24

Most of us know what it is to live with painful memories. We remember our losses. We remember our failures and sins. We remember the sins which have been committed against us. It is important to face these realities so we can change and heal. But at times the painful memories can become so powerful that it seems like nothing will be able to compete with them for our attention. The memory of pain can consume us. In times like this we need a powerful new memory that can challenge the dominance of our painful memories.

Jesus invites us to receive a new and startling memory. "Remember me," Jesus says, "Eat the bread and drink the wine and remember that I gave my life for you. I gave my life because I love you. Take this new memory. Allow it to shape the way you think about yourself and about life and about me. Allow yourself to remember me."

It is not that the memory of Jesus' sacrificial love erases all of our painful memories. Painful memories still have to be faced and grieved if healing is to come. But God offers us in Jesus a memory powerful enough to compete with the most powerful of painful memories. The death-grip which painful memories have on our attention can be broken by the powerful memory of God's love.

Help me to remember you, Lord. Help me to find a place in my mind and heart for the memory of your love for me. I want the memory of your love, Lord, to be the most powerful of my memories. I want it to be The Memory that shapes me. Help me to remember you. Amen.

from Rooted in God’s Love by Dale and Juanita Ryan