Healing at the Table

A few weeks ago I took the Table one Sunday morning in another assembly and spoke about the reality of the Lord's Supper. I say reality, because I want to make the point that it's not just an object lesson. It's not just a reminder. Something actually happens at the Table: the Bible calls it 'participation' in the body and blood of Christ (1 Cor. 10:16). We feed upon Christ in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving.

And, if we feed on Christ at the Table, then we partake of Christ and all His benefits. One of those benefits is healing, for healing isn't some independent blessing of God that He zaps people with, but like all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3), it is ours only in Christ Jesus. That's why the old Pentecostals could speak about 'healing at the Table'. They didn't think that something magical happened; they knew that there is healing at the Table because at the Table we partake of Christ and all His benefits. As one old Apostolic writer put it: 'We are partaking of and communing with Christ, Who is Life and Health.'

Anyway, I talked about partaking of Christ and about healing at the Table in this other assembly the other week, and then now I've heard a lovely testimony of real healing at the Table that day. I'm just mentioning this today as a reminder of the power of God to work through Word and sacrament together. As pastors, we need to preach Christ in His Word and see Christ at His Table. And as we do, people partake of Christ and all His benefits in Word and sacrament, and the blessings found in Christ flow.

(P.S. If you'd like to know a bit more on Apostolic theology about the Lord's Table, there's a section in this paper or click on the 'sacraments' label at the bottom of this post.)