Many people think that man errs by giving too much thanks for God’s physical gifts and not enough thanks for His spiritual ones. But these people will be surprised in the resurrection. We will discover there that, along with our skimpy gratitude for things that cannot be put into a box, like forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and new hearts, we also should have been far more grateful for mashed potatoes, children’s laughter, and car heaters in the winter.

I don’t deny that we often misuse physical things. But that is not because we are too grateful for them; it is because we are not grateful enough.

This table reminds us that Christ actually tied our enjoyment of his very body and blood to physical bread and wine. As He took the bread, He said, “This is my body.” Given the controversy in the church over this phrase, a controversy that has lasted for hundreds of years now, you can imagine one of the disciples leaning over to Jesus and asking Him, “Lord, do you really want to say that?”

Indeed, He did. In doing so, He taught us to give thanks for the good physical gifts He created. This bread and wine do not change into the body and blood of Christ. You are the one who changes at this table. Here, God teaches us to go from strength to strength and from faith to faith. The only way to get more of Jesus is to eat the bread in faith and taste the wine in hope. This very physical meal points to our very physical Savior, who died and rose bodily. This sacrament leads the way in showing us how all of God’s good physical gifts are from Him, through Him, and to Him. So come in faith and welcome to Jesus Christ.