Taking a look at words.

I heard someone talk about words and how they evolve over time. Some change altogether, others lose impact. Talking of words always reminds me of our time in Romania as missionaries. We always had to use an interpreter whenever we did Bible studies or a Sunday service. Sometimes we would all break out in laughter over the mix up of words or become frustrated because they lost their "punch" just at the moment you needed to make a major point. Something was lost between languages.
There's a powerful word associated with Communion that I want us to consider.  To talk of Communion we need to look at the Cross. For life is in the "blood".  Jesus gave all He had, so that we might live...eternally. The thief on the right asked Jesus to "remember him" and Jesus replied that that very day He would be with Him in paradise. Let's take a look at the word "remember".  We think of it as "don't forget about me" or "recall me to memory". But, originally, it meant the opposite of "dismember"; to take apart or divide into parts. So, to re-member, meant to put back together. Whoa! That's powerful. The thief was saying, I know who you are (he called Him, "Lord") and although I am being pulled apart today, the breath being squeezed out from me, my bones being broken...Lord, would you re-member me today?  Would you put me back together? Wow! Doesn't that just want to make you shout for joy?!  For ONLY Jesus, can put you back together...after all the wrong choices, mistakes, wrong doings, past hangups and current addictions...only Jesus can "re-member" you.  Only Jesus can put things in your life...back together.
At the Last Supper, Jesus broke bread with His disciples and said, "this is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Then He took the cup that represented His blood which was poured out for us.  When we take Communion, Jesus wants us to re-member Him. To think upon what He has done for us in our place and in a sense "reassemble Him".  For He still lives! His breath isn't squeezed from Him. He is no longer disjointed. You can't separate the body from the blood. That brings death. The re-membering of His flesh and blood brings life. He is whole and living and breathing.  THAT is what He wants us to remember.