作者: Adriel Sanchez 譯者: Maria Marta
就在耶穌死前，祂為祂的教會設立特殊的晚餐，在教會中遵守。 歷史上這次晚餐稱為「聖餐禮」（the Eucharis），是「感恩」的意思。今天我們通常稱為聖餐或主的晚餐。盡管教會在「應隔多久領受聖餐」這問題上的觀點不一致，但「聖餐是我們信仰的重要部分」是基督徒的普遍共識。
耶穌和使徒一同吃飯，祂拿起餅來，擘開遞給他們，說：「這是我的身體，為你們捨的，你們應當這樣行，為的是記念我。」（路廿二19 ；《聖經新譯本》）許多基督徒對此話的理解是：在領受聖餐的過程中，我們必須盡最大的努力記念基督的死亡故事。 我們記念福音，和當我們想起福音，福音便振奮著敬拜中的每一個人的心。毫無疑問，這是一件好事，但這是耶穌說「你們應當這樣行，為的是記念我」時所指的意思嗎？
記念的意義是什麽？
記念的語言在巴勒斯坦猶太教中是比較常見的。在舊約，尤其是與聖殿事奉有關的背景，多次提及「作為紀念/象徵的」的祭物（利二2，9，16）。上帝的百姓在敬拜是這些段落的背景，記念通常不是指以色列敬拜者在記念; 而是上帝在記念。
例如，上帝對以色列人說：「在你們快樂的日子和指定的節期，以及月朔，你們獻燔祭和平安祭的時候，也要吹號，這都要在你們的神面前替你們作為記念；我是耶和華你們的 神。」（民十10；《聖經新譯本》）。上帝信實於與祂的百姓所立的盟約，在這樣的背景底下，上帝常常賜給百姓盟約的記號，這些記號的作用不單是提醒以色列人，也是提醒祂自己！
「這就是我與你們，與一切跟你們同在有生命的活物所立之約的記號，直到萬代；我把天虹放在雲彩中，作我與大地立約的記號。我使雲彩遮蓋大地時，彩虹出現雲彩中，我就記念我與你們和一切有生命的活物所立的約……」（創九12-16；《聖經新譯本》）
彩虹作為盟約的記號，顯示上帝永遠不會淹沒地球這一核心應許。 它提醒上帝祂自己的應許。聖餐也是一個聖約的記號。耶穌稱晚餐的杯是用我的血所立的「新約」（路廿二20）。
當祂告訴門徒遵守聖餐，為的是記念祂時，並不是指福音被回憶那麽簡單，而是指福音再次呈獻，或藉著可觸摸的記號在上帝面前傳達出來。事實上，「記念」這片語在「新約」的其他地方用作「上帝記念」，當彼得對哥尼流說：「你的禱告和你的賙濟達到神面前，已蒙記念了。(徒十4)
這對我們的崇拜有什麽意義？
教會領受聖餐，主要不是我們個人對耶穌的生平與死亡的主觀回憶的時間；而是福音透過如餅和酒這些普通記號的客觀傳遞。 兩千年前，耶穌獻上自己的犧牲的祭已蒙上帝記念。毫無疑問，這不是基督再次「獻上自己的祭」（來十12明確表示基督只獻一次祭），而是聖靈藉著在我們心𥚃作成的信心, 藉此將基督一次永遠的贖罪祭的恩福施予我們。
當教會聚集一起尊守聖餐，「為的是記念我〔耶穌〕」時，教會是在宣告將基督的死亡（林前十一26）作為記念，獻在上帝面前，上帝看到記號，祝福我們，透過聖靈，用基督的身體和血滋養我們。 在聖餐中，上帝記念，我們領受！上帝記念對我們-----祂的子民的應許，祂在餐桌上，在我們面前確定這些應許。 基督的身體是為你們舍的; 基督的血是為你們流的。 耶穌說：「你們應當這樣行，為的是記念我」！
Adriel
Sanchez is pastor of North Park Presbyterian Church, a congregation in the
Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). In addition to his pastoral
responsibilities, he also serves the broader church as a contributor on the White
Horse Inn radio program. He and his wife Ysabel live in San Diego with their
three children.
HOW WE'VE MISUNDERSTOOD
"DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME"
Adriel
Sanchez
Right
before Jesus’ death, he instituted a special meal for his church to observe. Historically,
this meal was called the Eucharist, which means “thanksgiving.” Often today we
call it communion or the Lord’s Supper. Although churches differ on how
frequently we should take communion, the universal consensus among Christians
is that this meal is an important part of our faith.
When
Jesus was reclining with his disciples, after breaking some bread and
distributing it to them he said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do
this in remembrance of me.” (Lk. 22:19) Many Christians have taken this to mean
that during communion, we are to do our best to recollect the story of Christ’s
death. We remember the gospel, and as we’re reminded, the gospel stirs our
hearts in worship. This is, without a doubt, a good thing, but is it what Jesus
was really getting at when he said, “Do this in remembrance of me”?
What
is the significance of remembering?
Memorial
language was not uncommon in Palestinian Judaism. In the Old Testament,
especially in contexts relating to the service of the temple, there were
“memorial” offerings (Lev. 2:2, 9, 16). In these passages, where the context is
the people of God at worship, typically it was not the Israelite worshiper who
was remembering; it was God remembering.
For
example, God says to the Israelites, “On the day of your gladness also, and at
your appointed feast and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the
trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace
offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the LORD your
God” (Numbers 10:10). In the context of God’s covenant faithfulness to his
people, he would often give them signs that didn’t just serve as reminders for
them but for him!
This
is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living
creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the
cloud and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and he earth. When I
bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember
my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh.
And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the
bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant
between God and ever living creature… (Gen. 9:12-16)
The
rainbow served as a covenant sign that displayed front and center God’s promise
to never flood the earth. It reminded God of his promise. Communion is a
covenant sign, too. Jesus called the cup of the Lord’s Supper the cup of the
“new covenant” in his blood (Lk. 22:20).
When
he told his disciples to observe the meal for his memorial, it wasn’t simply so
that they’d be reminded of the gospel but that they would re-present, or convey
it through the tangible sign before God. In fact, the phrase “in remembrance”
is used elsewhere in the New Testament to refer to God’s remembrance, when
Peter told Cornelius, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial
before God.” (Acts 10:4)
What
is the significance of this for our worship?
When
the church takes communion, it’s not primarily a time for our individual,
subjective recollection of Jesus’ life and death. It is the objective
transmission of the gospel through ordinary signs like bread and wine. The
sacrifice of Jesus two thousand years ago is being set forth now, before God,
as a memorial. This, to be sure, is not a “re-sacrificing” of Christ (Hebrews
10:12 makes clear that Christ could only be sacrificed once), but by faith it
is the application of the benefits of Christ’s once-for-all death.
When
the church gathers together to “do this in remembrance of me [Jesus]” she is
proclaiming Christ’s death (1 Cor 11:26) as a memorial before God, who sees the
sign and blesses us, nourishing us with Christ’s body and blood by the Holy
Spirit. In communion, God remembers, and
we receive! He remembers his promises to us, his people, and he sets these
promises before us on the table. Christ’s body was given for you; his blood
poured out for you. Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me”!
