The Lord's Supper
Tuesday Morning - The
Host
Andrew
Murray
“And He said unto them, With
desire have I desired to eat this passover with you.” “Behold, I stand at the
door and knock: if any man bear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to
him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” —Luke 22:15; Revelation 3:20.
The best preparation is—to look into the heart of Jesus. When
you understand what He that sits on the throne desires for you, how He longs
after you, what He has prepared for you, this will more than aught else set your
desires and longings in motion, and impart to you the right preparation.
That word of Jesus at the Paschal Table enables me to look
into His heart. He knew that He must go from that feast to the Cross. He knew
that His body must be broken, and His blood shed, in order that He might be
really your Passover. He knew how in that night they should grieve and betray
Him, and yet He says: “With desire have I desired to eat this passover with
you.” What a love this is! And Jesus is still the same. Even with you, poor
sinner, He earnestly desires to eat the Passover. Yea, on the throne of heaven,
He looks forward with longing to the day of the Supper, to eat with you, and to
quicken you. O man, let your sluggishness put you to shame: Jesus earnestly
desires—Jesus greatly longs—to observe the Supper with you: He would not enjoy
the food of heavenly life alone: He would fain eat of it along with you.
Or, we may think of it as that other word says: In order to
observe the Supper with the soul, He stands at the door and knocks. Wonderful
condescension! What is there in the vile sinner that the King of Heaven longs to
sit down beside him? In order to hold a feast in my heart, Jesus stands at the
door and knocks. Is not this inconceivable love? Is it not unspeakable
blessing?
He would fain come in Himself. His presence is the special
joy of the feast. And He Himself will hand to me and make me partaker of the
heavenly food He brings to me. Even as the little weak infant, that does not
know how to eat, is fed by its mother’s hand, so will Jesus break for me the
bread of heaven, and impart to me what I have need of.
Glorious Paschal feast thus observed with Jesus: glorious
Supper held with Jesus. He is the Entertainer: He is the Wedding Garment: He is
also the Food. He knows precisely what I need: He knows what it is that has
hindered me hitherto, and the love of Jesus has seen meet to impart to me at His
table just that one thing which can satisfy my hunger. Dost Thou, Lord Jesus,
earnestly desire to keep the Passover with me? I venture to answer: I also
earnestly desire to observe the Supper with Thee. My whole heart longs for the
Supper with Jesus.
There is nothing on earth that awakens love and rouses it to
activity so powerfully as the thought of being desired and loved. Let me
endeavor to conceive how true it is that I am an object of desire to the Son of
God. He looks out to see whether I am coming to Him or not. With the deepest
interest, He would know whether I come hungering after Him, so that He may be
able to bestow much of His blessing upon me. That would be such a joy to His
love. “Open thy mouth wide; I will fill it abundantly.” Thus does He stir me up
to earnest longings. His desire is toward me. My soul, believe and ponder this
wonderful thought, until you feel drawn with overmastering force to give
yourself over to Jesus, for the satisfaction of His desire toward you: then
shall you too be satisfied.
PRAYER: Eternal Love, what am I that
Thou shouldest desire to eat with me? Lord, it is too great a boon that Thou
shouldest earnestly desire to eat with me: with me, who have desired so little
to eat with Thee, who have longed so much more for the food that perisheth and
for the fellowship of the world than for Thee and Thy heavenly bread. My Lord,
give me so to feel the desire of Thy soul to eat with me, that my sluggishness
and my unbelief shall be ashamed, and all that is within me may prepare to set
my heart open with joy before Thee.
Yea, Lord, too long have I suffered Thee to stand at the door
and knock: now will I open it to Thee. Make even my heart a banquet hall
furnished and prepared where Thou mayest make ready the passover. Let the sight
of Thy blood poured out for me be to me the full assurance of redemption. Let
the eating of the Lamb fill me with the power of a heavenly life. Let the eating
with Thee be fellowship with Thyself and Thy love be the joy of my soul. Blessed
Jesus, let the love of Thy heart which draws Thee to me, also draw me to
Thee.
My Saviour, it is this especially that I crave at Thy hand:
unveil to me the love of Thy heart that makes Thee long so much after me. I know
that this is one of the secret things that remain for Thy dearest friends, and I
hardly dare reckon myself amongst them. And yet, Lord, may I venture to do so?
Grant me, I pray Thee, one more glance into Thy heart, that I may know how
earnestly Thou dost desire to eat with me. Let my soul conceive what it is to
have me at Thy table with this great desire. Thou wouldst have me as Thine own
possession. Thou wouldst enter into the deepest communion with me. Thou wouldst
communicate Thyself to me. Thou wouldst become one with me. Thou wouldst have me
for Thyself. My Jesus, if this be really so, cause me to feel it. Let not my
heart remain in darkness. Then shall I turn away from all else, and my life
shall be filled with one supreme desire—to eat with Jesus, my King and my
Friend. Precious Jesus, grant that it may indeed be so. Amen.