Eucharistic Meditation, July 11

Leviticus 21

There are many ways to describe the offerings of Israel. One of the most striking is that the offerings are God?s bread. This sounds very odd, but it would make perfect sense if we watched an Israelite offering sacrifice, or if we were in Jerusalem for one of the high festival days. We would see people bringing herd and flock animals to the temple. We would see people bringing grain and bread. We would see people bringing skins or jugs of wine or beer. And we would think they are preparing for a banquet. Exactly so. Offering an animal to God is offering God His bread.

Of course, Yahweh didn?t need the food Israel brought. That is one of the points of Psalm 50, where He reminds Israel that all things are His anyway. But still, the meat, grain, and wine on the altar was God?s food, His portion of a covenant meal, the Groom?s portion of a wedding feast.

Jesus is the fulfillment of all OT sacrifices; He is the true ?bread of God?Ethat came from heaven, and the bread of God placed on the altar of the cross as an offering for sin. But Jesus is not only the bread that the Father ?eats.?E The Father also gives us a portion of His bread. At this table, portions from the sacrifice on the altar are laid before us, and we are allowed, as were the priests of old, to eat ?the bread of God,?EJesus Christ.