Chapter II - Atonement And Eucharist
Sacred sacrament
32:3
In ancient Rome a soldier was required to swear
In ancient Rome a soldier was required to swear
allegiance to his general. The Latin word for this oath
was sacramentum, and our English word
sacrament is derived from it. Among the
Jews it was an ancient custom for the master of a
feast to pass each guest a cup of wine. But the
Eucharist does not commemorate a Roman soldier's
oath, nor was the wine, used on convivial occasions and
in Jewish rites, the cup of our Lord. The cup shows
forth his bitter experience, – the cup which he prayed
might pass from him, though he bowed in holy submis-
sion to the divine decree.
32:15
"As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed
"As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed
it and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said,
Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and
gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all
of it."
Spiritual refreshment
32:20
The true sense is spiritually lost, if the sacrament is
The true sense is spiritually lost, if the sacrament is
confined to the use of bread and wine. The disciples
had eaten, yet Jesus prayed and gave them
bread. This would have been foolish in a
literal sense; but in its spiritual signification, it was nat-
ural and beautiful. Jesus prayed; he withdrew from the
material senses to refresh his heart with brighter, with
spiritual views.
Jesus' sad repast
32:28
The Passover, which Jesus ate with his disciples in
The Passover, which Jesus ate with his disciples in
the month Nisan on the night before his crucifixion,
was a mournful occasion, a sad supper taken
at the close of day, in the twilight of a
glorious career with shadows fast falling around; and
33:1
this supper closed forever Jesus' ritualism or concessions
this supper closed forever Jesus' ritualism or concessions
to matter.
Heavenly supplies
33:3
His followers, sorrowful and silent, anticipating the hour
His followers, sorrowful and silent, anticipating the hour
of their Master's betrayal, partook of the heavenly manna,
which of old had fed in the wilderness the
persecuted followers of Truth. Their bread
indeed came down from heaven. It was the great truth
of spiritual being, healing the sick and casting out error.
Their Master had explained it all before, and now this
bread was feeding and sustaining them. They had borne
this bread from house to house, breaking (explaining) it to
others, and now it comforted themselves.
33:13
For this truth of spiritual being, their Master was about
For this truth of spiritual being, their Master was about
to suffer violence and drain to the dregs his cup of sorrow.
He must leave them. With the great glory of an everlast-
ing victory overshadowing him, he gave thanks and said,
"Drink ye all of it."
The holy struggle
33:18
When the human element in him struggled with the
When the human element in him struggled with the
divine, our great Teacher said: "Not my will, but
Thine, be done!" – that is, Let not the flesh,
but the Spirit, be represented in me. This
is the new understanding of spiritual Love. It gives all
for Christ, or Truth. It blesses its enemies, heals the
sick, casts out error, raises the dead from trespasses
and sins, and preaches the gospel to the poor, the meek
in heart.
Incisive questions
33:27
Christians, are you drinking his cup? Have you
Christians, are you drinking his cup? Have you
shared the blood of the New Covenant, the persecutions
which attend a new and higher understand-
ing of God? If not, can you then say that
you have commemorated Jesus in his cup? Are all
who eat bread and drink wine in memory of Jesus willing