Never Forget

“And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day.”—Joshua 4:9

After the horrific events of September 11, 2001, bumper stickers started appearing on cars saying “9/11 Never Forget.” The stickers were meant to keep the memory of that awful day alive in our minds so that we might not forget the evil of terrorism nor those who died that day. Such memory markers are found throughout our country. Go to any small town and there will be war memorials dedicated to soldiers who gave their lives for freedom. Such reminders are necessary for us because we are so prone to forget who we are and what has been accomplished on our behalf. It is necessary for us to remember because, as the American philosopher George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

As Israel crossed the Jordan River to enter into the Promised Land, Joshua commanded the nation to set up twelve memorial stones—one stone for each of the twelve tribes of Israel, in order that the nation would never forget where it had come from and who had brought them there—God. The fledgling nation had a terrible time remembering all that God had done for them. They wanted to boast in their own glories and in who they were, not in who God was. They needed a reminder time and again of who He was. It was God who had led them out of slavery in Egypt, it was God who sustained them for forty years in the wilderness, and it was God who would give them victory in the Promised Land. They themselves didn’t do it, although it was tempting for them to think so. Such reminders kept them humble and properly focused on who they were, but more than that, on who God was and is.

We too are a lot like Israel. We quickly forget who we are. We fail to remember that it is God who made us. It is God who gave us life. We didn’t cause ourselves to be created. We didn’t give ourselves the ability to think, feel, create, love, and live. God is the one who gave us life, who enabled us to think and to have the mind and abilities to do a job and make a living.

We also tend to forget we’re sinners. “Sinner” is not a pretty word and one that, if we’re quite honest with ourselves, we would like to forget. We don’t want to think the world is bad; instead we prefer to think of ourselves as pretty good people who make mistakes once in a while. Such thinking, while normal in our modern pluralistic world, is far from the truth. We are sinners and we are in need of salvation. If we ever forget that we’re sinners, then we have also forgotten that we’re in need of a Savior, because a Savior can only save those who are aware of their condition and aware that they can’t save themselves.

Paul, in his description of the Lord’s Supper (or communion) in 1 Corinthians 11, laid forth the parameters we are to observe. He wrote,

“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread,and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same way also He took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes”—1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

Why was communion given to us? So that we would never forget who we are, nor would we forget who He is and what He has done for us. Jesus gave His life for us and we must never forget that His blood flowed for us from the cross in order that we might understand what our sins required—death. Communion is the tangible reminder of Christ’s death for us.

Have you forgotten what Christ has done for you? Revisit the cross again—see His head, His hands, and His feet. See the blood flow, and remember His love for you. Perhaps you need to set up some memorial stones in your own life—some tangible reminders of God’s working in your life—sins He has delivered you from, situations which He has led you through. But whatever you do, don’t forget who God is and what He has done on your behalf. Amen.