Quick! Tell me the name of the person on the two dollar bill. If you guessed Thomas Jefferson, you were right. His picture — and a rather formal and sour picture it is — is on the two dollar bill.
It’s a rather odd bit the currency. In fact, many people don’t believe that such a bill exists. In at least one instance, a lady was arrested for passing what the sheriff thought were phony bills. She spent the night in jail, waiting for a Secret Service agent to show up the next day to advise the sheriff that the United States does indeed print these things.
Of course, the two dollar bill has one major drawback: the cash register drawers in most stores don’t have a place for them. So the clerk has to find some place to put them, which is a nuisance. It seems that Thomas Jefferson just doesn’t fit in with all the other presidents.
There is a parallel to this in communion. Some people come to church and find communion to be simply an empty ritual, with no real value. They go through the motions but leave the building unchanged. More commonly, communion is rather awkward for some people; it doesn’t fit neatly into the cash drawers of the mind. Those who deliver communion meditations are constantly encouraging the Christian to examine himself. We don’t like to do that; we’d rather let sleeping dogs lie. But something in the back of the head says, “this is the real thing; it’s genuine.” But what should we do about it?
The reason for self-examination is to bring to God those things which are sinful in your life, ask his forgiveness, and his assistance in our repentance. Like the two dollar bill, we find this a bit awkward. I cannot deny that it is. But we should recognize that awkward or not, it is necessary. Therefore, examine yourself, repent and bring to God your troubles. He has paid the price of your sins and you need to be reminded of that.
Matthew 26:26-28
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.