Worth (Essay)

A Communion Meditation

By Amirah David

Galatians 2:20 - “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

In 14 years of being in mental health and getting a front row seat to secret sufferings of people from all walks of life - many of whom you’d never guess were suffering - I have learned that one of the most common root causes of suffering is lack of worth.  Worth is different from self-esteem which, in this culture is given high value, but if unattached to a proper source of worth, could contribute to pride. No, worth has to do with innate identity, with purpose, motivation, resilience, and with the kind of hope that gets us up every morning to face the battles of that day.  Without worth, shame eventually backs us into a corner, where we either collapse and hide or defend our pride at all costs.  

But worth, like every other good human need, has been distorted in this broken world.  We are taught that it comes from getting all A’s, or winning a race,  popularity, a high paycheck, becoming an expert, having a relationship, or obedient successful kids - the list goes on.  The problem is, these treasures, although not physical ones that can rust or be stolen, they too can and will eventually fall with illness or fire, a break-up, an accident.  And then what?  Our worth deflates because it was built on sand. Temporary vaporous things.  So, here again, we find ourselves in need of a rock.  A source of worth that is unfailing.  And again, in true form, Jesus offers us this source of worth but in a way fully contrary to the world.  This is worth by faith instead of worth by works.  This is worth from the root of whose we are, not who we are.  1 Peter 2:9  says “we are a people for his own possession…”, This is worth because of belovedness.  1 John 4:19 reads “we love because He first loved us.”  

If you have had children, if you can remember back to when they were babies  - did you ever look at that precious little soul and think about whether or not they were worthy of your love?  Probably not.  You just loved them because they were yours!  So, our worth is first determined not by our works but by our belovedness. A baby is simply meant to experience and receive the life and love being poured out of their parents to make him alive.  This love received from the beginning becomes like a buffer against the onslaught of attacks on our worth throughout childhood and into life. And we gladly pour out our life to keep our babies alive and well, but imagine, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).  If that does not speak of inherent worth with humility, I don’t know what does, that while we were actively rejecting and crucifying him, he forgave us and willingly died for us to bring us back to him to be his children, co-heirs, friends, beloved. 

But also, if we take it a step further, does a baby or child worry about or even care about their own worth? No. They shouldn’t at least, because they are meant to be so loved it is simply a part of them, and then they can securely and freely focus on their family, their friends, and explore the world.  And so ultimately, Jesus is not only extending His love, pouring out His life, claiming us as his own family to give us unshakable worth…but also to help make us less concerned with it, and more rooted in gratitude and love for Him, each other, and this astounding creation.  This is Jesus’ command. The law of Christ, the new covenant:  To be free to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbor as ourself.  

So here we are with this bread and this wine as his life poured out that Jesus told us to eat and drink in remembrance of him -  He said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” And in Hebrews 10 (repeating Jeremiah 31:33) he says, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds.”  Like the way a parent loves gets written into their children’s hearts as a blueprint for future relationships (for better or worse). And His law? The law of Christ in Galatians 6:2 is simply: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ”.  He says, love as I have loved you.  And yes, as little kids we will wander off course - we will hit a kid on the playground and have to learn, trust our parent’s guidance, repent and repair.  But thank God there is a way.  So with this bread as Christ’s body, and this cup as his blood, we enter into ultimate intimacy, we receive his sacrifice and his love as our source of life, our source of worth, and as our freedom to love God and love each other - as protection and buffering against the lies that would seek to make us alone and worthless and turn to lesser, temporary fillers.  

So Lord, we do this today in remembrance of you.  Thank you for this weekly reminder and ritual of intimacy and gratitude - the two greatest cures to our woes.  We keep our eyes on you, lest we sink in the ocean.  We will taste and see that you are good.  You alone are holy.  Thank you for making a way for us to participate in your holiness and to come home to an unconditionally loving, just, righteous, holy Father.  To the kingdom of God, and a family united by the common experience of being brought back to life and loved back to freedom. 

Let’s take the bread and the cup.