A Catechumen’s Understanding of Humility, Mercy and Respect for God
THE PRAYER
We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies.
We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table.
But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy.
Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the Flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his Blood, that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his Body, and our souls washed through his most precious Blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us.
Amen.
UNDERSTANDING THE PRAYER
The Prayer of Humble Access is far more than a prayer we say immediately before receiving Holy Communion.
It teaches us how a Christian approaches God.
It teaches humility, repentance, faith, mercy and reverence. It also teaches us the proper relationship between God the Creator and ourselves, His creation.
To understand the prayer fully, the catechumen must learn to look backwards as well as forwards—to the Old Testament Scriptures from which Jesus Himself taught.
“WE DO NOT PRESUME TO COME TO THIS THY TABLE…”
The very first words are a lesson in humility.
• We do not presume.
• We do not demand.
• We do not claim that we are worthy.
• We approach God because He has invited us and because He is merciful.The Old Testament establishes this relationship from the very beginning:
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1, AKJV
• God is the Creator.
• We are His creation.
• That distinction can never disappear.The Psalmist puts it plainly:
“Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves.”
Psalm 100:3, AKJV
We therefore come before God as creatures before our Creator.
“O MERCIFUL LORD…”
The prayer immediately identifies God as merciful.
This too is deeply rooted in the Old Testament:
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”
Psalm 103:8, AKJV
God’s mercy did not suddenly appear in the New Testament. It is revealed throughout the Old Testament.
Jesus Himself taught from this understanding of God.
When Jesus said:
“I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.”
St. Matthew 9:13, AKJV
He was quoting the prophet Hosea:
“For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice.”
Hosea 6:6, AKJV
Jesus was teaching what the Old Testament had already revealed.
“TRUSTING IN OUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS…”
This is a warning against self-righteousness.
We are not to approach God believing that our own goodness gives us a claim upon Him.
The Old Testament says:
“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
Ecclesiastes 7:20, AKJV
And Isaiah declares:
“We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.”
Isaiah 64:6, AKJV
Our confidence therefore cannot be in ourselves.
It must be in the mercy of God.
Jesus made exactly this point in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican.
The publican simply prayed:
“God be merciful to me a sinner.”
St. Luke 18:13, AKJV
And Jesus taught that the humble man, rather than the self-righteous man, went home justified.
“BUT IN THY MANIFOLD AND GREAT MERCIES.”
The prayer turns our eyes away from ourselves and towards God.
The Old Testament repeatedly declares His mercy:
“But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”
Psalm 86:15, AKJV
The prophet Joel likewise declares:
“He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.”
Joel 2:13, AKJV
We therefore approach God not because we are worthy, but because He is merciful.
“WE ARE NOT WORTHY SO MUCH AS TO GATHER UP THE CRUMBS UNDER THY TABLE.”
These words deliberately humble us.
They bring to mind the woman of Canaan who came to Jesus:
“Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
St. Matthew 15:27, AKJV
She recognised that she had no claim upon Jesus.
Yet she trusted His mercy.
Her humility was not despair.
It was faith.
The catechumen must learn the difference.
To recognise our unworthiness is not to say that we are worthless.
It is to recognise the greatness of the One upon whom we depend.
“BUT THOU ART THE SAME LORD WHOSE PROPERTY IS ALWAYS TO HAVE MERCY.”
This is the great turning point.
We have confessed our unworthiness.
But we do not remain looking at ourselves.
WE LOOK TO GOD.
The Old Testament reveals the character of God:
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”
Psalm 103:8, AKJV
The mercy of God is not permission to continue in sin.
It is the reason we can repent and return to Him.
REPENTANCE: MAKING THE U-TURN
God’s mercy is offered to those who acknowledge their sinful selves and turn back to Him.
REPENTANCE IS A “U” TURN.
• We recognise that we have been travelling in the wrong direction.
• We acknowledge our sin.
• We turn away from it.
• And we turn back to God.The prophet Joel says:
“Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart.”
Joel 2:12, AKJV
And Jesus began His ministry with the words:
“Repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
St. Mark 1:15, AKJV
Repentance is therefore not simply saying, “I am sorry.”
It is saying:
“I have been going the wrong way. Lord, I turn back to You.”
God’s mercy is never an invitation to take God for granted.
His mercy gives us the opportunity to return to Him.
“GRANT US THEREFORE, GRACIOUS LORD…”
Notice that we ask God to grant us what we need.
• We receive.
• God gives.This is the proper relationship between Creator and creation.
The Psalmist says:
“The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.”
Psalm 145:15, AKJV
Jesus taught His disciples to pray:
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
St. Matthew 6:11, AKJV
The Christian life is therefore a life of dependence upon God.
“SO TO EAT THE FLESH OF THY DEAR SON JESUS CHRIST, AND TO DRINK HIS BLOOD…”
Here the prayer takes us into the heart of Holy Communion.
To understand these words, we must know the Old Testament.
The PASSOVER is fundamental.
God commanded Israel to take a lamb and eat it as part of their deliverance from Egypt.
Exodus 12
The blood of the Passover lamb was associated with deliverance, and the lamb itself was eaten.
The Old Testament therefore provides the framework through which the disciples could understand Jesus’ words at the Last Supper.
Jesus did not appear in history without preparation.
• He took the Scriptures of Israel and revealed their fulfilment in Himself.
• The Passover prepares us to understand Jesus.
• The sacrifices prepare us to understand Jesus.
• The prophets prepare us to understand Jesus.
• The Psalms prepare us to understand Jesus.The Old Testament provides the vocabulary through which the disciples could understand what Jesus was doing.
“THAT OUR SINFUL BODIES MAY BE MADE CLEAN BY HIS BODY…”
The Old Testament teaches repeatedly that God is holy and that His people are called to holiness.
The Psalmist asks:
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?”
Psalm 24:3, AKJV
The answer is:
“He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart.”
Psalm 24:4, AKJV
The prophets also speak of God’s cleansing of His people.
Ezekiel records God’s promise:
“Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean.”
Ezekiel 36:25, AKJV
The Prayer of Humble Access therefore expresses our need for CLEANSING BY GOD, not self-improvement by our own strength.
“AND OUR SOULS WASHED THROUGH HIS MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD…”
Again, the Old Testament provides the foundation.
David prayed:
“Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”
Psalm 51:2, AKJV
Isaiah says:
“Wash you, make you clean.”
Isaiah 1:16, AKJV
The sacrificial system of the Old Testament taught Israel that sin matters.
• Sin cannot simply be ignored.
• Reconciliation with God involves sacrifice.These themes prepare us to understand the sacrifice of Jesus.
His Blood points us to His self-giving sacrifice for us.
“THAT WE MAY EVERMORE DWELL IN HIM, AND HE IN US.”
This is the destination. The purpose is communion with Jesus.
The Old Testament already contains the great theme of God dwelling among His people:
“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.”
Exodus 25:8, AKJV
The Psalmist longs:
“That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life.”
Psalm 27:4, AKJV
Jesus brings this theme to its fullness:
“He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.”
St. John 6:56, AKJV
Holy Communion therefore points us towards a continuing life of communion with Jesus.
THE CREATOR AND HIS CREATION
The Prayer of Humble Access teaches something that Christians must never forget:
GOD IS GOD – AND WE ARE NOT.
1. God is the Creator.
2. We are His creation.
3. We will never be His equals.
4. We will never become God.Jesus is uniquely the Son of God.
The New Testament does speak of Christians becoming the children or sons of God, but this is by God’s gracious gift. It does not mean that we become equal to God or become divine in the same sense as Jesus.
St. John writes:
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God.”
St. John 1:12, AKJV
This is the gracious relationship God gives us.
It does not erase the distinction between Creator and creation.
Our relationship with God is one of grace, love, obedience and communion, while the Creator – creature distinction remains forever.
And this is precisely why the prayer begins:
“We do not presume…”
RELEARNING RESPECT FOR GOD
Perhaps one of the greatest things Christians need to relearn today is:
RESPECT FOR GOD
We have become so accustomed to speaking about God’s love, grace and mercy that we can begin to take God for granted.
1. We have become casual about worship.
2. Casual about prayer.
3. Casual about Holy Communion.
4. Casual about His commandments.
5. Casual about holy things.But God’s mercy must never become an excuse for irreverence.
Jesus taught us to pray:
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”
St. Matthew 6:9, AKJV
Notice the balance:
• Our Father - intimacy.
• Which art in heaven - majesty.
• Hallowed be thy name - reverence.The God whom we are permitted to call Father is still the God whom WE must honour, respect and obey.
The Psalmist says:
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”
Psalm 111:10, AKJV
The fear of God is not merely terror.
• It is awe.
• It is reverence.
• It is respect.
• It is recognising who God is.THE OLD TESTAMENT: THE FOUNDATION OF THE NEW
The Prayer of Humble Access gives the catechumen a practical demonstration of why the Old Testament is indispensable to Christianity.
Look at the themes contained within this one prayer:
1. Creation.
2. Sin.
3. Righteousness.
4. Mercy.
5. Repentance.
6. Sacrifice.
7. Blood.
8. Cleansing.
9. Passover.
10. The Table.
11. God dwelling among His people.All these themes have their foundations in the Old Testament.
Jesus did not teach His disciples to abandon those Scriptures.
He taught them to understand them in the light of Himself.
After His Resurrection, Jesus said:
“These are the words which I spake unto you… that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”
St. Luke 24:44, AKJV
This is why the catechumen must learn and imbibe the Old Testament.
THE NEW TESTAMENT CANNOT BE FULLY UNDERSTOOD WITHOUT THE OLD.
The Old Testament is not an obsolete book sitting behind the New Testament.
It is the foundation upon which the New Testament stands.
The Old Testament gives us the history, promises, prophecies, symbols, sacrifices, covenant, language and patterns through which the teaching of Jesus becomes intelligible.
If we neglect the Old Testament, we will understand only part of the New Testament.
But when we know the Old Testament, we begin to see how remarkably the teaching of Jesus fits into the great story of God’s dealings with humanity.
Jesus Himself said:
“Search the scriptures; for in them… they are they which testify of me.”
St. John 5:39, AKJV
THE FINAL LESSON
Allow the “Prayer of Humble Access” to teach us the attitude with which we approach both Scripture and God:
• Not presumption, but humility.
• Not self-righteousness, but repentance.
• Not entitlement, but gratitude.
• Not casualness, but reverence.
• Not equality with God, but obedience to our Creator.
• Not confidence in ourselves, but trust in the mercy of Jesus.And let us remember:
1. GOD IS THE CREATOR.
2. WE ARE HIS CREATION.
3. JESUS IS HIS BELOVED SON.
4. WE ARE CALLED TO FOLLOW, LOVE, WORSHIP AND OBEY HIM.The Christian life begins when we learn again to put God in His rightful place – and ourselves in ours.
“We do not presume to come to this THY Table…”
That is not merely a sentence in a prayer.
It is an attitude for the whole Christian life.
So let us acknowledge our sinful selves.
• Let us make the U-turn.
• Let us turn back to Him.
• Let us relearn RESPECT FOR GOD.
• Let us know His Scriptures.
• Let us listen to Jesus.
• And let us approach His Table with humility, faith, gratitude and reverence.For:
⁃ God is God.
⁃ We are His creation.
⁃ Jesus is His beloved Son.And our calling is to love Him, worship Him, obey Him, and walk humbly before Him.
God Bless
Cecil K. Dewars