Here’s a portion of a Thanksgiving editorial by Burris Butler from 67 years ago.
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‘He . . . Gave Thanks’
Nov. 20, 1954
p. 2 editorial
The last Passover supper that Jesus was to share with His disciples had come to an end. What remained of the boiled lamb and bitter herbs grew cold upon the table. At one side of the room the basin and towel were mute reminders of the lesson in humility that the Master had endeavored to impress upon His companions of the Way. He had taught them, He had calmed their fears, He had prayed for them. Soon He would lead them out to the Garden of Gethsemane where would begin the swirling current of events that would lead to Calvary. The betrayer had already left their midst.
But before bringing the party in the upper room to a close, He took from the remnants of the meal one of the flat loaves of unleavened bread and a cup of the sweet wine. Holding up the loaf before them He blessed it, broke it, and distributed it to them, with the instruction, “Take, eat; this is my body.” They did not understand all that was implied, any more than we comprehend all the mystical symbolism of the broken loaf.
“And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” . . .
He was busy, but He gave thanks. . . .
Thanksgiving is a Christian virtue. Grace is the root of gratitude. Our Master set the example. He gave thanks for blessings unseen, even when outward circumstances might seem to militate against any feeling of gratitude. He gave thanks when there was not enough to go around, and fed the multitude. He gave thanks for the scraps left from the Passover feast, and instituted the Lord’s Supper, which is still observed every Lord’s Day in remembrance of Him. And wherever His Word and His Spirit have gone, there has been the grace of gratitude and the spirit of thanksgiving.
As a nation we have been blessed with abundant material benefits. For these we may properly give thanks, but our thanksgiving should not stop there. These shall pass away. We should be even more grateful for those things which can not be shaken—the eternal Word, the eternal kingdom, the eternal city, and eternal life. All these are the possession of the partakers of the cup. Let us give thanks.
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Click here to download a pdf of the entire editorial. Happy Thanksgiving!
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