In Matt 5:23-24 Jesus said that when an Israelite gave a sacrifice, they should apologize to and reconcile with anyone they have wronged. His point was that sacrifices shouldn’t have been given cold and ritualistically with no heart and that people should be mindful of their sins and repent when giving sacrifices. This is the actual purpose of sacrifices. The sacrifices of animals did not magically make a person holy, sacrificing was a part of the mechanism of repentance, (or thanksgiving) to God. Sacrificing was a way of showing God that you meant what you said and you weren’t just saying empty words when you repented. Killing an animal and burning its blood and fat on an altar is meaningless if we aren’t going to change our ways or learn from our mistakes. Our own sinfulness is a reminder of our humanity and fallibility, and sacrificing helps us empathize with those who have wronged us and reminds us that if things were the other way around we would want mercy and forgiveness. Jesus goes on about turning the other cheek instead of seeking revenge (verse 38-42) and says we need to forgive others and love even our enemies (verse 43-48). This is because God requires his people to live by a higher standard.
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Consuming Flesh and Blood
The act of taking communion is done in remembrance of what Jesus did for us. This was based on his last supper and the elements in communion are a revelation of the true meaning of the Passover story. Transubstantiation, which is the idea that the communion wine transforms into Christ’s blood, is not a biblical concept. Blood drinking is not only forbidden in the Noahide (Gen 9:3-4) and Sinaitic covenants (Lev 7:26-27, 17:24, 19:26, Deut 12:16-25, 15:23), but also in the Messianic covenant (Acts 15:19-21). This is a sin for everyone, both Jew and Gentile, for all time from the beginning to the end.
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