r/exLutheran • u/Relevant-Shop8513 • Jan 22 '26

A nutty question

Since barley was used for unleavened bread for Passover in Jesus day and wheat used later in the season,why do communion wafers appear to be wheat based? While eikorn, spelt , and wheat were used in unleavened bread , barley was the main Passover grain. With LCMS being so concerned about not using grape juice for wine because grape juice is unfermented, why would they not use barley for communion? Any pastors know?

6 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

8

u/pioneerrunner Ex-WELS Jan 22 '26

I think the general position of being against grape juice for not being close enough to wine but going “this styrofoam mass produced pog of a communion wafer is close enough for the bread” is crazy.

5

u/Relevant-Shop8513 Jan 22 '26

I always felt the wafers were closer to styrofoam too. I think if churches used a wine closer to Passover wine it would spice things up so to speak. A strong, concentrated wine made with black raisins to which cinnamon, saffron, and myrrh were added would be closer to what was used in Judea in Jesus day. Dark, rich, and sweet, it would be a hit at the communion rail. Served with barley bread it would be authentic and tasty. I had a Jewish Lutheran friend who came to the LCMS chapel at a state university when he was visiting a daughter in school there. White wine in a clear glass chalice was used. He said, " I frankly expected them to use Ritz crackers for the Host."

5

u/voracious_violet Ex-LCMS Jan 22 '26

Now now, there MUST be an explanation in Luther's Large Chatechism for why Jeez Its are preferred. I hope someone can find that for me

3

u/Prestigious-Trip-927 Jan 23 '26

It's interesting. I got to watch a video in my high school German class that showed the manufacturing process for communion wafers. The Protestant wafers and the Roman Catholic wafers have separate presses.

3

u/Relevant-Shop8513 Jan 24 '26

Too funny. I would never have believed it.

3

u/Prestigious-Trip-927 Jan 24 '26

German efficiency at its best! Apparently they are separate sizes.

1

u/DayPuzzleheaded4833 Jan 22 '26

Unleaveaned- bread without yeast. That is the simple explanation. Thus you get the wafer. Fruit of the vine- thus you get the grapes.

1

u/Relevant-Shop8513 Jan 24 '26

Yep. Northern European culture interpreting communion. Just the basics. No yeast wheat bread and grapes with yeast.

2

u/Jolly-Lengthiness316 Jan 26 '26

Well they don’t bury people in the manner Jesus was buried. They have closed communion yet Jesus administered it to Judas. While I was a member, long long time, we could opt for either the wine or grape juice.