1 Corinthians 11:27-34 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.
In these verses, Paul gives his best advice on participating in the Lord's Supper. He warns Christians about taking the Lord's Supper in a cavalier or in an unworthy manner. When participating in the Lord's supper as a community of believers, we should be sensitive to those around us who are also members of Christ's body. We must be cognizant that though we are many, we are still but ONE. As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope when you were called — one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6) If we fail to appreciate Christ's body as a whole, made up of individual members, we take the sacraments in a dishonorable way. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. If we focus only on ourselves and our victories in Christ, we expose ourselves to eating the bread and drinking the cup unworthily. Definitely, each of us has a story of personal salvation, but Jesus Christ came to save many, to bring whosoever will into the beautiful body of Christ. Paul expressed concern at the opening of his letter because the Corinthians had developed factions, and had engaged in arguments within their body about who they honored. He continued his correction: In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. (1 Corinthians 11:17-18) Their self-interested and self-absorbed cliques have caused them to take advantage of the weaker brethren in their midst. By not taking care of the poor and failing to attend to the concerns of the weaker brethren, they have despoiled their position with God. "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’" (Matthew 25:37-40) Paul tells them to put on Jesus, care for the weak and sick, wait for each other, do not consume all the food and drink, and recognize and consider the whole body of Christ instead of just their own needs and desires.
Just as it was with the church in Corinth, as members of the body of Jesus Christ, we are to consider each other, prefer one another, and defer to one another in Christ's love. We should allow each member to express his or her gift in the one body. In today's passage, we see certain members taking advantage of other members in the body of Christ by not considering the needs of everyone. This should not be an acceptable behavior of the body, especially in participating in the Lord's Supper. In the body of Christ, every member is necessary. Every member should provide his or her part to the body of Christ. Paul says in Ephesians 4:7, he has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ. If God has generously given us all a role in the body of Christ, every member must do his or her part if the body is to remain truly functional and healthy, doing the work of the Father. When we take up our responsibility to the body, the body will mature in love and acceptance of each other. Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. (Ephesians 4:14-16 NLT) Paul's concerns for the Corinthian church go far beyond just taking the Lord's Supper. Their inappropriate participation in the Lord's Supper reveals a lack of understanding of the body of Christ. Their selfishness, placing themselves before others, is not the servanthood Christ portrayed and expects from his followers. Jesus said, The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:11-12)
Consider the Children of Israel. When God delivered the Israelites out of Pharaoh's hands, He brought all of them out of Egypt. They all crossed through the Red Sea; they all traveled to the Promised Land. When we make salvation just a personal issue, we tend to lose sight of the importance of the body of Christ. We all will gather on the other side as the body of Christ. On this side, while we are still flesh, we need to understand that spiritual reality. We are all in this together. If we do not understand, we will accept and even promote divisions and factions. We are to encourage and to build up one another in the faith; we are to be gentle, kind, loving, caring. We are to be concerned about the welfare of others. We are to pray for them, weep with them, rejoice with them. We are one because of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ that goes through our veins. Without this understanding, we are nothing more than another fraternal organization or club. The blood of Jesus Christ has made a new reality in our souls. Jesus, through his sacrifice, has made us new creatures. As new creatures we should have a new identity, a new purpose, a new life. Paul told the church at Ephesus to renew their minds and to put off their old selves. He said, Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32) Our lives should no longer circle around our own interests, desires, hopes, and dreams. If we continue in that mode, we will reflect this world, not our Savior and his inclusive love. He has redeemed us from this world. Let us never go back into the ways of the world. The Corinthians were acting like the world when they participated in the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner. Their self-interest was primary in their thinking. They lacked the love Christ has for the needy and the lowly. They partook of the Lord's Supper as Corinthians not as Christians. We who are alive in Christ must reflect him, not our former heritage or environment. We must PUT ON CHRIST in everything we do. If not, we will allow the sick and needy among us to face death without our love and concern. Let that not happen to any of our Christian communities. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment