The Weekend, July 18 –
It is the weekend and there is one reading for the two days ahead. Whenever you can, read 1 Corinthians 11:17 – 34. After you’ve finished this short reading, please come back and we’ll take a look at it a second time.
We give names today to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in various ways. Over the years I heard the Lord’s Supper referred to as “Holy Communion”, as well as “The Eucharist”, “Communion”, “The Breaking of Bread”, and “The Lord’s Table”. It is in the small book of Jude that the name given to it is seldom used – “love feasts” (Jude 1:12). While we celebrate Communion during our worship services there is a good deal of historic information that the early church didn't just gather to worship but also to eat together and feed the poor. The early church’s meetings were structured around singing, prayer, confession of truth – such as the Apostle’s Creed – and the teaching of Scripture. Then, it ended with what we call Communion, literally, “the breaking of bread” where the needs of those who were poor could be fed.
Paul confronts the way in which these celebrations had turned away from their original purpose to become more of the selfish works of this Church in Corinth.
“ In the following directives, I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good” (11:17). The division within the church was a blight on the witness and community (or communion) of the church (11:18). If there was a positive from the divisions is that it served to separate out the good from the bad – “for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized” (11:19). It was these opposing cliques that became the source of “Communion Chaos”. Instead of coming together as a community of believers, they gathered in cliques – the Apollos group, the Peter group, the Jesus group, and even the Paul group. Paul could not even call it “the Lord’s Supper” as each person, or clique, came to satisfy themselves and then head off.
Paul’s response was sarcastic and pointed: “So then when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!” (11:20-22). Paul was outraged with the desecration of that which was to be holy among them. The tone of his language is severe – as severe as it ever has been in this letter that had lots of tense moments.
The church in Corinth had problems: divisions, carnality, immorality, rebellion against leaders – and now this – taking the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, given by Jesus to bring us to a mutual place of humility in remembering what Christ Jesus did when the died on the cross and turning it into a selfish gathering of those who excluded the others. Paul was fuming in righteous anger!
The night in which Jesus instituted the Supper – a Seder meal – was a Passover evening. He gathered his immediate disciples to an upper room. He began the seder celebration by Jesus washing their feet. They didn’t understand it, and in fact, at first, Peter refused to let him do it. Jesus’ rebuke to Peter set the stage for how important this meal was to become. The meal was served to all, even Judas, who was present for a brief time before Jesus dismissed him. When did he do it? The Seder meal had four cups that were drunk during the meal. The significance of the cups is the symbolic meaning of them: “The Four Cups represent the four expressions of deliverance promised by God in Exodus 6:6–7: "I will bring out," "I will deliver," "I will redeem," and "I will take." Which cup did Jesus dismiss Judas on? In all likelihood, it was after the first cup. Jesus then did something quite unexpected. He took the bread – an unleavened loaf of bread – and broke it, and giving it to the disciples and he said: “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me” (11:23-24). It was a sudden and different than the usual part of the traditional ceremony. Jesus then took the cup of wine – “I will deliver, I will redeem, I will take” – the cup of wine was the beginning of a new covenant. “...after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me” (11:25). The Old Covenant was based on obedience and sacrifice under the law, but Jesus’ blood would become the once-and-for-all sacrifice to completely and permanently make the way to God possible by Grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
What was the celebration of the Lord’s Supper for? Jesus said: “Do this in remembrance of me”. They met together to celebrate the death of Christ that delivered them out of darkness, and redeemed them from their sin, bringing forgiveness and salvation in Jesus, but also to create a new communion, a community of Christians. This celebration is timeless and we keep doing it. Paul says to “...proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (11:26).
The sinful ways in which some of the Corinthian’s divisive groups practiced Communion brought Paul’s strongest warning and he pulled no punches.
“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world” (11:27-32).
There are two things that need clarity in this statement.
First, what does it mean to drink it an “unworthy manner”? It does not mean that a believer is sinless...it cannot mean that since it is not possible for a believer to be sinless. To eat and drink the Lord’s Supper in an “unworthy manner” has to be linked to the next sentence where Paul says, “Let a person examine himself”. We prepare for the Lord's Supper with self-examination.
Secondly, when Paul ascribes words that imply judgment and sickness we should read those as “descriptive” language, not “prescriptive” things that will happen. We come to the Lord’s Supper and in so doing, examine our hearts, minds, choices as we receive the Lord’s Supper as a testimony of Christ’s sacrifice for our sin. Failure to do that is to strip the Lord's Supper from its purpose - to make clear that our Sin is forgiven in Christ's death on the cross. The judgment Paul speaks of is not because they are in danger of losing their salvation, but they should expect discipline in their outright disobedience.
How then should we approach the Lord’s Supper? Pastorally, I want us to remember that Christ died for our sins. His body was broken, his blood was shed for the remission of our sins. He died for us that we might enter into a New Covenant with Jesus as both Savior and Lord. He not only saves us from our Sin, but he is our Lord, our Master, our King. Our allegiance is first and foremost to Christ.
Having confessed that, we also remember that He died for us as the church - His body, His bride. He died so that we might live - Not to ourselves, but live for Him, and share life with others - in Communion - to live out of Christ’s love for each other.
How do we approach the Lord’s Supper? Solemnly, with humility, and with a prayerful self-examination as the Psalmist reminds us: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). Then we come to honor Christ Jesus, our Savior and Lord.
Christ Jesus calls us to the table to have communion with Him and with each other.
Peace
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