On Communion

{I was asked to do another meditation on communion for today at my church. I figured that since I’ve been having a drought of posts here, I may as well share. As always, feel free to comment, like, share. I hope to be back with more musings on Genesis on Thursday. Unless life goes sideways…as it has a lot lately.}

In preparation for this communion meditation I, naturally, looked at 1 Corinthians 11 where we find our familiar passage. I was particularly struck this time by the phrase that tells us that when we do this we “proclaim the LORD’s death until he comes.”

What a strange thing. Proclaiming a death; declaring it, shouting a DEATH from the rooftops and, in this instance, showing the world through eating together that our LORD Jesus Christ was betrayed, falsely accused, beaten, tortured, and murdered on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and to free us from the bondage of sin.

Every time we eat this meal together that is what we are doing. His body was torn like piece of bread, His blood spilled as wine on behalf of the entire world. We are not just remembering it, we are announcing it anew to ourselves and the world every week. And the world looks at us to see if it is true in us…if our actions, our everyday testimony, bear out what we proclaim.

Is it any wonder that this act comes with some very dire warnings.

When we look at the context of this chapter, Paul had nothing good to say in regards to how the church at Corinth was conducting their communion feasts. Some showed up early and ate all the food while others went hungry. Some went straight for the wine and got stinking drunk. Others brought their own food and ate in their exclusive cliques. There was division and some measure of an “us vs them” mentality rather than unity. Because of this, those in the world around the church at Corinth were mocking them saying that they were no different than any other religion after all.

Now, we avoid much of Paul’s criticism by having these tiny pieces of cracker, and a bit of grape juice. Nobody shows up and eats all of these little things and I don’t think we’ve ever found anybody chugging all the grape juice in the parking lot. But the heart danger remains, and that is probably the most serious danger.

When Paul continues after the communion passage and declares that many are eating in an “unworthy manner” he declares that it is so serious it is the reason many are sick and that some have died. He calls on us to examine ourselves and recognize the body of believers; to do a thorough internal inventory, and see if there is any unresolved sin in our lives, especially relational sin with the brothers and sisters among us. Anger, bitterness, infighting, judgmentalism, lying, cheating, haughtiness, gossiping, elitism, and the like.

Jesus says in Matthew 5 that if someone is about to present a sacrifice and is aware of anything that they hold against a brother or sister or that a brother or sister might hold against them, then the most critical thing isn’t making the sacrifice. It is resolving it and being restored to unity with that brother or sister. In God’s estimation, relationship is more important and more valuable, more pleasing to Him, and more beneficial to His children than sacrifice. This priority of God’s didn’t end at the cross. Restoration of relationships is the family business of the Father and the Son, and should equally be our business as well.

Paul says that if we do not examine ourselves in such a way then we eat and drink judgement on ourselves. Why?

Because we have been forgiven so much. Because Jesus was beaten and tortured and killed and forgave all, even the man who betrayed him, the man who pummeled his face, the man who denied him three times, the man who scourged his back to literal shreds, and the men who drove nails into his wrists and feet, and you who was once an enemy of God.

Like the unforgiving servant who was forgiven a bazillion dollars in debt and turned around and beat a man who owed him a buck fifty, given whose we are and what was done for us we have no business not forgiving and reconciling with one another.

When we will not be restored with a brother or sister, when we willingly refuse to forgive, when we willingly choose not to ask for forgiveness, and THEN we come to this table to proclaim the Lord’s death…surely that is in an unworthy manner.

Let us pause for a moment and examine ourselves, our hearts, and our relationships with those in the body.

Heavenly Father,

I thank you for everything you are and everything you have done for us. I praise You that You are a God of restoration. From the beginning of Your Holy Scriptures to the Cross and to the coming End it is a story of the restoration and the redemption of relationship between Yourself and humanity. Please bring to mind for us how we have failed to follow you in this way whether through omission or commission. Give us the courage to take the first step toward restoration with any brother or sister you bring to mind. We know that it is Your will because we can see that it runs throughout Your word, and that Jesus lived it out in so many ways. Cause us to be able to proclaim the death of your Son in a worthy manner. Amen.