Discerning the Body of Christ

1 Cor 11:20-29

"Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. 21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you. 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying,  “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.  27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body."

We are the body of Christ. The body helps its members. We do not disregard each other and each do our own thing. We must discern the body and act as one body. When we do this, we proclaim the Lord’s death. We show the world what it looks like to die to self, to live for Christ. To love God and to love our neighbor. To really be for the lives of others. So this Communion ritual acts out this regard for one another, as we serve each other and wait for each other. This meal also points to the ultimate act of sacrifice, the ultimate pro-life act, which was ironically a crucifixion. Discerning and serving the body, loving our neighbor is far more painful than we often think at first, but we have Christ’s example set before us here. His blood, shed for you. When you serve others, you collapse like a puddle afterward, poured out like water. But God will raise you up, even from death, as He did our Lord Christ.

2/19/12