PerryDox – BeJustAChristian

Reaching UP to God in worship is expressed as we remember how He reached down to us through the cross and resurrection.  We Reach UP to God in gratitude through the Supper of Jesus.  What would we think about when sharing communion? Following is one common answer, and following that is some more.

  “A youngster in a pensive mood asked, ‘Dad, what do you think about during communion service?’

   ‘Well, son, when the brethren assemble at the table to serve communion, I think of the disciples of Jesus at the ‘Last Supper’ before our Lord’s crucifixion. I ‘hear’ Jesus blessing the bread and the cup, and I ‘see’ him distributing the bread and the fruit of the vine to the apostles, saying, ‘This do in remembrance of me.”‘

   ‘As the bread is passed among the members, I think of Jesus as he was betrayed by Judas, taken by the mob, and tried by the officials. I marvel at what God’s Son was willing to undergo for our benefit.’

   ‘As I eat the bread, a picture forms in my mind — a picture of Jesus falling under the weight of his cross, a picture of the soldiers driving nails through his hands and feet to attach him to the cross. I am filled with wonder at the meaning of the divine suffering in human flesh, for our benefit.’

   ‘In drinking the fruit of the vine, my mind is filled with views of the blood dripping from the nail wounds and flowing from the wound in his side.

I meditate about the saving power of this blood, how it serves as a ‘cleansing agent’ in God’s plan to save us from our sins.’

   ‘Son, the Lord’s Supper is an occasion when Christians think about Christ while Christ thinks about Christians. It is a time when Christians are thinking about the same things at the same time. This is communion. The inward experience of the communion service makes me spiritually stronger. As the service closes, I feel relieved and satisfied in the knowledge that our Savior who suffered for us was raised from the dead, ascended to heaven where he now is, and the Lord’s Supper keeps us reminded of what Christ did for us, until he comes again.” (by William E. Wallace)

   How would you have answered this needed question?  The above is thoughtful and rightfully targeted backward in time. And now for a confession.  In the past I dared not think of anything other than the cross. I censored my thoughts and censured myself when my mind “wandered.”  Distractions became painful and condemning. This was all because of my misunderstanding of 1 Corinthians 11:27—Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. Verse 29 warns, For he who eat and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly.  Instead of joy, the moments of silence became torturous, as I feared I was not focused enough on Jesus’ pain. Has this ever happened to you?

Thinking others might also be self-tortured, I would like to share with you some scriptural ways to judge the body rightly because I believe the body in verse 29 is not ONLY the physical body of Jesus, but ALSO the spiritual body, the church—you and me. 

   Most interpret the “body” (v.29) as an ellipsis for “body and blood.” Some interpret it as a metaphor for “believers.”  First Corinthians uses it both ways.  I tried to decide how to interpret v.29 off and on for several years and could not make a firm decision thinking it is either Christ’s physical body (i.e., that which hung on the cross) or Christ’s spiritual body (i.e., church).  Maybe my problem was that I had been considering it an “either-or” proposal instead of a “both-and” situation.

   Notice that Paul uses the same word “judge” (diakrino – 1252) in both verse 29 and verse 31:

“judge the body rightly”

“judged ourselves rightly”

   We too are part of the body (spiritual body) of Christ partaking of the body (physical body) of Christ.  We are judging ourselves as we judge the physical body of Christ.  Other believers are part of the body (spiritual body) of Christ partaking of the body (physical body) of Christ.  They too are judging themselves and judging the physical body of Christ.  Jesus taught elsewhere that how we treat other believers we are treating Him (Acts 9:4).  Maybe v.29  is not an “either-or” situation, but rather a “both-and” interpretation.  Paul merges the two seamlessly by using a term that refers to both.  When I partake of the Lord’s Supper, I am to dwell upon the body of Christ which consists of Jesus’ physical body AND His spiritual body—the latter includes both me and other believers.  Could that be part of the reason the Lord’s Supper is a communion/koinonia/fellowship with Jesus and with all His believers?

   Therefore, I don’t only look backwards to the cross. Peering inwardly, I often focus on a grander scale than the actual crucifixion of Jesus and God’s love for me. My thoughts expand outward and upward to count my myriad blessings springing forth from the ultimate blessing of salvation. Beside me is my wife and children sharing a common love for God. So in communion, I think of them and thank God.

   Hearing a baby crying, or seeing a restless child does not disturb my reflectiveness. In fact, their purity of soul is my goal. That is why Jesus died. I had forfeited what they still possess. So in communion, I thank God for restored, childlike, purity.

   Glancing around, I see the faces of people I love or need to love more. There is nothing wrong in noticing who is part of the communion…who is part of the body of Christ. Scriptures teach, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread. (1 Corinthians 10:17).  As I look around, I’ll be spiritually lifted by the posture of others: face down, back bent, and hands folded. That child of God is in deep communion with their Father. I thank God people love Him so. They also love me.

   Therefore today, I continue to look back to the cross.  I have added to that gruesome contemplation, the celebration of the resurrection.  Yes, that same body that hung by nails, was resurrected and ascended into heaven!  And then I think about the spiritual body of Christ—our love, our communion with one another and with our God.  And get this…Christ’s spiritual body will be physically resurrected one day too when our physical bodies leave death behind!

   What do you think about during communion service?

Tags: Article, Communion

This entry was posted by PHall on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 5:14 pm and is filed under I Corinthians. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.