Be Prepare for the Meal
The Lord's Supper
17 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 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. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, 21 for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22 Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, 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." 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
27 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. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34If 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.
Tommy's Thoughts:
It is easy for familiarity to blind us from something as profound and important as the meaning of the Lord’s Supper. We might have participated in it weeks after weeks without truly understand its purpose and significance. Like the Passover which celebrated the deliverance from slavery in Egypt, the Lord’s Supper celebrates our deliverance from sin by Christ’s death. It’s a visible representation of the Good News, strengthening our faith through fellowship with Christ and other believers.
In today’s passage, we learn that we should not take the sacrament lightly, making it a meaningless ritual or a pious habit. Instead, we should with due reverence and respect, to take it thoughtfully, worthily and orderly, as this new covenant cost Jesus His life. We are also called to be properly prepared for Communion through healthy introspection, examining ourselves for any unconfessed sin or resentful attitude (v11:28) and resolution of differences with other believers.
Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me to be thankful for what Christ has done for me on the Cross. Thank You for making me aware each time I have sinned, driving me to participate in the Communion, remembering His death and renewing my commitment to obey and serve Him again with love. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Bee's Thoughts:
What is so different between our supper time and "The Lord's Supper"?
We take our supper either because we are hungry or we are greedy. ;) But when we take "The Lord's Supper" (Holy Communion) during the Church Service, we do it "in remembrance" of Jesus' death (v24-26). We need to do it in seriousness by examing/judging ourselves first (v28). We need to confess our sins to God and ask for His forgivness, at the same time we need to forgive those who have hurt us too. It's a time for us to get right with God and men.
In the past, I used to let the bread and cup passed me if I felt guilty of any unconfessed sin. But I have learnt that instead of doing that, I should immediately confess and get right with God. I always find Communion time a good time to search my heart. In such quietness, God would reveal certain things to me.
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the previlege in partaking "The Lord's Supper" weekly. Thank You for Your body that is broken and Your blood that is shed for me. Thank You for Your forgiveness and love.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
.......the devotion of Bee & Tommy
