We sure appreciate this additional day off before returning to driving and teaching. My prayers are with us all as we hit the ground running again, bright and early in the morning. Father, be with us.
1 Corinthians 11:17-22 (<<click here to read the passage)
A couple of weeks ago, I drove a group of high school students to an Academic Challenge about forty minutes away. The competition had a lunch break in which they served a very nice lunch of salad, pizza, a cookie, and a drink. Interestingly, they had a sign posted as they came in that they were allowed three pieces of pizza. It was all very yummy, and portions were by no means skimpy. Limits had to be set, or some might go without.
We all know how some people can be. And it makes no difference where or when we come together to share a meal. It happened when I worked at Kohl’s; it has happened at my wife’s school among teachers at Parent / Teacher Conferences – some people have no concept of portion control. In their heads, they think about how good everything looks so good, so they help themselves…taking more than their fair share. In the process, they leave crumbs for people who must eat later.
In the church at Corinth, a problem developed. Their tradition was to have a meal before celebrating the Lord’s Supper – a meal before coming together to remember as a body of believers what Jesus had done by giving His life as a sacrifice, providing us with the forgiveness of sin and the gift of eternal life. The problem was people were being people.
Some arrived early, and it sounds like many of them were in no want whatsoever. They had plenty to eat in their own homes but came to indulge – or better said, to overindulge in what was prepared for them all to partake in. Some even went so far as to get drunk! There was enough for all, but some overstepped the limits, taking care of themselves but, in the process, hurting those who really needed the sustenance provided.
Verses 20-22 are straight and to the point. Paul says,
When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this! NLT
Understand this, Paul clearly states in the first part of verse 20,
When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper.
Was Jesus selfish? Was Jesus a glutton and a drunkard? Did He make sure that His needs were taken care of, and if others got the shaft, oh, well!? No…absolutely not.
He gave up all that was rightly His to be born in the flesh. Time and again, He suffered and gave and denied Himself so others might live and have life to the fullest. He placed others before Himself, and unlike some of the Corinthians, our example should be Jesus. Amen, and amen.
Nov 27th, 2023, Mon, 8:00 pm
