April 8, 2004 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
One of the most unrecognized sins and probably the least exposed sin of our society has got to be our selfishness. It’s the way we’re raised to be - seclusive people. Instead of going to the movies, we can watch movies with surround sound in our basements. We have ATM’s and internet banking - eliminating the need for face to face tellers. We have electronic garage door openers so we can close the door before ever getting out of our garages - never having to say hi to a neighbor. Abductions and scams make us put security systems on our doors and even on our computers. We have to put caller ID on our phones to keep out the unwanted. The thing is that the more seclusive we become, the more self centered we become. The truth of the matter is that we don’t WANT to know our neighbors because as we live in the cocoon of our own little busy worlds, we don’t have the time to worry about them or care about them. We only have time to care about ourselves. This is wrong - it’s offensive to the God who said, “love your neighbor as yourself.” How can I really love a neighbor that I don’t want to know? How can I care for someone else when I barely take time to care for myself? Like Cain we say, “am I my brother’s keeper?” These excuses don’t fly. This is not the way God designed it. It’s not the way he wants it. God made us to serve our neighbor - not ignore him or her. He redeemed us to think beyond ourselves, not only about ourselves.
You may not realize it, but that’s what Holy Communion is all about. The word “communion” comes from the Greek word koinonia - which means “to partner with” or be “in fellowship” with. It’s used in Luke 5 to describe the fact that Peter and James and John were partners in the fishing business together. They worked side by side and joined in common tasks together. So when we take Communion - there’s a partnership that God wants to happen - that you may not even be aware of. Tonight is Maundy Thursday, the night that we celebrate Jesus’ institution of Holy Communion. So it would be good for us to review tonight what this Communion is all about as we hear Paul - a one time enemy turned ally of Christ -
Speaking the Common Truth
I. We are one with Christ
On the night Jesus was betrayed he shared some very intimate details as to what was going to happen to him that night. When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” 22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” (Mt 26:20-24) Jesus could have ignored the fact that one of them would betray Him. He could have decided that it would be better to keep a light mood - so they could enjoy the night without any deep conversations. Instead, He decided to reveal to them that one of their very own would betray Him to the death that He had so often foretold - which they had denied.
If you notice what happened, the disciples were very sad and began to each question the Lord - denying and yet inwardly wondering - “surely not I, Lord?” If you had a one in twelve chance of being the one who would betray your Lord - what would it make you want to do? Wouldn’t you at such a time want to take Jesus in your arms and cling all the tighter? Wouldn’t you indeed want to lay yourself at His feet - asking for the strength not to do such a thing? Wouldn’t you want to confirm with Christ that you were NOT the one who would do such a thing? That’s exactly the reason why Jesus revealed ahead of time that one of them would betray them. By revealing this Jesus was making them HUNGRY for His acceptance, strength and fellowship. It was at this point that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper - because that’s who the Lord’s Supper is for. Mary said - He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. (Lk 1:53) The Lord’s Supper, like all of God’s gifts, are for hungry people - people who are thirsting for a closer fellowship with Him - that want to COMMUNE with Him - get closer to Him.
If you don’t feel that need to get closer to the LORD - think about what God’s Word says. It says that you have a sinful nature until the day you die - one that wants you to become a Judas - to betray your Lord. Paul warned the Corinthian Christians - If you think you’re standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12) Jesus predicted that during the latter days - the love of most will grow cold. Such a powerful delusion will strike the earth that even the chosen would be deceived - if that were possible. We live under a society that is ostracizing Christianity and setting us apart for every slander possible. If you don’t think you need to grow closer to the LORD in these times - if you don’t think you NEED a communion with Him - you’re either arrogant or ignorant - and this Supper isn’t for you to take tonight. It’s only for the hungry. This food demands HUNGRY souls.
Not only does this food demand hungry souls - it also FEEDS hungry souls. Paul called the Lord’s Supper a fellowship in the blood and body of Christ. When Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper He said, “this is my body, which is given for you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me. ” . . . He wanted them to know that when they took the Lord’s Supper they were actually partaking of His body and blood. After giving them his body and blood He then said, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom. (Mt 26:29) With these words Jesus was pointing His disciples forward, and hinting to them that there would be a period where they would not enjoy such fellowship as they were now having by sitting and talking with the Lord. Therefore, this Supper was meant to be a bridge to accompany them until that time - to keep them strong until they reached the Father’s kingdom. This Supper would be the most physical and intimate way that Jesus would encourage His disciples - for they would be able to eat Jesus’ own body and blood - which would be a reminded to them of the covenant God had made with them - that their sins were forgiven through the sacrifice of His blood. The Lord’s Supper was to be like a bridge which would take them from death to life. You might compare it to the Israelites walking through the desert. They entered the desert through the Red Sea - where God parted the waters for their deliverance from Egypt. In a similar way we were delivered from evil through our baptism. But we soon find out that even though we are delivered from our own sins - we are still living in a desert drear. And so our Lord accompanies us on the way with the Gospel in Word and sacraments - much like the Rock fed the millions of Israelites in the desert with life giving water. The Lord’s Supper is our life giving nourishment which accompanies us on our journey through life - and delivers us across the Jordan. Just as the Ark and the Lord’s priests parted the Jordan, so the Lord’s Supper accompanies us to our final leg of the tour - into the Promised Land. God doesn’t desert us and leave us on our own - He gives us the Lord’s Supper to remind us, “I died for you - delivered you - and I’m with you always!”
The whole message of Christianity - if you look at it - is one of Communion. God’s Word says that we were born hostile, as enemies of God. Paul writes, All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. (Eph 2:3) But God didn’t want us to live separately from Him and angry with Him. The first message of the Gospel shows how God accomplished this. God becomes one of us. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Hebrews 2 also says, Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. . Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. The stress in God’s Word is that Jesus became one of us - and not only did He live among us - like a prisoner and a guard share the same building. Jesus actually was infected with our sin - covered in our offenses - and let the worse punishment of man enter Him and consume Him - the punishment of death and hell. Jesus became man - sinful man - dead man - damned man - he shared our infirmities and our curse. In exchange then Paul tells the Corinthians that - God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Co 5:21). Christianity - in other words - is based on an odd kind of fellowship. God takes 100% of our sins by putting on human flesh - and we are given the privilege to share in 100% of His holiness and share in His divinity. At our baptism God fills us with the Holy Spirit and faith in Jesus Christ. That’s what the message of Christianity is all about. God re-establishes the bond between God and man - by becoming one of us - and making Himself one with us.
Should it surprise us then, that Communion is meant to make us closer to God - to strengthen that bond that we have with our Lord? That’s what Paul stresses in this passage on the Lord’s Supper. He says, Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. This is the common truth. Similar to marriage - where God says the two become one flesh - when we take the Lord’s Supper - the two - the Church and Christ - become one body. When we partake of the one body - Jesus Christ - we become one with Him. All of our sins become His. All of our troubles are taken on His shoulders again. Jesus says to you, “we are now ONE body. I understand why you have the guilt you have - and I’ll take it on my shoulders. I can see the fears you have, but I’ll take care of it. I know the sins you’re hiding from the world, and I’ve died for them. We’re in this together - and what I have is yours! I married you - became you - for better or for worse. My blood is yours. My protection is for you. My love is for you. You are mine! All that I have - and all that will be - in the past, present and future - will work out for your good.” So when we take the Lord’s Supper we are assured - Jesus died FOR ME. Jesus really does LOVE me. God wants you to say, “Even though I don’t deserve such a groom, God has dedicated Himself to me and given Himself to me. We are one.”
II. We are one with each other
Whenever you marry someone, you don’t just marry the person - you also marry the family. This can cause problems. There was a recent TV show called “My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé.” It had a young lady from a very upright and athletic well to do home having to convince her family that she was about to marry an overweight and uncouth guy named Steve. This was only half of the battle - for the network had also given Steve a fake family - a psychotic sister obsessed with death and hippy parents. As time went on, the tension between the families was so thick you could cut it with a knife. It got to the point that the brothers and sister wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with Steve and his family. The last thing on earth they wanted her to do was to marry this man - because they knew that they would have to live with Steve to a point as well. I don’t know how many times this happens in life - but I’m sure it happens more than we know.
In this passage from 1 Corinthians - there’s more to the picture than just us becoming one with Christ. Notice what Paul said again - Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. Paul says that this is a union of many into one loaf. When bread is made it consists of many pieces of grain that are ground together and baked together into one loaf. When wine is made it consists of thousands of grapes that are literally crushed and mixed into one bottle. So the picture that God is drawing of communion is not only a fellowship between us and God - but between the very people that commune together. In his treatise on the Lord’s Supper written in 1519 - Luther had some real interesting comments on this concept of the Lord’s Supper -
Whoever is in despair, distressed by a sin-stricken conscience or terrified by death or carrying some other burden upon his heart, if he would be rid of them all, let him go joyfully to the sacrament of the altar and lay down his woe in the midst of the community of saints and seek help from the entire company of the spiritual body—just as a citizen whose property has suffered damage or misfortune at the hands of his enemies makes complaint to his town council and fellow citizens and asks them for help. The immeasurable grace and mercy of God are given us in this sacrament to the end that we might put from us all misery and tribulation and lay it upon the community of saints, and especially on Christ. Then we may with joy find strength and comfort, and say, “Though I am a sinner and have fallen, though this or that misfortune has befallen me, nevertheless I will go to the sacrament to receive a sign from God that I have on my side Christ’s righteousness, life, and sufferings, with all holy angels and the blessed in heaven and all pious men on earth. If I die, I am not alone in death; if I suffer, they suffer with me. I know that all my misfortune is shared with Christ and the saints, because I have a sure sign of their love toward me.” Luther’s works (Vol. 35, Page 53-54).
Do you see how Luther considered going to communion not only to be laying your problems on Christ, but he also considered it to be sharing a common faith with those you commune with - and more or less commiserating with them? It is as if you are saying to fellow communicants, “I too am a sinner like you. Like you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, I feel sorrow over my sins, and I too need Christ. Just as Christ loves me and forgives me, I also love you and forgive you. Just as Christ helps me, I am glad to have your help. I am also willing to help you.” In communion you are not only willing to ask others to help you, but you are also willing to take others problems on your shoulders. In times past the people were actually taught to gather food and material goods in the church and distribute among those who were in need - in connection with the Lord’s Supper. (1 Corinthians 11:21)
Are you willing to do that? There are many who would gladly share in the profits of the Lord’s Supper - who love to give their sins to Christ and would even be willing to have others help with their problems. But would you be willing in turn to also offer yourself to care for the sorrow, suffer with the suffering, pray for others, defend the truth, and even risk your own life, property, and honor in order to help the other Christians that come to this table this evening? There are many who are not. Isn’t it rather selfish to say to God, “here you take my sins - and you can take my neighbors sins too. But don’t bother me with their sins. Don’t bother me with their problems. I have enough of my own.”? There are some even who call themselves Christians who would refuse to commune next to fellow Christians because of personality conflicts or sins long gone. Is that any way for Christians to act? Can you really expect the Lord’s Supper to be of any benefit to you if you in fact are unwilling to forgive and commune next to a fellow repentant Christian? The only way this sacrament can be complete is if we not only desire Christ to take our evil, but also that we desire to make the evil of others our own - to help them, pray for them, and work with them.
The truth is that all of us struggle with this concept. We are born selfish creatures. We like being selfish. We are to arrogant to share our struggles, and we are too lazy to help others with theirs. We like to hold grudges. The whole idea of fellowship - sharing the sins of one another scares us. It’s easier to hide it in a closet or to ignore it. But in the Lord’s Supper - God exposes our sin - but in a comforting way. He says, “I know you are all sinners. Some of you, like Judas, will betray me. But that’s what I died for. That’s what I gave my body and blood for - for YOU. Put your sins on my cross. If you’re having problems with each other - give me your load. Eat my body. Drink my blood. Do you understand what I’m trying to say to you with this? I want your sins. I want your weaknesses. I want them all on me. I forgive your grudges. If forgive your arrogance. More importantly, I want to give you my holiness, my righteousness, and my love.” When we hear Christ say that to us - sinners - that He wants to be one with US - it makes us say, “wow! What a wonderful gift! Christ wants to take my sins! If He is willing to do that with me - the chief of sinners - then I can take the time to help my fellow Christians here. I am willing to forgive be one with the other sinners that come to this table with me - because that’s who this sacrament is for. It’s for sinners.”
When Abraham married Sarah, they were to have a union of one man and one woman to produce the future Savior of the world. However, when Sarah got the bright idea to have Abraham sleep with Hagar her maidservant - things went awry. When Hagar became pregnant - things went from bad to worse. Eventually, the two couldn’t live with each other, as Hagar had to be sent away.
As Christians, we also are living under the same roof with the same groom. God doesn’t want us to be at each other’s throats. The Corinthian congregation was filled with different kinds of people who in fact were split in many directions. By speaking the common truth of communion, Paul was trying to help them understand that the Lord could bring about a unity found nowhere else. As Christians, in the Lord’s Supper we see that Christ wants to be one with us and live with us and in us in spite of our sin. That’s the common truth. With such a Savior, it is meant to make us say, “Lord, if you can be one with me - a rotten stinking sinner - and make me holy - then I am willing to forgive and live with my fellow Christians as well.” God grant it to that end - so that Holy Communion can give the blessings God designed it to have. Amen.
