Theological Commentary: Click Here
As I read
through this passage, I am always drawn to the second half and drawn away from
the first half. Today is no
different. I’ve been focusing so much on
divisions and unity that my eye seems to naturally go to the second half.
In this
passage, we hear Paul mention that the Corinthians are even making a debacle of
the Lord’s Supper. Some people are
coming and getting drunk. Other people
are being neglected. I think we have two
problems here – drunkenness and a lack of hospitality – wrapped underneath the umbrella
of God’s grace.
First of
all, let’s take drunkenness. Here is a
reason for offense. Some people are
coming to get communion and all that they see is the wine. They drink not out of celebration for God’s
love, but in order to have the alcohol work its magic. Rather than think about what their actions
are doing to the community, they are enforcing their desire for alcohol upon
the community. The will of the
individual is causing division because it is being asserted over the good of
the community.
Then we have
the issue of people being neglected.
There are some who are simply not able to come to communion because
others are consuming it all! This is an
utter lack of hospitality. Once more we
see that the gluttony of some is causing division. The will of the individual for utter
consumption is being asserted over the good of the community in the sharing of
resources. Gluttony, the consumption of
one above what is necessary or even customary, causes division in the body of
Christ.
The sad part
is that all of these things exist under the greater umbrella of Christ and His
love for us. Communion is first and foremost
a celebration of the sacrificial nature of Christ! I find it truly sad that even an act of
sacrifice can become a cause for the sin of greed within the individual to rise
up and destroy community.
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