Is Right Motives
a Prerequisite for Holy Communion?
So
then, 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. 1
Corinthians 11:27 (NIV)
An elderly man on the beach found a magic
lamp. He picked it up and a genie appeared. “Because you have freed me,” the
genie said, “I will grant you a wish.” The man thought for a moment and then
responded, “My brother and I had a fight 30 years ago and he hasn’t spoken to me
since. I wish that he’ll finally forgive me.” There was a thunderclap, and the
genie declared, “Your wish has been granted. You know,” the genie continued,
“most men would have asked for wealth or fame. But you only wanted the love of
your brother. Is it because you are old and dying?” “No way!” the man cried.
“But my brother is, and he’s worth about $60 million.”
When we come to the Lord’s Table to share
in the Lord’s Supper, as we remember His sacrifice for us, we must make sure
that we observe this sacrament with the right motives.
Paul saw in the Corinthian church
something far worse. What he saw was an extremely offensive display of
selfishness as the church gathered to take Communion. What was originally
established to be a celebration, centering on the most selfless act in human history,
had now turned into a three-ring circus of complete self-centeredness. That which
was intended to promote unity and deepen fellowship only brought division and
disgrace. People were getting drunk, gorging themselves, and refusing to share
their food with those who were in real need. This was hardly the best way to prepare
to participate in one of the most sacred ordinances given to us by Jesus.
In order to take Communion in the right
manner, we need to properly prepare our hearts first. This means we do not
simply go through the sacred motions of Communion. We are not to treat the act
of Communion like an empty tradition or a rote ritual; this is a holy act of
fellowship and worship. No matter how often we choose to partake in Communion, Paul
tells us that we must examine ourselves before receiving and ask the Lord to
search our hearts for anything that is displeasing to Him.
We must start by examining our personal
relationship with Jesus. Communion is all about Jesus, so we must first know
Jesus personally; He must be our Lord and Savior.
There’s a television ad during football
games that features an athlete running up the steps of an empty stadium. No one
is watching, but he’s really sweating and grinding it out in discipline. The ad
points out that he’s going through all that hard work so that he can receive
the reward of winning on the weekend.
God asks us to discipline our lives, to
deny self and take up the cross so that we can be true disciples of Jesus
Christ and partake in the most precious Holy Communion with perfect and right
motives.
No comments:
Post a Comment