Monday, August 30, 2021
Today’s Scripture
Today’s Author
Rachal Little
The text opens with a very upset Paul. He’s writing a letter to the church in Corinth and his focus is on how they are unfaithfully observing the Lord’s Supper. He notes division and selfishness in this congregation. From what we know now of conditions in Corinth at the time, wealthier members who hosted the dinners where the Lord’s Supper was being served began eating and drinking before everyone had arrived, leaving others who arrive late(r) – Paul refers to them as “those who have nothing” – with little to nothing to eat or drink. There were socioeconomic divisions within the congregation that made the way they partook of the Lord’s Supper inequitable, which flies in the face of what this meal is really all about. This infuriated Paul! He accused them of showing contempt towards God and humiliating their neighbors. How could some leave full while others leave hungry? It’s completely antithetical to the heart behind this meal. The Lord’s Supper is about remembering Jesus Christ – the embodiment of self-sacrificial love for others: a man who lived among people, healing them, teaching them, and caring for them.
The Corinthian church, it seems, had lost touch with the truth that a life of faith is a life of community. At its core, the Lord’s Supper is a gathering of neighbors committed to remembering Jesus, a man whose self-sacrificial love for others changed people, communities, and the whole world. In the eating of bread and drinking of the cup, we, the people of God, are united as one body – a covenant people called to live lives of self-sacrificial love for the benefit of others.
Summer Devotional
God Goes With Us
This summer’s devotional is a walk through the Bible. Join our pastors and staff for daily reflections on scripture passages from Genesis to Revelation. In the beginning, God said, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” Come and see how this covenant promise changes through time yet remains steadfast from generation to generation.
Each Sunday, Chris Holmes will share a short message on the texts for the week, and written reflections will go out every Monday through Thursday morning.
We wish you blessings and deeper faith this summer!
