1 Corinthians 10:16-17
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
Paul reflects briefly but profoundly on the Lord’s Supper. The Supper connects us to Christ and to one another. We join with what or who we worship. Instead of eating food sacrificed to idols, we eat the food dedicated to Christ. In the larger context of chs. 8-10, we participate in the divine act of love instead of pushing for our own rights and agendas. We will consider others in the same say that Christ considered others when he gave his life on the cross. Christians have a new source of spiritual nourishment that also nourishes our physical bodies (not the little sips of grape juice or stale bread chips we sometimes have today). Christ’s body symbolically flows through our bodies. The end result is that we should love others more deeply while growing closer to Christ.
For older posts, click here.