0096 - What does it mean “eat and drink of Jesus’ body and blood unworthily”?

What does it mean “eat and drink of Jesus’ body and blood unworthily”?

 

·       1Co 11:23 -> “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 

·       1Co 11:24 -> “and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 

·       1Co 11:25 -> “In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”.

·       1Co 11:26 -> “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 

·       1Co 11:27 -> “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.”.

 

Many people misunderstand these last two verses. What is the bread and cup that we ought to eat and drink? What is the bread and cup which, eaten and drunk in an unworthy manner, can bring condemnation?

 

Let’s see what Jesus said:

 

·       John 6:56 -> “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.”.

·       John 6:58 -> “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”.

 

Joining the two excerpts, we can conclude that:

 

·       The bread is the Body of Christ (His Church). But, how can we feed ourselves of the Church? Through Jesus’ teachings which are manifested when believers meet each other:

o   1Co 14:26 -> “What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.”.

·       The blood of Jesus comes from when the Church present her body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God:

o   Rom 12:1 -> “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”.

You drink this blood when you welcome, in love, each brother in Christ, making them feel special for the sacrifice they did in order to have what to share with the brothers. Giving many thanksgivings to the Creator for this:

o   2Co 9:13,14 -> “By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.”.

It’s good to remember that nobody can draw near to the Creator empty (Exodus 23:15; 34:20; Deut 16:16).

·       The cup (vial) of the Lord is the New Alliance. Cup (vial) is symbol of judgment. The judgment which fall on us is to deliver our life in consecration to Jesus so that, through us, our brothers in Christ can receive from Jesus what is necessary for them to get free of their sins (and helping them to win the consequences of their sins):

o   1Jn 1:7 -> “But if we *walk in the light*, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and *the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin*.”.

 

And what is the light of the Holy Spirit? His love:

 

·       1Jn 2:9-11 -> “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”.

 

I believe that, now, it is easy to figure out why is so grievous to eat and drink of the body and blood of Christ unworthily, as well as what it is said below:

 

·       1Co 11:28,29 -> “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.”.

 

If not, to make it clear, before going to the meeting of the Church, each member should examine themselves in order to see if they are pure and holy in their heart, inasmuch as:

 

·       2Ti 2:22 -> “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

 

After purifying the heart, seek in Jesus what each member of His body needs. If you discern the needs of each one, you can offer to them from the Creator exactly what they need. We can’t cope with the Church as if she was a huddle of members, but discern Her, as we can read below:

 

·       Eph 4:15,16 -> “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”.

 

So, have a good day consecrating yourself to Jesus, receiving of Him the necessary bread for those people that He put in your life to be your congregation, being grateful for every effort that these brethren made in your favor.