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Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together.
—1 Corinthians 11:33
The Corinthian church, much like our churches today, struggled with divisions. They wouldn’t even wait for everyone to gather before taking communion. Celebrating the Lord’s Supper could have been a unifying time for them, sharing together their identity as people saved through Christ’s body and blood. Instead, the Lord’s table became a symbol of greed and selfishness.
We fall victim to the same “me first” attitudes. In our own families, which God gave us to provide nurturing community, we find bitterness and divisions driving us apart. We argue over petty issues and manipulate things to get our own way. We have a lot in common with the Corinthian church! What would Christ see if he visited your family or church? Are you a community that cares for others, or do you look only after your own needs?
We are forgiven by Christ’s grace. There’s nothing we can do to earn God’s love—he gives it freely. And being a people embraced by God, Paul tells us to live like the redeemed people we now are. Come together and worship together, says Paul, but not in a selfish way. Be a community that looks after one another. Let’s look beyond our own needs to the needs of others. Can we step up and be the kind of community that shows genuine compassion for each other?
Lord, teach us to care about one another. Give us the courage to set aside our own agendas and to put others first. In the name of the One who gave up his own life to save ours. Amen.
About the author — Steven and Deb Koster
Steven and Deb Koster have a passion for marriages, families, and spiritual growth in the home. Both are ordained ministers in the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Steven formerly served as editor of Today and director of ReFrame's English-language outreach. Deb leads Family Fire, ReFrame’s family ministry at FamilyFire.com and on Facebook. The Kosters have three children.
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