Communion With the Christ:: At The Table of the Lord

"In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!"1Cor: 11:17-22

In the Greco-Roman world in which the early Church emerged, and the Holy Scriptures were written, there were many cultural customs and practices which the people of the day followed.

The cultural practices of the day influenced their daily lives, often without any thought as to what or why people followed many of these practices; and some of them have found their way in and among Christians fellowships even in our day.

The Roman dining practice of dividing guest at social occasions was often used, unfortunately, even among Christians during times of fellowship and even at the very Table of the Lord where Christians were meant to be able to be “as one” and to find themselves accepted as part of the greater body of Church.

"Echeloned Society"

The practice, which was prevalent among even Christians, was, that of an "echeloned society" which was driven by social status. This "echeloned society" kept persons "in their place" and spoke volumes regarding their relationship with those around them and their place with in the greater community of the times. It was a very station and class-conscious world. (even as it is today)

This "echeloned society" shackled persons into a divided world dictated by economic realities, rich poor, free and slave, included and excluded. It was very difficult for a person of that time to find a means of upward social mobility.

Echeloned Social Events

This “echelon" of relationship(s) would manifest itself in the social events of the day, when a "person of station" within the community would hold a social occasion there would be a decided "echelon" of status among the guest in relation to the person who hosted the gathering.

This "echelon" of relationship(s) would divide the guest(s) into groups; those who were of a lesser social "echelon" found themselves confined to a rather un-opulent part of the house hold or dining hall away from the host with little or no direct contact with the host aside from a brief ceremonial greeting, that at least to, some extent, acknowledged that these guests had come to the occasion.

This confined common gathering area, in which the "lesser social echeloned" guest(s) were to congregate, was called the atrium and was often bland and minimally adorned, there would be no or few furnishings, maybe an uncomfortable communal bench or some small chairs.

These "lesser social echelon guest “often found themselves standing in the atrium while they dined rather than reclining or sitting at a table, and they often ate at a later time, after the more important guest had been served, and some of the guest , did not get to eat at all.

The "lesser social echeloned" guest(s) found themselves often kept waiting to be served, and were often directed to the nearest exit after they had eaten. They, as well, were discouraged from wondering out of this area to explore other areas of the gathering, and they found themselves excluded.

The quality of the food and libations as well as the attentiveness of the service to these "lesser" guest(s), was in stark contrast to that of the guest(s) of higher "social echelon" who enjoyed a greater quality social and dining experience.

Higher Echelon

These more" important guest(s)" were escorted into the presence of the gatherings host, who would be seated in room or garden setting. This place of reception was called the triclinium, this "triclinium”, which would be well appointed and adorned.

These "important guest(s)” had their names announced publicly and shown to a place(s) of honor where they were able to recline in comfort on plush couches at a table laden with the highest quality food and libations. These important guests could dine to their contentment often to excess.

This place of honor was separate from the "lesser guest(s)" which emphasized the distinctness of the social "echelons" of the day.

At The Lord's Table

This "echeloned" society in which the people lived in, and still live in, unfortunately found its way even into the Church. This divided Roman dining practice came to manifest itself at the Table of the Lord among the Christians in the Greek city of Corinth and served to divide the fellowship of those Christians into social "echelons”.

This issue became such a problem that the Apostle St. Paul had to deal with in his Epistle to the Corinthian Church.

"In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!" 1Cor: 11:17-22

This Roman dining practice was dividing the Church at the very place where the greatest unity and place of inclusion of all should have been manifested at the Communion supper at the table of the Lord.

The Lord's table was intended to bring Christians together as one in Jesus, all fully included and wanted, yet the Corinth Christians were flouting their social "echelons" and excluding those who hand little means to change their station in life or had little means.

This brought a sense of humiliation to some of the "poorer" Church members and created the impression that some Christians belong to a lesser "atrium" within the fellowship of the Church. While others , could be accounted to dining in the "triclinium" as honored guest, inferring that they had greater access to the host of the occasion which is in truth ,Jesus Christ himself.

They were viewing their social "echelon" as some sort of material evidence of God's favor residing upon them and that the lower social "echelon" was somehow less favored by God, yet, their behavior at the Lord's table was unseemly for those who claim such statues and caused division among the Church.

"No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval"

These Christians were, and, unfortunately are, missing the point of coming to the Lord's table. It is not a place of self-advancement for their own purposes yet this is how some of them viewed it.

"So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers"

St. Paul states that this division was being reported and that some were not exercising self-control in their uses of wine and food this reflected the self-serving nature of their thinking.

"I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you”, "As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk."

Not At the Lord's Table

St. Paul contexts the Corinth Church' s division to a lack spiritual discernment regarding just who the Church truly belongs, that the Church is not just a social fellowship but a gathering of those who are in fellowship with the great God thru Jesus.

St. Paul is moved to corrects this division as immature behavior, and is not praise worthy among Christians, as it is among the world and should not be found when Christians gather together at the Lord's Table.

"Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter!"

The Purpose of the Supper

St. Paul begins to remind them, and all of us, the true purpose and the nature of the Lord's supper, that it is to point us ever to Jesus Christ and all that Jesus has accomplished for us, and all that Lord is for us.

The Lord's table is to encourage us to live in constant remembrance of Jesus, that is, not just recounting the past but an ongoing remembrance, or awareness of Jesus.

"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 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.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes."(23-26)

St. Paul is not just speaking of what had happened in the past, but St. Paul is telling them, (those who believed that they had God's approval as evidenced by their perceived social "echelon”, and all of us,) that we are all in need of Jesus, that we could not save ourselves regardless as to where we believe ourselves to be in the social "echelon”. We are all equally in need of Jesus.

St. Paul, then cautions all Christians to approach the table of the Lord as no mere social occasion, but rather, to see it for what it is, or acknowledgment of humanities inability to save it's self regardless of who we might think we are.

The Table of the Lord is the great equalizer of all humanity that breaks down the social "echelons" that humanity has erected and divides us apart and relegates some to lesser status.

As One, the Self of God

Jesus wants us to care for one another as members of the body of Christ and to one another as he and the Father is one. Jesus did not view the Father as being separate from himself in the way we normally think of it. Jesus is the "self of God”, if Jesus is not the "self of God", God could not reveal himself in Jesus. Jesus wants this "oneness" for all of us as well, and Jesus prayed such just before his death.

"I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you."Jhn:17:20b-21

Jesus does not want us to see each other as separate from one another. Some of the Corinthian Christians saw the others as just that, "others", not a part of them, they were not seeing Jesus as the one by whom this unity would come into our lives which would have transformed them and their behavior reflected this oneness.

Some of these Christians, however, did not rightly discern the Lord's Body, that is the other members of the Church, who they were humiliating by their actions of segregating them to a lesser station reflected in their area of dinning.

"For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves" (29)

The Lord's Body

St. Paul warns each and all Christians to approach the Lord's table with reverence and honor, a lesser mindset could bring problems upon us. Jesus, has made it possible for us all to come together as one in full recognition of who Jesus is and who we are in him.

When we Christians come to the Lord's table, we are acknowledging who Jesus is and who we are in him. St. Paul wants us to reflect upon this truth each time we come together at the Lord's able, and all times.

"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. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment." (27-31)

St. Paul tells Christians that we need to assemble in full acceptance of one another and not to look upon others as “less than ourselves”, but see us all Christians as having a place of high honor with one another, St. Paul calls this "eat together" meaning more than just being at a common location but rather it is unity in fellowship.

"Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world. So then, my brothers and sisters, when you gather to eat, you should all eat together. Anyone who is hungry should eat something at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment”. (32-34)

The Accessible Host

In the Roman dining culture, the host was removed from most of the guest who attended their social occasions, or had very limited access to them. Jesus, however, is the accessible host of his supper. Jesus welcomes any and all equally to his table and walks among his guest and assures each of them of their honored place as his guest at his table and provides and offers freely to us all with the very best.

Our Lord Jesus has called us all, to be guest at his table where we are wanted and included. Here is a place for any and all who will but come and share in the joyous fellowship at the Table of the Lord.

Benediction: May we each join together as one at the table of our Lord, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.