Homily: 12 September 2022: 1 Corinthians 11:17-26,33Please read the Scripture passage before the homily.
If you have a tail-gate party in the parking lot before your favorite team’s big game and disinvite some of the people from attending, then you are not a fan of that team: you are rather a fan of yourself. If you have a big dinner before celebrating the Eucharist and exclude some people because of their looks or politics or any similar reason, you are showing contempt for the Church of God because you do not recognize the Body of Christ.
Each one of us makes up the body of Christ. Rich or ragged, well-dressed or poor, black or white, politician of whatever party, stranger or citizen, native speaker or second-language speaker: we make up the one body of Christ. Just as in the human body, when one part suffers, the whole body suffers, so likewise if one member of the Body of Christ suffers, the whole Body of Christ suffers. If we do not believe this, then we do not have a correct understanding of the Eucharist and there are factions in the one body of Christ.
If you want to have dinner with only your friends, do not do it in the context of coming together for the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is for all, not just for our friends. The Lord Jesus at the Last Supper took bread, called it his Body, broke it, and shared it with us. In like manner, he took the cup of wine, called it his blood, and told us to drink it. Everybody was to share the bread and the wine and be the Body of Christ. Christ excluded no one and neither should we,
If we can all share in the Body of Christ, then we should be able to share our whole lives. If not, then we may be showing contempt for the Body of Christ,