1 Corinthians 11:17-32 - Real Things Have Real Consequences - April 9, 2020

Real things have real consequences. Fake, imaginary things don’t. Whether or not you believe in space aliens, unicorns, Big Foot, or the Easter Bunny – doesn’t really matter. Because those things are not real. Sadly, many people in our supposedly enlightened and “scientific” age have placed much, if not all of Christianity into the category of fake or make-believe. The six day creation, the flood, the Exodus, the virgin birth, the miracles of Jesus, and especially his resurrection from the dead, have been labelled as myths – or, at least, are regarded by many as purely subjective – that they are true only if you believe them to be true. God does not permit such thinking. Every Word of the Bible is true whether we believe it or not (John 10:35; 1 Peter 1:16). Tonight we will closely consider one of the things that many people have placed into the category of make-believe mythology: the real presence of the body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Holy Communion. Paul’s premise is simple: real things have real consequences.

In these words from his letter to the Corinthians, Paul is making assertions, not suggestions. He is asserting with the authority of an apostle (1 Corinthians 1:1) that the body and blood of Jesus, thus, Jesus himself, is truly present every time Holy Communion is celebrated whether you believe it or not. He simply repeats Jesus’ own words: This is my body, which is for you…this cup is the new testament in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. Jesus’ body and blood are truly present in this sacrament whether you believe it or not.

One fine illustration of this objective reality comes from the field of pharmaceuticals. If your doctor gives you a bottle of oxycodone, that’s what it is, and it will have its biological and mental and emotional effects on you whether you believe in it or not. If you take the drug according to the prescribed amount and timing, the results are generally beneficial. However, if you disregard the doctor’s instructions and abuse it, you are putting your health in real danger. In the same way, if you receive our Lord’s Supper, the next time we can in a safe and legal way, in accord with his directions – that is, to examine yourself, to recognize his true body and blood, to believe that this meal really conveys the forgiveness of sins, and to practice doctrinal fellowship – then you will receive eternal blessings from this meal. However, should you fail to examine yourself, Paul says, you may very well become physically weak and sick, you may even fall asleep in death as a result. Real things have real consequences.

Perhaps this helps us better understand why from the very beginning, the Church has practiced what is called “closed communion.” “Closed communion” is the practice of only inviting those who are instructed and penitent and of the same faith to receive the Sacrament together. Sadly, many Christians today have never heard of closed communion. But it’s not a novel idea. Jesus practiced closed communion even in his original institution of this meal. Only the disciples Jesus had personally instructed for three years were invited to receive this Supper (Matthew 26:20). Not even Jesus’ own mother was invited to receive this sacrament.

At the same time, we are certainly not saying that everyone who is excluded from this meal is necessarily going to be judged, that they are going to hell. Most of the time closed communion is about the theological and doctrinal divisions that exist among Christians –divisions that Paul says must exist in order to separate the faithful from the unfaithful (1 Corinthians 11:19). In our time, the divisions are found along several very important lines: either Jesus was sacrificed once for all the sins of all the world on Good Friday (John 19:30); or, priests must sacrifice him over and over again – there is no middle ground. [1] Either Jesus wants babies to be baptized in his name as part of all nations (Matthew 28:19); or they aren’t sinful from birth and can’t believe and be saved – there is no middle ground. Either the Bible is the infallible and inerrant Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16); or it isn’t – there is no middle ground. Either Jesus’ body and blood are really present in this sacrament (Matthew 26:26-27) – or he isn’t – there’s no middle ground. There are always those who would like to just ignore these real differences, who invite everyone who “believes in Jesus” to receive this sacrament together. But that practice of “open communion” is unbiblical and unloving. Only those who are one in faith should join at one table to receive the Lord’s Supper together (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).

That sounds pretty nit-picky. No wonder people think Lutherans are mean. But it’s not nit-picky or mean. Because real things have real consequences! Jesus is here and Jesus is God so that means that God is here! Do you remember what happened when God appeared to mere mortals in the OT? Abraham fell on his face (Genesis 17:3); Moses took his shoes off (Exodus 3:5); Uzzah was struck dead for simply touching the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6:7). Time after time, when people realize that Jesus is the Son of God in the NT, they fall down on their faces before him (Matthew 2:11; 17:6; 28:9). Clearly, coming into God’s presence is no trifling matter. If done inappropriately, it’s dangerous. That’s one of the reasons that we cover the elements with a sheet, that’s why when we approach this altar we do it with reverence, that’s why we require people to undergo rigorous instruction prior to communing, that’s why we don’t let children receive this meal, that’s why we close this meal to all who are not in our fellowship – because when God is really present, there are real, life-changing consequences. Anyone who eats and drinks this meal without proper preparation, without examination, without instruction, without doctrinal unity…eats and drinks this meal to their judgment (1 Corinthians 11:29) – in other words, instead of receiving it to their benefit, they are sinning by their participation. And continuing to receive this real body and real blood in such an unworthy manner, without repentance, can only result in eternal condemnation.

And now you may be saying to yourself “if that’s what’s at stake in this meal, I think I might just pass. Why run the risk?” There is a very good reason – or rather two words – to run the risk of judgment to receive this meal: for you. This meal is for you. Jesus has provided this meal for you – not for your judgment but for your salvation. Jesus is present not just so that you would remember his death on the cross for your sins but also so that you would receive in a tangible, visible way the assurance that your sins – every last one of them – has already been paid for!

And don’t we all desperately need that assurance regularly? Does a day go by when we don’t recognize what miserable sinners we are? Can any of us look at our children or our spouse or our coworkers – without feeling pangs of guilt and shame at what we’ve thought, said and done to hurt them? How many nights don’t we lay awake staring at the ceiling, thinking about some awful thing we did days or weeks or even decades ago – longing for some kind of relief from the guilt that tortures us?

Just like powerful medication is only for the terribly sick, so this meal is only beneficial to those who recognize and feel their terrible sins. This meal is not designed to make good people better. You are not invited to step forward only if you’ve been a very good boy or girl this past week. No. This meal is only for confessed sinners. This meal is only for those who know they are guilty; for criminals, for idolaters and murderers and adulterers and gossipers and thieves and greedy and covetous people. This meal is only for those who wouldn’t dare to look up to heaven but can only beat their chests and plead God, be merciful to me, a sinner! (Luke 18:13) This very real meal is only for real sinners.

Why? Because real things have real consequences. Where Jesus is really present with the new testament in his blood, there is real forgiveness for real sinners. Here real sinners like you and me receive the real, true body and blood of Jesus, the very same body and blood that were given and shed on the cross for the forgiveness of all of my sins and your sins once and for all (Hebrews 7:27). To be sure, Jesus doesn’t need us to receive this meal. He’s already forgotten your sins (Hebrews 8:12); separated them from you as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12); buried them in the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). We don’t eat this meal for Jesus’ benefit; this meal is Jesus, true God and true man, offering himself to you and for you. This meal is about God’s Son personally assuring you that he has freed you from the sins that torment your conscience and weigh on your heart. So that if he, your Savior and Judge, has forgotten your sins, so can you!

It’s been said that death is the great equalizer – that it doesn’t care whether you’re black or white, male or female, rich or poor. (The same has been said recently about the coronavirus – that it is no respecter of persons.) And while that’s true, it’s also true that Holy Communion is the great equalizer. When we step forward to this table, all external differences melt away; there is no difference between pastor and people, elders and greeters, men and women. Here at this table there is only one Jesus present – the one who gave his life for each and every one of us. He invites only one kind of person to receive this gift: confessed and believing sinners. And he sends us away as one body, one family, one in faith and hope and love (Ephesians 4:3-6). CFW Walther called Holy Communion the pulpit of the people. [2] With one voice we step forward to proclaim the Lord’s death for the sins of the world and with one faith we look forward to his second coming, when he will take us all home to heaven where we will feast with him for all eternity.

All of these things are true whether you believe them or not – not because I say so, but because Jesus has said so. Do this, he says. Eat my body and drink my blood for the forgiveness of your sins. Remember my sacrifice on the cross for your sins and look forward to my coming to get you and take you home. And until then, stand shoulder to shoulder with your fellow believers in confession and absolution, serve them in love just as I have served you, forgive them as I have forgiven you. These are the real consequences of the real body and blood that our Lord really gave and shed on the cross for the forgiveness of our very real sins. You can take it or leave it, believe it or not – but I sincerely pray that you do believe it, take it and eat and drink it as often as you can because all that’s necessary for you to receive all of the real blessings of this real and consequential sacrament is a heart that believes. [3] Amen.

[1] https://www.oca.org/questions/romancatholicism/sacrifice-of-the-mass

[2] C.F.W. Walther, Ein Handbuch zur Taglichen Hausandacht, ed. A. Croce (St. Louis: Concordia, 1893) 181

[3] SC The Sacrament of Holy Communion IV