Examine Yourself
Maundy Thursday
Examine Yourself
April 9, 1998
27 Therefore, 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. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
Holy Communion, Eucharist, the Lord’s Table, the Last Supper, these all refer to the Sacrament of the Altar. Paul speaks about this sacrament when he writes these inspired words. Here, Paul brings both warning and encouragement to every believer’s conscience and heart. Like the Corinthians, we also need to hear the warning and to be encouraged. This is how love works.
Tonight, as we celebrate the Lord’s Maundy, His Command, to “Love one another as I have loved you.” Jn.15.12. We learn more about God’s love and how that love is manifested in the Eucharist, and in the life of a believer. By the way, Jesus gave this command to His disciples on the Thursday before the Lord’s crucifixion. The sacrament of the altar exemplifies in a very personal way the love God has for us.
With this in mind, verse 28 helps set the focus for our meditation “Examine Yourself”. Let me read this verse again. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
There are two things I would like to explain about the word “examine”. It generally means; 1) to test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), such as examining precious metals. Rising out of this meaning is the concept, 2) to recognize as genuine after examination, or to approve, or deem worthy. If I asked you to examine yourself, I would be asking you to test, to prove, to scrutinize yourself. This is something we ought to do before we eat and drink from the supper.
Why we should examine our self is answered in the previous verse. If a person takes the sacrament in an unworthy manner, they will be judged as guilty of sinning against the body and blood of Jesus. People who take the sacrament unworthily put themselves in harms way and become obligated for the death of Jesus. That is neither a comfortable nor a safe place to be. In fact, the result is often weakness, sickness and death.
This judgement of the Lord is not to condemn us as unbelievers. It is to discipline us so that we might indeed participate worthily in the body of Christ. It is an act of love. Proverbs 3:11f. says it this way; “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” God worked very hard to bring us back into oneness with Himself. He sent His One-and-Only Son to suffer the judgement of hell in our place. He did this not only us, but also the whole world.
It takes spiritual discernment to recognize the Body and Blood of Jesus in the sacrament. It also takes spiritual discernment to participate in a worthy manner. This discernment recognizes that the Lord’s Supper is much more than eating and drinking the natural elements of bread and wine. It also recognizes the supper as a real participation in the real body and blood of Jesus. When we take the Lord’s Supper, we are not only professing faith in Jesus Christ, but much more than that, we are actually united with the real Body of the Lord. This is such an awesome thing, a supernatural thing. It is God’s covenant thing with us. Jesus, himself, spoke of this when He said: “Take drink, this is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
This covenant thing in which we participate releases us from guilt and sin, unless of course, we eat and drink in an unworthy manner. If this should happen, we would again come under the judgement of the Lord. He desires that none be lost. The need for personal introspection and self-awareness is evident. Are you sure that you are worthy to participate with those washed in the blood of the lamb? Are you sure that you have done nothing offensive to the body of Christ? Then, be aware that not a one of us is truly worthy to participate in this new covenant. Even so, the desire to remember what the Lord has done for us draws us to the sacrament. Here, we are personally touched by God’s unconditional love and acceptance.
Jesus laid down his life as a ransom for many. It was foretold of Him by the prophet Jeremiah and confirmed by the Holy Spirit in the letter to the Hebrews. “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws into their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” What inestimable and unconditional love God showers upon us with what appears to the natural eye to be only bread and wine. Surely, we want to be participants in that love. Surely we want to be counted worthy with all of God’s Holy people. Surely, we do that, having examined ourselves accordingly.
My friends, the Lord’s Supper is not ours to do with as we see fit. It is the Lord’s Supper. As His covenant meal it assures us of the forgiveness of sin and releases us from the guilt of sin. Because it is the real Body and Blood of the Lord, it is able to bestow what it promises and it has authority to do so. Because it is the real Body and Blood of the Lord everyone who takes it will be judged in it.
Therefore, it is good for you and me to examine oneself. Worthiness is not a matter of our best efforts. Worthiness is a matter of the person and work of Jesus Christ for us. Examine Yourself, then, and judge yourself to see that your worthiness in found complete in the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, may we always respect and treat the Sacrament of the Altar as the Holy thing it is. Amen.