14 July 2026
Paul’s rebuke becomes even more direct in these verses. He writes, “When you come together, then, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. For at the meal, each one eats his own supper. So one person is hungry while another gets drunk!” (1 Corinthians 11:20-21). The Corinthians still gathered in the same place, but they had forgotten why they gathered. Their selfishness had emptied the Lord’s Supper of its true meaning. As Mark Penrith explained, “The covenant meal had become an exclusive private country club.” Instead of displaying the unity of the gospel, they displayed the divisions of their society.
The wealthy arrived early and enjoyed the best food. The poorer believers arrived after a long day’s work and found little or nothing left. Paul asks, “Don’t you have homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing?” (1 Corinthians 11:22). Their behaviour was more than bad manners. It was a denial of the gospel itself. Mark said, “By treating the poor with contempt, they were actively despising the church of God. This is not a minor misunderstanding. It is a theological crisis. Their division was a functional denial of the cross.”
The same temptation exists today. We may not separate rich from poor around a meal, but we often build comfortable circles around people who are like us. We naturally drift toward familiar faces and established friendships. Yet the cross tears down those walls. As Mark reminded us, “The gospel that secures our vertical identity must shatter our horizontal divisions.” Every believer stands on exactly the same ground before Christ. None of us earned a place at His table. Grace welcomed us all.
This week, take one practical step toward someone outside your normal circle. Speak with someone you do not know well after church. Invite another family into your home. If you have children, encourage them to notice newcomers and include them in conversation or play. They will learn that the church is not built on shared interests but on a shared Saviour. As Mark said, “You cannot look up to God in worship while looking down on a brother or sister in pride.”
Who tends to be overlooked in your church, workplace or neighbourhood?
Prayer:
Father, thank You for welcoming us through the grace of Jesus Christ. Forgive us when we show partiality or remain comfortable in our own circles. Help us love Your people as You have loved us. Amen.