IV. Who, Then, Receives This Sacrament Worthily?
Fasting and bodily preparation are indeed a good outward discipline, but that person is truly worthy and well prepared who believes these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” But anyone who does not believe these words or who doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words “for you” require truly believing hearts.
Luther’s Small Catechism
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
It’s a gift. The Lord’s Supper is a gift. The Body of Christ broken for you is a gift. The Blood of Christ shed for the forgiveness of your sins is a gift. Everything about the Lord’s Supper is a gift. When we consider our worthiness or unworthiness of receiving the Holy Communion, we must start with the understanding that it is a gift.
Jesus doesn’t give us Himself in the Sacrament because we have earned or deserved Him. Birthday and Christmas presents aren’t earned. If something is earned, it is no longer a gift. When you give a gift, you give out of love. Jesus is not Santa Claus who makes his list and checks it twice to see who has been naughty or nice and give based on that. And remember what the gift gives – the forgiveness of sins. If you imagine, somehow, that you don’t have any sins that need forgiving, then you don’t need or have any desire for the gift. Only the sick need a doctor, and only sinners need the Sacrament.
In our epistle reading tonight (1 Cor. 11:27-34), Paul does give a warning about Holy Communion. You can receive the gift Jesus gives in an unworthy manner, and there are serious consequences of receiving the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner. But before we get to that, let’s first consider what it is to be worthy of receiving the Sacrament. The two ‘qualifications’ – or, maybe better, ‘qualities’ or ‘attributes’ – of being a worthy recipient of the Lord’s Supper are found in v. 28-29 and v. 31.
To be worthy of Communion, a person is to ‘examine’ and ‘judge’ himself ‘truly’ (1 Cor. 11:28, 31). Here’s what that means: When you consider who you are in light of God’s Commandments, you find nothing but sin and failure. You find that you have not done what God demands and that you have done what God forbids. When you examine your thoughts, words, and deeds, you see clearly that you are not worthy to be in God’s presence let alone have a seat at His Table. God be praised that the recognition of your sin and unworthiness is precisely what makes you worthy to receive what Jesus gives in Holy Communion because what He gives is His very Body and Blood for the forgiveness of sins.
The other ‘quality’ of receiving the Lord’s Supper worthily comes in 1 Cor. 11:29 and is to “discern the Body.” In other words, it is to recognize that Jesus is truly present in His Supper as He gives you the New Covenant of His Blood in the elements of Communion.
When you know and recognize those two things, God invites you and desires that you, “eat of the Bread and Drink of the Cup” (1 Cor. 11:28).
If someone does not recognize that they are a sinner who needs forgiveness or does not believe that Jesus gives His Body and Blood in the Sacrament, that person eats and drinks the Sacrament in an unworthy manner, and that does have consequences.
The first consequence Scripture mentions is to be guilty concerning the Body and Blood of the Lord. In other words, an unworthy reception of the Lord’s Supper puts that person alongside the soldiers, Pilate, Judas, and the Jewish leaders as being guilty of Jesus’ wounds and crucifixion.
A person can be guilty of the Body and Blood of Jesus in various ways. Judas was guilty because he betrayed Jesus (Mt. 27:3-4). The priests and Pharisees were guilty because they falsely accused Jesus (Mt. 26:59). The soldiers were guilty because they beat, whipped, and spat upon Jesus (Mt. 27:27-31). Pilate was guilty because he condemned Jesus (Mt. 27:24-26). All of them were individually guilty of the bodily harm done to Jesus in different ways, but the guilt remains the same. Here, Paul says that to receive Communion in an unworthy manner is just as great a crime as those who carried out the betrayal, beating, and crucifixion of our Lord (1 Cor. 11:27).
The consequence of this guilt concerning Christ’s Body and Blood brings God’s judgment. Paul says that the reason some of the Corinthian Christians are weak, sick, and have died is that they were receiving Communion in an unworthy manner. Paul isn’t speaking figuratively here; this is serious stuff.
Now, I want to be clear, the judgment Paul talks about here does not mean that the Christians who receive the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner are condemned. The text is clear. The judgment from the Lord that they receive is used by God to discipline them so that they are not condemned with the world (1 Cor. 11:29, 32). But that discipline and judgment is real, and because that discipline is real, this should guide what we do.
As your pastor who loves and cares for you and your well-being as well as the well-being of other Christians, I need to say this: When you are traveling or visiting a church with family or friends, there are times and instances where you should not take Communion. If you are at a church that says the Lord’s Supper is only symbolic, or, if you are at a Roman Catholic church that teaches that receiving the Lord’s Supper is earning some sort of spiritual merit, do not commune there. I say that because, by receiving the Sacrament there, you are encouraging your Christian brothers and sisters in their wrong belief and unworthy reception of the Lord’s Supper. And by not taking Communion there, God may open a door for you to teach them about the great blessing that Jesus gives in His Supper. Pray that that would be the case.
Yes, Scripture gives us warnings about receiving the Sacrament in an unworthy manner, but it is done in a way to encourage us to receive it regularly and rightly. Listen carefully to what comes after the warning of receiving in an unworthy manner and being guilty concerning the Body and Blood of our Lord, “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the Bread and drink of the Cup” (1 Cor. 11:28). In the Large Catechism, Luther picks up on this and rightly says this is warning, but it is an encouragement to receive the gift of the Lord’s Supper which Jesus gives to us as often as we eat and drink.
Luther says, “If… you are heavy-laden and feel your weakness, then go joyfully to this Sacrament and receive refreshment, comfort, and strength.” But what if you don’t feel your weakness? Luther suggests that you put your hand to your chest and to check if you still have flesh and blood because Ro. 7:18 says, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.” Then, look around and see if you are still in the world. If you are in the world, believe what the Bible teaches about it – that it is full of danger and difficulties (Jn. 15:18-21, 16:33). Finally, remember that the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion seeking to devour us (1 Pet. 5:8) and has all sorts of flaming darts pointed at us (Eph. 6:16). Your sinfulness, the danger of living in a sinful world, and the promise of Jesus are all constant reminders of how greatly you need the gift Jesus gives in the Sacrament.
I want to close this series on the Lord’s Supper with one final thought about receiving God’s gifts. When it comes to earthly things, desire and satisfaction are opposites. If you are hungry, it is because you don’t have food. Once you have eat and are full, you no longer desire food.
Spiritual things work differently, and I think we have all seen or experienced this. When you have God’s Word, you want more of it, and, sadly, the opposite is also true. The less you have God’s Word, the less you desire it. When it comes to the gifts Gospel, the more we receive them, the more we long for them. When we taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8), our hunger for His goodness and mercy grows.
May our love and desire for God’s Word continue to grow as we receive more and more of the free gift of His grace and mercy which He freely gives through His Word and Sacraments. Amen.The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
But there over at table 72 is a man who has no wedding garment. He is there in his smelly, sweat-stained cloths with dusty, dirty feet.
Your God is into feasts and parties and merry-making. His feast goes on, and He wants you there. He wants you to celebrate with Him, so He has provided you with everything you need to be at the feast. Don’t reject His invitation. Don’t reject His robe of righteousness.
Pastorsamwise 
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