Searching our hearts

As I’ve mentioned earlier, God does call us to search our hearts whenever we take communion.

Paul says,

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.

A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.

For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.

That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 11:27-30)

That’s kind of a scary passage, especially that last part.

Apparently, because of their sin at the communion table, many of the Corinthians got sick and even died.

We don’t see that kind of judgment much, if at all nowadays, but I think God was trying to drive home to the early church just how seriously he took this problem.

Jesus died for our sins, but that does not mean we can just sin with impunity. And if we take his sacrifice on the cross lightly, we will be disciplined.

So while we are to take special note of our own hearts at the communion table, I think it’s very important to take note of our hearts every day. To pray as David once did.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Let us never take the cross of Christ for granted. Let us never treat it as a doormat to wipe off our dirty feet.

Rather let us fall on our knees in gratitude for what he has done for us.

And as we come to him, and he shows us the sin in our hearts, let us have hearts of contrition and repentance, not only at the communion table, but throughout our lives.