Pass on a miracle!
For I received from the Lord what I also pass on to you… (1 Corinthians 11:23a)
When you possess something valuable, you want to make sure it is passed down to someone who will appreciate it and take care of it. It could be a family heirloom or a family homestead or a family fortune. You would not leave it to someone who would squander it or not take care of it.
Paul was given something beyond comparison in this world. You would think he would want to pass it on to people who would honor and uphold it! He was going to pass on a miracle to the people in the Corinthian congregation. He just chastised them for their congregational divisions and factions. They were disrespecting one another. They were the poster child of people who were unworthy of a miracle being passed on to them.
But wait…have you ever caused divisions or factions? Have you ever tramped over someone or disrespected someone? When we look at our sin, we would come to the same conclusion that we do not deserve to have a miracle passed on to us. Paul himself was unworthy too! Notice, Jesus himself passed on a miracle to Paul and Paul to the Corinthians and now it has been passed down to us.
What is that miracle? The Lord has given us his body and blood with the bread and wine in the Holy Supper. All the unworthy things Paul did, the Corinthians did, and all we have done are forgiven when we eat the bread and drink the cup.
It is beyond our human understanding. It connects us to his death and the forgiving power of his body given for us and the blood shed for us. That is why it is a miracle. We can pass this miracle on to others who are unworthy. This is what we do when we teach others about the Lord’s Supper that he gave on the night he was betrayed.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, we stand in awe of your miraculous gift you have passed on to us in your Supper. We ask you to forgive our sin and give us opportunities to share this miracle with other sinners like us. In your name we pray. Amen!