ONE LEADER, ONE LOAF, ONE BODY

Nehemiah 11:1-12:26; 1 Corinthians 10:14-33; Psalm 34:11-22; Proverbs 21:14-16

“A record of the family leaders of the Levites was kept during the years when Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua served as high priest. Another record of the priests was kept during the reign of Darius the Persian.”

“When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.”

“But the Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.”

“Justice is a joy to the godly, but it terrifies evildoers. The person who strays from common sense will end up in the company of the dead.”

I always thought Communion a personal act by which we remind ourselves individually of the gifts of grace and forgiveness represented by the Bread and the Wine (or juice, as it may be). It is certainly all that. But in looking at Paul’s description with fresh eyes today, that seems too restrictive a view. Most biblical scholars believe Paul was the first to actually refer to Communion in writing; the Gospel accounts came after his Epistles. It is worth noting, then, that this first reference says little about forgiveness or grace. Clearly, Paul’s theme is on unity:

Think about the people of Israel. Weren’t they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar?

Paul sees Communion as something that does not just bind us to Christ as we partake of His Body and Blood. Communion also binds us irrevocably to each other. Our sharing of the elements joins us to each other as brothers and sisters every bit as much as it reconnects us to God through the sacrifice of Christ. Communion is the way the Creator has chosen to bring His family all back together again. It’s the ultimate family reunion!

Paul stresses over and over again in his writings that one of the greatest blessings of being a Christian is that we know our siblings in the faith have got our backs. We are to care for the widows and orphans among us without expecting payback. Those of us with abundance are to share with those who have little. In a word, the freedom and power we find in Communion are the very same forces that enable us to love each other as we love ourselves. Having taken on Christ, we are free to share Him – and all that He is – with others without risking our own well-being. In fact, as we share Christ with others, we actually grow outside ourselves by growing into others. This is a heady thought, that all who call Christ Savior really are a spiritual part of others who do the same, but that is how the Bride of Christ is created, after all.

So, why do dissonance and conflict still exist in the Body? Perhaps it’s because we do not know who our leaders should be. Any time leadership is an open-ended question, there will be those not qualified to lead who insist on having more than their share of the say. Likewise, there will be unhealthy competition among those who are qualified. The Body will be torn apart. Jesus understood this problem as well as anyone. That’s why He counseled His followers to lead through service. Those who would be greatest must be willing to be the least. Ultimately, we have only one Leader. We are free not to compete.  There is no need to compete with our brothers and sisters for preeminence in the Body. One Man calls the shots for all Christians.

The next time we are tempted to rush in and claim leadership for ourselves, let us stop first and ask ourselves who we intend to be serving. The answer to that question will do as much as anything to determine whether or not we are qualified to lead. One Body, one loaf. Godly leaders are committed to bringing everything together under One Head. Godly leaders lead to Christ.