“But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment.”

Judging is something Christians should engage in—that is, judging themselves. We are not called on to judge another’s fitness for the Lord’s Supper, but our own (see 1 Cor. 11:28). If we truly understand grace, mercy, and justification, then sober reflection becomes a necessary part of worthiness in worship. Paul challenges the Roman Christians:

“I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship … For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment…” (Rom. 12:1, 3)

Follow the logic: First, if we judge ourselves, we don’t need to worry about being judged by others. We who will someday judge the world and the angels (1 Cor. 6:2–3) should practice on ourselves. Few things are worse than falling under the world’s judgment because of our hypocritical behavior. Second, if we fail to judge ourselves, the Lord will discipline us. Our salvation is not in jeopardy; the fact that the Lord disciplines us is proof positive we won’t be condemned by those who do not belong to the Lord. He treats us differently, but He takes our disrespect seriously.

Bringing things back from principle to practice, Paul gives specific instructions for the presenting problem. When the believers gather for the communal meals, particularly when they remember the Lord in the bread and wine, then each should give deference to the others in the food line. If one is so hungry he can’t control himself, then he’s to eat at home rather than contribute to the guilt that deserves judgment for the whole community of believers.

Today few churches celebrate the Lord’s Supper as part of a communal meal, for the meal itself wasn’t commanded by the Lord, but only the bread and wine. Possibly we fear falling into the same selfish distractions the Corinthians were plagued with, so have reduced the Lord’s Supper to its bare essentials. On the other hand, some groups have built an entire ritual around it with self-adulating shows of religiosity. We must not forget the enduring principle of deferring to one another, especially when we are outwardly remembering the Lord.

Lord, help me not to think of myself first, but put the needs of others first.