Bible Reading Challenge #33
1 Corinthians 11:29-34
29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another— 34 if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment. About the other things I will give directions when I come.
Paul’s words to the Corinthians are heavy. He warns that taking the Lord’s Supper carelessly or selfishly brings real consequences. Some in Corinth were experiencing weakness, sickness, and even death because of their disregard for the holiness of God’s table. That may sound more like the Old Testament God of judgment than the New Testament God of grace—but Paul is reminding us that they are one and the same.
God is holy. He does not treat sin casually, and He does not allow His people to treat His presence as ordinary. Divine discipline is real. Yet we must remember—discipline is not the same as condemnation. Paul clarifies: God disciplines His children so that they will not be condemned with the world. In other words, His discipline is an act of mercy.
Think of it like a loving father. A good father does not ignore harmful behavior in his children, but neither does he discipline to destroy them. He corrects in order to mature them, so they might flourish in the long run. In the same way, God disciplines us—not because He delights in punishing, but because He delights in us. His goal is holiness, maturity, and restoration.
So how should we respond? With humility. With self-examination. With a heart ready to honor God and love others. The table of the Lord is not a place for selfishness or pretense but for honesty, gratitude, and unity.
Response:
Worship God honestly.
Honor God with your actions.
Place others above yourself.
Receive His discipline as an expression of His love.
When we approach Him rightly, the Lord’s table becomes not a place of fear, but of grace—a reminder of the price Jesus paid, the holiness of God, and the love that keeps shaping us into His likeness.
