In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. 18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God’s approval. 20 So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, 21 for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk. 22 Don’t you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? Certainly not in this matter (1 Corinthians 11:17-22).
What a disturbing scene. Corinthian Christians “with means” are enjoying food and drink in front of sisters and brothers who lack these things. Having private suppers in front of those who are less fortunate in the church is striking. It shows little regard for them and Paul’s comment about “drunkenness” reflects excess and extreme selfishness on their part. This scene fits with the ancient ethic of flaunting wealth and treating people in accordance with their status. Paul is incensed by this. He asks the Christians in Corinth, do they “despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing?” The Greek word for despise means to think against or to think little or nothing of something or someone. The implication is clear. Their actions show no regard for God and the church. These insensitive acts, because I believe this went on for a while, damage the witness of the church and profane the sacred practice of holy communion. So, Paul calls them out for this and teaches them—and us—about our responsibility to one another.
Every time I read this passage, I ask myself, “how could they possibly think this was ok?” The answer lies partly in verse 18 “when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you.” The Corinthians brought social distinctions into the church. They lived in a society that unevenly assigned worth and value (think privilege) to certain persons and families and classes of people. In this world, ignoring and mistreating the poor was common and so they didn’t see anything wrong with bringing these values into the church. The wealthier members of the church “naturally” gravitated to one another, creating an unhealthy and unholy sub-culture that would allow selfish and sinful practices like this.
Lessons for the Privileged Churches of America
1 Corinthians 11:17ff teaches us hard truths about problematic social values and practices that seep into our churches and lives. Jesus prayed to the Father about this very thing before his arrest and crucifixion. “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15). I want us to pause for a moment and reflect on his concern here. Jesus prayed that God would protect us because evil is pervasive and pernicious, masking itself in social values and practices. This means as long as we are in “the world” evil can imbed itself in our thinking and lives. This is why Paul instructed the church at Rome “not to conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of [the] mind” (12:2). Both texts remind us of the need for vigilance about “social evils” we may internalize and normalize.
Because the truth is, many of us do the same thing the Corinthians were doing. We just do them in different ways. 1 Corinthians 11:17ff is a modern parable of privileged churches and Christians in America refusing to reckon with themselves at the table of the Lord. We may not be eating private suppers in front of poor church members before the Lord’s Supper. but our privileges afford us ample opportunities to enjoy good things that underprivileged “sisters and brothers in Christ” lack. We may not intend to, but we despise the church of God by the pervasive and pernicious ways we humiliate those who have nothing. Privilege? We have “privileges” that we make idols of and cleave to, privileges we refuse to share with others. In a world where 80% of people live on less than $10 a day and 46% of people live on less than $5.50 a day, we generally have more than we need. In a country with over 40 million living in poverty, 18.5 million in extreme poverty, and 5.3 million living in absolute poverty, we enjoy privileges and excess that we take for granted. We treat ourselves to expensive dinners, shopping trips, endless Amazon deliveries, luxury cars, weekend getaways, and exotic vacations because we deserve it for working so hard. But we can’t give to the church’s work in the community or to a poor person in need. We can’t vote for a program that will not benefit us; we cannot make a sacrifice in our lifestyle, so we have the financial means to support those who are less fortunate on an ongoing basis. It is easy to criticize the Corinthians “with means” for doing this. The hard thing is to see ourselves in this text.
Practices that Nurture Christian Attitudes about Privilege
Isn’t it interesting how we can engage in a Christian practice we don’t fully understand? As a kid, I used to wonder why people in my family or church would mention the less fortunate when we prayed before enjoying a meal. For years those words lacked meaning because I did not understand the deeper intent. That changed over time. I began to recognize the value of “intentionally” thinking of those who did not have enough to eat at the very moment I was about to enjoy something good, which was often a well-prepared meal with family and friends. Far from trivial words, I was being taught to think of those who were less fortunate because, ultimately, I had a responsibility to do something about their plight. That simple practice instilled an awareness that every child of God should have – gratitude for God’s goodness held in tension with a deep awareness of those who are less fortunate. I think this tension is healthy and holy. Years later, I still do this, not out of routine; but as a reminder of my need to work toward a world where others do not go without the things I enjoy. I love that about the gospel of Jesus. It does not let me enjoy my blessings without thinking of others. I love that the gospel of Jesus calls me to a life of tension rooted in a radical concern for others. After all, I am blessed to be a blessing. I love how the Holy Spirit nurtures attitudes and values that sensitize me to the plight of others.
I have spent the past few months exploring new ways to think about stewardship and privilege. This passage in 1 Corinthians is the appropriate and pastoral way to bring this study to a close. I started by making the connection between our stewardship of all God entrusts to us with the social privileges we enjoy then explored the need to move beyond weaponizing privilege. Focusing on others is easier than dealing with our privileges. I end with a disappointing scene in 1 Corinthians 11:17-32 of Christians with means humiliating poor sisters and brothers. Paul calls them out and goes back to the Christian practice they profaned.
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 27 So then, 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. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world (1 Corinthians 11:23-32).
His words here and in 12:21-26 challenge Christians to reflect on the deeper meaning of Christ’s body and their responsibility to each other. The day of private suppers for the privileged members of the church should be over at Corinth. Instead, they should feast together or not at all. The Christian practice of communion, or the Lord’s Supper, have implications for our stewardship of privilege because, in the end, our “oneness in Christ” means we have a responsibility to each other that transcends the class or social distinctions of a fallen world.
As we rethink the highly controversial topic of privilege, I ask what it would mean to make privilege a part of the examining work we do at the table. The only hope for this country to deal honestly and justly with the sins of the past and present is for our churches to make the stewardship of privilege a Eucharistic act. Before we partake of the bread and wine, we are called to examine ourselves in relation to other members of the body. This means we need the following:
- A radical honesty that allows us to judge ourselves for our complicity in systems of oppression as beneficiaries, producers, consumers, or bystanders every time we take the Lord’s Supper;
- A shift in our thinking away from only solving or fixing an unjust society and its uneven and inequitable distribution of privilege to struggling with our stewardship of privilege;
- To ask ourselves hard questions about the difference between need and greed, compassion and indifference; and
- To make sacrifices for those who are less fortunate so they can share in the good of God’s creation.
Questions for Further Reflection
- What would it mean for Christian practices like prayer, the confession of sin, giving, and the Lord’s Supper to inform and hold us accountable for our stewardship of privilege?
- How can Christian practices teach us how to enjoy what we have and share with those who are less fortunate in balanced and sacrificial ways?
- In what way is Galatians 6:2 (“bear one another’s burdens”) an invitation to wrestle with how you steward privilege?
- What role does compassion, proportion, and discretion play in our enjoyment of privilege in the face of those less fortunate?
- What privilege or luxury are you willing to sacrifice for the gospel?
Prayer
God who created us and called us to share the good of creation. Holy is your name
God of the rich and poor, privileged and underprivileged
Forgive us
Forgive us for the unjust world we made
Forgive us for our comfort with injustice and suffering
Forgive us for our callous hearts
And forgive us for judging others for their privilege while holding on to ours
When we come into your house
Disrupt the ways we conform to the world
Open our doors to those the world shuts out
Teach us gratitude and generosity
When we gather around your table
Open our eyes to your vision for the world
Open our hearts to share
Grant us the courage to sacrifice
As we go out into the world
Remind us that everything we have belongs to you.
Help us, O God, to shine forth light and love in ways that bring glory to you (Matthew 5:16 and John 13:34-35)
In the name of Jesus, our suffering savior and risen Christ, amen.