WHY ARE MANY SICK IN THE CHURCH TODAY? (PART 2)
TEXT:
"For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep." (1st Corinthians 11 verses 29 to 30, King James Version)
The Church at Corinth, according to our Scripture reading for today, had many that were weak and sick amongst them, many had even died. Apostle Paul had figured out the reason for this anomaly as "not discerning the Lord's body"
To understand what it means by "not discerning the Lord's body", we will have to do a comparison between the New Testament Church at Corinth and the Old Testament Church comprising the children of Israel while ‘en route’ from Egypt to Canaan. The New Testament Church at Corinth was, perhaps, relatively small in number compared to the Old Testament Church in the wilderness which was about three million in number; and the Bible says something remarkable in Psalms 105 stanza 37 that "there was not one feeble person among their tribes."
No doubt, the New Testament Church at Corinth was under a new and "better covenant, which was established upon better promises" than the Old Testament Church of the children of Israel that was on her way to the Promised Land (see Hebrews chapter 8 verse 6; and Hebrews chapter 12 verse 24). Here is something remarkably striking about these two Churches. One was in the Old Testament, the other was in the New Testament. One was under law, and the other was under grace. One was under a covenant based on the blood of animals, and the other was under the covenant sealed by the blood of God's own Son, Jesus Christ.
Yet, the Bible says that "there was NOT ONE feeble person among their tribes" of the three million people who lived under that Old Testament Church; while there were MANY weak and sickly people among the relatively small New Testament Church at Corinth. No doubt, this was an anomaly, an aberration, an error which still exists today in the Church of the Living Son of God. Why are many sick in the Church today despite the fact that the Lord Jesus has taken our infirmities and bore our sicknesses? (Matthew 8 verses 16 to 17). According to Apostle Paul, the answer is that the Church does not discern the Lord's body. Not discerning the Lord's body is simply not understanding, not appreciating or not comprehending the import of the Lord's body as it relates to our bodily health.
In the Church at Corinth and in our Church today, it's obvious that there's something about the Lord's Body which we have forgotten, which is responsible for many being weak and sickly in our midst. In the Book of John chapter 6 verses 53 to 58, the Lord Jesus was emphatic about His Body and His shed Blood, saying,
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever." The Body of the Lord Jesus (our Passover Lamb) when eaten, supplies God's Life to us, especially to our mortal bodies.
In summary, both the Church at Corinth and our present day Church are guilty of not discerning or understanding the Lord's body, and that is responsible for the spate of sicknesses and infirmities that characterizes the Church of today. The Church has forgotten that embedded in the Passover Lamb is salvation (ie, deliverance from the power and effects of sin and the preservation of our mortal bodies from destruction). The flesh of the Passover Lamb that was eaten by Israel as they took off to the Promised Land was the Source of Strength to their mortal bodies, hence "there was NOT ONE feeble person among their tribes."
Does this remind you of the significance of the ordinance of the Holy Communion?
PRAYER:
Father, I pray that You open my eyes of understanding to discern the Body of Your Son, in Jesus name.