Today's readings are 2 Samuel 11.1-27 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=2+Sam.+11.1-27 ), 1 Corinthians 11.17-34 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+Cor.+11.17-34 ), and Psalm 51 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Ps.+51 ).
Today let us consider these three passages together. All Scripture works together.
We see David's sin with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. And it is easy to look at David with disapproval, and rightly so. What he did was reprehensible. His desire for an adulterous relationship not only brought ruination on Bathsheba's family, but on the families of a number of other people who were involved in the battle when David arranged for Uriah's death. Not to mention the fact that David's family was broken by this kind of relationships, which characterized their life from that point on.
In 1 Corinthians 11 we see both sin and redemption. God has prepared the communion celebration to express his forgiving grace through Christ's body broken and blood shed for us. And yet some were making it an occasion for greed and self-centered enjoyment rather than an occasion to celebrate Christ's sacrifice, a celebration which should necessarily center around selfless yielding to the needs of those who surround us. Yet the Lord redeems this feast at his table. He still gives his body and blood just as he promised. It is there and partaken of by all, even those who are wrongly partaking. Let us wonder at the kindness and love of God, who redeems us by his body and blood then even corrects us and restores us to fellowship with him when we use his gifts wrongly!
Now we are able to tie it all together with Psalm 51. How wrongly have we used his gifts? Maybe our sin isn't as obvious and flagrant as David's or as the Corinthians who were using communion as an opportunity for drunkenness and gluttony. Yet our sins are an affront to God. How has someone sinned against us? He has sinned against our God even more. How have we sinned against others? We have sinned against our Lord and Savior even more. Truly my sin is grievous before my Lord. Yet what does he promise? He promises cleansing, purging, healing, forgiveness. And he has procured that forgiveness for me because I can't in any way merit it myself. He has reached out with it and presented it to me. My sin, which naturally brings death, has been inflicted on Jesus. And it is the good pleasure of God the Father to send his Son to suffer in my stead.
When the pastor stands before the congregation and proclaims, "This is my body, given for you," do we see our sin? Do we see our salvation? Thanks be to God that we are partakers of that salvation which our Lord has prepared. He has laid a table for us.
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