October 4, 2026
Peter and John stand before Jerusalem’s religious leaders after a man who had been unable to walk is healed. When the leaders ask by what power or authority this has happened, Peter points completely to Jesus Christ. He declares that Jesus is the rejected stone who became the cornerstone and that salvation is found in no other name.
Devotional
World Communion Sunday reminds us that the table of Christ is much larger than the room where we worship. Today Christians across the world are breaking bread and sharing the cup. Their churches may look different from ours. Their prayers may be spoken in languages we do not understand. Their music, customs, and traditions may be unfamiliar. But if they belong to Christ, we meet them at the same table.
Acts 4 tells us why that unity is possible. Peter does not stand before the council claiming that he or John has done something remarkable. He points away from himself. The healing came through Jesus Christ. The power belongs to Jesus. The salvation belongs to Jesus. The cornerstone is Jesus.
That matters when we come to Communion because none of us comes with a claim of deserving to be there. We do not come because we have been more faithful than someone else, because our theology is perfect, or because we have managed to avoid failure. We come because Christ invites us.
Peter knew something about failure. The man boldly speaking the name of Jesus in Acts 4 is the same man who once denied knowing Him. Peter did not earn his way back into usefulness. Grace restored him.
That is our story too. We come to a place we did not earn, receive mercy we could never purchase, and discover that Christ has joined us to people we never could have gathered on our own. The table belongs to Jesus, and grace is the reason any of us have a place there.
Action
As you receive Communion today, remember that you are not coming to the table alone. Think about Christians around the world who are receiving the same grace, and thank God that Christ has made you part of a Church much larger than what you can see.
Prayer
Gracious God, thank You for welcoming me to a table I could never earn my way into. Thank You that Your mercy is greater than my failures and that Jesus remains the cornerstone when everything else shifts. Help me remember that I belong to a Church that stretches across nations, cultures, and languages. Remove pride from my heart and teach me to receive grace with gratitude and extend it freely to others. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Thought for the Day
I have a place at Christ’s table because of grace, not because I earned it.
None of us earns a place at Christ’s table. We come because Jesus invites us.
