A Family Affair ~ 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 ~ Second Sunday after Epiphany
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| Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / freedigitalphotos.net |
At no other time was this more apparent than last Sunday, as
an estimated 3.7 million persons marched in Paris—and world leaders linked arms
together. Especially stunning was the
fact that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu were both present![1]
This is a beautiful sight to behold—as nearly the whole
world is united in the cause of peace.
Much the same took place thirteen years ago in the weeks
following 9/11.
Sadly, that unity was not to last. We all love peace, security, and human
flourishing—and we all hate violence and crimes against humanity. But the question of “how do we get there from
here” tears us apart. That division
becomes a clear, present, and powerful danger.
Jesus said it best when he said, “a house divided against itself cannot
stand.”
Disunity emerged as one of the greatest threats confronting
the young Christian Church in the Greek city of Corinth. These believers were at odds with each other
for a whole host of reasons around right teaching, right believing, and right
living in a deeply pagan world.
Many had heard Paul proclaim the Gospel and they took it as license
to do whatever they wanted—and they did.
Many of the wealthier and elite men in the church continued what was a
common behavior of the rich—to keep mistresses.
Paul asserts that this behavior is a terribly wrong—but not just because
it violates the sixth commandment. It’s
destructive to the community. Nobody
exists in a vacuum. One person’s actions
will invariably impact the community-at-large.
All told, Corinth was a bitterly-divided church—and Paul had
very real concerns as to whether this church could even survive. Personal satisfaction does not a strong
church make! That’s why Paul sets the
record straight:
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are
beneficial. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by
anything.
You see, in a city that was as pagan and perverse as
Corinth, God was building a community of Christ. The Holy Spirit was calling and gathering people
(many of whom were as morally filthy as the city they inhabited) and giving
them a whole new identity. They were
called and gathered to belong to Jesus and to one another, and not the world
they inhabited. The pursuits and pleasures they once knew would have no part in
the new life and the new community God is building.
This speaks to us in just the same way. We, too, are called and gathered to belong to
Jesus and each other—but we resist that, just as the Corinthian Christians
did. Sin doesn’t just go away.
As the Holy Spirit builds up the community of Christ, the
devil is always hard at work to tear it down.
If Satan can’t keep you from the faith, the next-best thing is to warp
into something that’s “all about me.” The
devil employs two tactics to do this: the first is to tempt you into living a
double life as a professing Christian who still pursues the best of what the
world has to offer. Live life on your
terms. Do what’s most comfortable
and most fun. The devil’s second attack
is to destroy the community through division.
Like some of the Corinthian
Christians, we become divided on questions of right living, right teaching,
right mission. Parties and individuals
vie for control and influence; and little by little the community
dissolves.
But thanks be to God, the Holy Spirit doesn’t give up
easily. Like Jesus’ first disciples,
we’re called out of our disillusionments and frustrations. We’re called out of our fears and
doubts. Jesus’ forgiveness turns us away
from self-centered living, self-centered believing, and the factions we create. We’re called into our God-given identity as Children
of God who belong to one another in Christ.
We are slaves to Christ and servants of all. We follow Jesus as a family.
Indeed, the Spirit is hard at work in this violent and
immoral world. The arms of God are
reaching out both near and far to make us one.
So come and be present.
Always know that no matter how you come, you bring gifts and talents
that the Spirit will use to do good in the world. No matter where you’ve been or what you’ve
done, Jesus is always glad you came.
As we grow in our belonging to Christ and each other, some
things will gradually become less important than they were before. Worldly pursuits and pleasures will lose
their luster. Forgiveness will cleanse
us from unrighteousness and heal our divisions.
And finally, Christ will be leading us all in a new
direction. Together, we will go, out of
our comfort zones, away from our desires into Christ’s desires, where we will
flourish. The Spirit will form us in
faith; draw us together; and make us alive to be people who heal broken lives
and a broken world.
Come and see what Christ is doing—and don’t forget: it’s
a family affair!
[1]
Fantz, Ashley. "Array of world leaders joins 3.7
million in France to defy terrorism." 11 January 2015. CNN.com.
Article. 15 January 2015.
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