Corinth's Communion (part 25)

At the same time, one should not hear these words about love first as that which is to be achieved as an individual.  Rather, they are first to be heard within the context of the community that is to be defined by love.  As they are heard and understood communally, especially in relation to the kingdom of the Creator God, they are then put in practice on an individual basis by those who desire to participate in this community.  

When Paul writes about love being patient and kind in this letter, the reader knows that patience and kindness were not being exercised towards all in this church in a uniform way, but based on constructs of honor and shame.  Thus when Paul tells them that love does not brag, is not puffed up, is not rude, self serving, easily angered or resentful, it is possible to confidently assert that there was a great deal of bragging, puffery, rudeness, self-service, anger, and resentment at work in this church.  This was presumably being put on display through direct actions, while the separating and dividing actions that were part and parcel of the meals and therefore the life of the church were probably engendering anger and resentment from those on the receiving end of the hurtful and deleterious behavior that truly had no place amongst those called to represent the kingdom of heaven come to earth. 

In a similar vein, Paul insists that love “is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth” (13:6).  While this phrase, as others, can certainly make an independent stand, and it can be agreed upon that it is inappropriate to be glad about injustice while also concurring that the truth is something in which all should rejoice, this, like everything else in this letter (and in the whole of the collected works of Scripture), demands to be first understood within its editorial context before pulling it out as an isolated aphorism by which to construct dogma and make dogmatic assertions. 

If Paul is instructing this group of people that love is not glad about injustice, then it can be presumed that there was a certain gladness about injustice being exercised by this congregation.  It is probably not the case that Paul is here thinking about injustices being perpetrated outside the church (though that can be a proper extension once one rightly consider this statement in context and learns what it means for the church as a body), but rather that the injustice that is being perpetrated inside the church.  This would occur as the rampant injustices of the world outside the church infiltrates that which is to function as the living, breathing, present body of the Christ. 

Considering the fact that Paul would not mention it if it was not an issue, those injustices were likely being found on display at the church meal that is supposed to be evocative of the Passover and its liberation of the people of the Creator God, of the messianic banquet and the liberating rule of that God in the world, and especially at the Lord’s Supper portion of the meal that was to serve as the very explicit reminder that the rule of the Creator God of Israel is currently taking place through the Lordship of Jesus.  It was to be understood, with that understanding displayed by the way that believers treated each other, that those that come to the Lord’s Supper to take the bread and the cup, are agreeing to submit to that Lordship and to participate in the advance of that kingdom. 

That kingdom has as its mission statement (though these would have been circulating in oral form at the time of the writing of the letter to Corinth) words such as “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19), along with words like “For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I was naked and you gave Me clothing, I was sick and you took care of Me, I was in prison and you visited Me…  I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me” (Matthew 25:35-36,40b). 

Measure Given, Measure Received (part 7)

These are striking statements.  Jesus is telling His fellow Jews that, as the covenant people of the Creator God, they have a greater obligation to do all of these things of which He has been speaking.  They were not justified in waiting around for better treatment from Rome.  A redress of grievances was unlikely.  Rome was not going to come around.  Though this is certainly difficult, the idea that they were under no obligation to love until they were loved was patently dismissed.  As the covenant people, held to a higher standard and with a greater set of obligations laid upon them, they were to treat others as they wanted to be treated. 

Indeed, Jesus makes the point that loving those who loved them would not mark them out as the Creator God’s covenant people, for this was true of all men, Jew and Gentile.  Yes, all people do this, so it is nothing particularly special.  The higher standard---the true way of the kingdom of God that was the hope of their day---was to love one’s enemies, though the nation may have felt them to be completely undeserving of that love.  To make this point, Jesus adds “And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners do the same” (6:33).   

These two questions and statements are neatly tied to what He has already said.  Jesus had said to those “who are listening”, who had ears to hear (a standard rhetorical tool), to love their enemies and to do good to those who hated them.  Even about the Gentiles, those upon whom His Jewish brethren would look down and dismiss, Jesus says, they do good to those who do good to them.  There is nothing extraordinary about that.  Surely covenant people, those who desire to participate in bringing the kingdom of the Creator God to earth, are asked to live according to a much higher standard.  Tying in His directives concerning the person who takes away a coat, to which you add the tunic (6:29), and not asking for one’s possessions back from those who take them away, Jesus says, “And if you lend to those from you hope to be repaid, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may be repaid in full” (6:34).   

By now, Jesus’ point is well made, so He adds, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back” (6:35).  This is truly revolutionary, and it is a foundation of Jesus’ revolutionary scheme.  Why would they do these things?  What would be the point?  All of this, it would seem, would only serve to maintain and deepen their subjection to Rome, extending their exile from their God’s promises to them.  In response to such a thought, Jesus says, “Then your reward will be great” (6:35).   

Throughout His “sermon,” Jesus has been helping His hearers to actively call to mind the words of Moses from Deuteronomy concerning the blessings and the curses of their God.  At the same time, He wanted to turn their hearts, in love, towards those to whom they were supposed to be shining as the Creator God’s light.  While they may have been naturally inclined, upon hearing about those that hate and persecute them, to think “Then the Lord your God will put all these curses on your enemies, on those who hate and persecute you” (Deuteronomy 30:7), Jesus implored them to show preference, love, kindness, and favorable treatment.