On the Way to Wonder

 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.  1 Corinthians 10:13

1 Corinthians 10:13 is a verse that many Christians commit to memory and is a verse of great comfort during dark and cloudy times.  In chapter 10 of 1 Corinthians, Paul draws a direct parallel between the journey of the children of Israel in the wilderness as they left Egypt, their past of slavery, and the walk of Christians of the first century and our lives today.  In the wilderness the people encountered many of the same trials we face today.  The available resources did not seem enough to meet the needs of the people.  They had to call on God.  They were tempted to idolatry in the incident of the Golden Calf and were punished.  They were tempted to be involved with sexual immorality as in their encounter with Balaam.  Their journey was a growth in learning about their God and to trust God.  Our faith journey is the same.  It is still so easy to grumble, complain and doubt.

This verse tells us to remember that we are not the only person going through the problems we face.  Disease, hardship and fear is felt by all people no matter how rich they might look, no matter how talented they might be and no matter where they might live in the world.  God promises that we will not be tempted more than we can bear.  When I pray, I often remind God of this promise as well as remind myself.  Our problems either drive us closer to God as we seek his help or they drive us away but in either case, he is always there.  G. K. Chesterton has said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting.  It has been found difficult; and left untried.” 

  1 Corinthians 10:13 us a good verse to put on a card to put on your mirror, have in your billfold or try to memorize.  It’s a promise and God keeps his promises!

19-23 Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!

1 Corinthians 9, The Message

Paul advised us yesterday from chapter 8 of 1 Corinthians that we not use our freedoms if it becomes a stumbling block to another Christian.  He spoke specifically of dietary rules of what we can eat and what we cannot eat.  He lived in a culture where fresh meat was used in temples.  We do not disagree among ourselves about meat but we might disagree about the use of alcohol in church or dancing or types of music.  Today in chapter 9 Paul goes on to talk about his rights as an apostle to bring a wife or family along on his journeys or to expect to be paid for preaching.  He has not taken advantage of any of his rights but has identified with the people he is with.  We might call it “contextualization.”  Some might call it “going native.”  Paul says he has tried to be a servant to those he is with, speaking with them in a manner they understand.

The Incarnation, the coming of Jesus as a baby that grew into an adult man, would be an example that probably deeply impacted Paul. God did not just stay in heaven nor did he just continue sending prophets.  Jesus came as the God/man  to live in ways we understand so we could grasp what God is like.  He even died, or walked through death, and resurrected so we would know that even death cannot separate us from God, even our sin has been dealt with.    Paul sees this type of humble love as the avenue for sharing.  Demanding our rights will get us nowhere.

So where does that leave us today?  I think we need to ask the Holy Spirit to shine his flashlight on our hearts that we might see if there is any way that we are being proud and demanding our rights.  Are there ways that we are feeling superior and asking people to conform to us rather than conform to Christ?  Lord, help us be honest with ourselves.

1 Corinthians 8, The Message

8 1-3 The question keeps coming up regarding meat that has been offered up to an idol: Should you attend meals where such meat is served, or not? We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions—but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all.

Last week we looked at 1 Corinthians 7 and Paul’s answer to questions about marriage.  Chapter 8 moves to the next question.  What about the gray areas?  The Corinthian who asked the question realized that other gods were not really gods at all for there is really only one true God.  So the question this person asks is if it is ok to do something that we know has no spiritual power, like eating meat sacrificed to idols, or do we need to refrain so as not to give the wrong impression.  We have a lot of these gray areas that divide Christians.  We argue about dancing, drinking, smoking, wearing of makeup and any number of activities that we think divide the spiritually mature from the spiritually weak.  We have turned from concern about our relationship to God to grade our spirituality on the basis of our works and relationship with people.  The truth is, though, that our faith is not just about praying but also about how we play in the sandbox of life.

Paul argues that the question is not our activity, whether we eat or drink or dance or what or what, but whether our freedom to do a certain activity undermines the faith of another.  If my freedom to drink alcohol undermines an alcoholic who is trying to stop drinking, then my freedom has been used to hurt another.  Paul argues that this is wrong.  

It seems to me that it is also possible to live in such a way that we appear duplicitous.  We act one way in some situations and then another way in other situations.  One of the most impacting meetings in early Christianity was the Jerusalem council of Acts 15 that was called.  Peter was confronted about socializing with Gentiles – sometimes. His actions were not consistent with his words and that had to be sorted out.  Did Gentiles have to become Jews first to become Christians?  It was a huge debate and impacted the development of Christianity.  Likewise we may see some of these gray areas as trivial but they can impact our spiritual maturity and the direction of another’s faith.  

Paul’s rule of thumb was to not act in a way that is inconsistent with our faith or in a way that hurts the growth of another’s faith.  Often this drives us to prayer for only God has that kind of wisdom.  Perhaps there are areas of faith that are unclear to you and that impact your lifestyle.  I always find that standing on just one verse is a bit dicey but doing a word study using a concordance and seeing how a thought is traced the Bible, is often very interesting.  Doing a Bible study with friends and opening your heart to the wisdom of a group of believers might be helpful.  Speaking to a mentor is good.  Asking myself the tough questions of what motivates my actions is hard.  Remember you have the Holy Spirit in you to guide you and teach you.  Blessings as you grapple with the gray areas of life.

First Reading: Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18

1Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. 2aAnd Joshua said to all the people, 14“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

 16Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; 17for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

Psalm: Psalm 34:15-22

The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. (Ps. 34:15)

 15The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and God’s ears are open to their cry.

 16The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to erase the remembrance of them from the earth.

 17The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them and delivers them from all  their troubles.

 18The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those whose spirits are crushed. 

 19Many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them from every one.

 20God will keep safe all their bones; not one of them shall be broken.

 21Evil will bring death to the wicked and those who hate the righteous will be punished.

 22 O Lord, you redeem the life of your servants,and those who put their trust in you will not be punished. 

Second Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20

10Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. 15As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. 16With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 18Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. 19Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

Gospel: John 6:56-69

[Jesus said,] 56“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” 59He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.

 60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” 61But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.”

 66Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Children’s Sermon:  Let me open today by sharing one of my favorite poems.

      “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Let us pray.  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my rock and my redeemer.

SERMON

The Old Testament reading tells of the children of Israel facing two paths diverging and Joshua challenging them which one, which god will they choose.  The Gospel reading tells of the disciples facing two paths diverging for them as Jesus talks about being the bread of life and eating his flesh and drinking his blood.  Jesus asks them if they too want to take the other path.  Peter responds,

“ Lord, to whom can we go? 

You have the words of eternal life. 

69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

We sing these words in our liturgy during Lent.  “Lord, to whom can we go?”  During this Pentecost we have traveled with the disciples and Jesus back and forth across the sea of Galilee.   We heard about Jesus feeding the 5,000 with bread, similar to God sending manna to the Israelites in the wilderness when they grumbled to Moses.  Last week we listened as Jesus continued and called himself the bread of life, the living bread of life, and whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood will live forever.   Jesus claims he is the bread of life that gives his flesh and blood for the whole world.  That was a mouthful and many walked away.  Today, Jesus challenges the disciples if they too want to walk away when it gets hard and we don’t understand.

This month we follow this theme of “manna in the wilderness” and Jesus as the bread of life. Jesus tries to explain what he is saying to the followers who grumble at the analogy.  Perhaps to make this real, let us pause and remember a time we grumbled this week.  Was it over having to wait for someone texting at the traffic signal?  Was it the price of gasoline that seems to jump up and down?  Was it because a beloved forgot to remember us?  Yup, we are not that different from the Israelites in the wilderness or the Jews traipsing around after Jesus.  It is so easy to become discouraged and to grumble.

Are there alternatives? “Lord, to whom can we go? 

In our first reading Joshua is getting ready to retire.  He is 110 years old.  He stood at the side of Moses and was taught.  He was there on Mt. Sinai at the giving of the Ten Commandments.  He took over after Moses and led the people across the Jordan into the adventure of the Promised Land.  He fought the battle of Jericho.  A lot happened in his lifetime!  The whole journey was lived not as a happy-ever-after story but as a struggle with the tendency to grumble and the temptation to idolatry.  Entering the Promised Land was a battle. 

      If we were to draw a timeline of the major social events in many of our lifetimes, we might see a similar picture.  Most of us were born after the traumas of World War II but remember words like “Korean War,” “Vietnam War,” and “Desert Storm.”  We grieve at the news reports today about Ukraine and the Middle East.  I remember life before Netflix, before streaming, before credit cards AND when phone numbers started with letters – no area codes.  We have lived through the invention of microwaves, hybrid cars, and airplane travel is a common blessing and affordable to most.  Yes, we have seen a lot and in all truth, grumbled a lot as we have learned to master all the change.  I suspect more than once we have wondered where God is in all this and more than once cried over the events in our lives.

      Joshua stands in-front of his people and challenges them, 

     “14“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Jesus turns to his disciples today as they struggle to understand what he is talking about and he  asks them, “Do you also wish to go away?”  He is challenging them and us about whether we want to serve other gods.  The gods of health, wealth, and prosperity are always calling to us.  I listen to the news and I hear that little voice on my shoulder whispering, “Where is God in all this?” and hear the voice of temptation, “Don’t you also wish to go away?”

      I pray we join with Peter, whom we know will fail even as we will, and we say, “Lord, to whom shall we go?”  Do the gods of this world truly offer more?  We don’t really understand the mystery of eating Christ’s flesh and drinking his blood but the promises of the gods of this world are hollow and transitory.  Faith chooses the road less traveled by and it has made the difference.

“Lord, to whom can we go? 

You have the words of eternal life.”

      Joshua offers the people choices. Consider the gods of the people surrounding them.  We too could look at the “gods” people worship today.  Is wealth a god worth chasing?  Perhaps the rich will not mind being taxed more to help the poor and perhaps economic equality will be reached but will will wealth bring eternal happiness and wisdom?  I doubt it.  Few of us can chase the god of talent in hopes of becoming famous in Hollywood.  As far as I can tell our stars age, fame passes, and the critiques are … brutal to the ego.  Perhaps we would like to chase the god of health.  Well, folks, as far as I can tell, none of us will outrun the biological clock of aging forever.  We look around at the gods this world offers, even the gods of other religions, and it is easy to despair at the options.  Who has the words of eternal life?  Is the grass greener down the other road or is it an illusion?

      Joshua challenges the people to remember their history.  It is possible to remember all the valleys we have passed through and see the bad. Or it is possible to look and see the hand of the Lord guiding and protecting us along the way.  The Psalmist reminds us that “The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and God’s ears are open to their cry.”

      To whom shall we go today?  To the gods of this world or to the God who sees and hears, whose arm is not short and who never slumbers or sleeps? As we look at each path, do not be deceived, there is a difference. 

Peter confesses to Jesus, you have the “Words of eternal life.”  Our second reading is from Ephesians and clearly acknowledges that we live in a broken world facing challenges that are far beyond us. We do not face enemies of blood and flesh, but we battle against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  The enemy is not our spouse, our neighbor, our parent, our boss, our old car or even the government.  We are indeed experiencing reality as it was not meant to be. But that does not mean that another future is not forming.  The kingdom of the world will be replaced by the kingdom of heaven one day.  We need the words of eternal life to stay focused on the God we follow.

The New Testament reading in  Ephesians admonishes us to strap on the belt of truth and use the sword of the Spirit that is the word of God.  What are some of those words?

·      The Lord is my Shepherd…he walks with me through the valley of the shadow of death

·      Nothing can separate us from the love of God, neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation.

·      “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” say the Lord God, “who is and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

I do not know what “word of eternal life” has encouraged you.  Let’s turn to your neighbor and share a verse that has been helpful to you. Mine is my confirmation verse, Isaiah 41:10, “ So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”   Please share.

Peter continues with a statement of faith.

“Lord, to whom can we go? 

You have the words of eternal life. 

69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

      Joshua in the Old Testament, challenged the people to choose which god they would follow. Will it be the gods of Egypt, their past, or the gods of the people surrounding them, their future, or will it be the God who has led them through the wilderness?  

In the psalm that we usually read responsively, we join our voices in reading affirming that the choice that we all face as to which god we will follow makes a difference.  Our God sees us and hears us because we stand in Christ’s righteousness not our own good deeds.  Our God opposes evil and evil will be erased.  God will restore justice. Our God not only hears our cries but he acts, perhaps not as we wish but always for our best.  His desire is to deliver us.  And during those times when we are too broken to pray, when we are overwhelmed with doubts, when we forget who we are, he remembers us and draws near. We will have troubles but God walks through them with us. Death is the end of the wicked but we can look forward to eternal life.  We are redeemed.  These are eternal words that give us hope and life.

In the New Testament, or second we also read that the road less traveled will involve challenges but God has given us armor to fight those battles.  

      Today we start with the challenge, we must choose which God we will follow.  Jesus says that following means “eating his body and drinking his blood,” a difficult teaching.  The early church heard it as putting on the armor of God.   

Like the disciples we probably don’t really understand what this eating and drinking of Jesus means.  Jesus is God, not us, and so that always puts our faith, not in the driver’s seat but in a position of needing to trust that God will do what is best because he sees the big picture and has our best at heart.  God speaks and we trust.  Where else can we go?  Jesus has the words of eternal life and he is the Holy One of God.  He goes with us into this week.  He is there in Ukraine, the Middle East, and American elections.  He is with people struggling with disease.  He is with those in chaos from environmental extremes and he is even with our government.  I don’t understand but I do believe. 

14“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.”  

Let the people of God say, Amen!

“The Road Not Taken” Song for Robert Frost’s Poem | Memorize “Two Roads Diverged In a Yellow Wood”

Tomorrow’s Scripture readings will open in the Old Testament with Joshua challenging the children of Israel about which god they are going to follow as they go into the Promised Land.  Two roads are diverging and they must choose to follow the gods of Egypt, the land of slavery they had been freed from, the gods of the people whose land they were entering, or the Lord.  Joshua and his household chose to follow the Lord — and that has made all the difference.

The New Testament reading climaxes a chapter in John where Jesus identifies as the living bread of life.  He tells his followers they must eat his body and drink his blood.  What???  Many turn away.  He turns to his disciples and asks them if they too are going to choose not to follow his road through the woods of life.  Peter responds, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”  Those disciples had to choose and it made all the difference.

Today we are still challenged to choose which path we are going to follow.  It is more than a choice of which party we are going to vote for in November.  Robert Frost’s poem seems to capture the feel of the choice we face.  It is like standing at a crossroad of two roads diverging in a yellow wood.  Our choice makes a difference.  The poem has been set to music.  Listen and ponder choices you are making.  The road you choose will make all the difference.  Blessings.

17 And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for your. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life. Don’t think I’m being harder on you than on the others. I give this same counsel in all the churches.  (1 Corinthians 7: 17, The Message)

By chapter 7 of Paul’s first letter to the people of Corinth, Paul has presented his concerns about the fellowship there.  He has heard rumors of their disunity and divisions into parties.  He has heard rumors of sexual immorality that is not only being tolerated but boasted about. And he has heard of them taking their disagreements to a secular court that does not understand their value system.  In chapter 7 he turns to answering their questions. All of chapter 7 deals with questions about marriage.

Paul supports marriage as a faithful relationship rather than sexual promiscuity.  Paul also endorses singleness either for people who never marry or for people who have lost their spouse.  He sees marriage or singleness as a gift from God.  Watching the grass grow on the other side of the fence helps no one and only breeds discontentment and undermines a relationship with God.

Paul next talks about  “mixed marriages,” not ethnically or religiously mixed but philosophically mixed.  One is a believer and one is not.  He advises that if the unbeliever wants to stay with the believing spouse then they should stay together.  The relationship protects the children and may indeed  help bring the unbeliever to faith.  On the other hand, if the unbeliever wants to leave then the believer should release the other.  We are called to peace, not slavery in relationships.  Paul does not encourage “sequential polygamy” as practiced in the West that practices jumping from one marriage to another, divorcing one to move to another.  Polygamist men add wives but theoretically care for all the women and children.  He advises staying single if marriage does not work out.  God can use us wherever we are and he is with us.  God is our foundation and we are his temple as he reminded us at the start of his letter.

Certainly this chapter challenges some of our Western thinking and practices.  We like to think we are free to choose our future and choose the character of our relationships.  It is easy to convince ourselves that we need not feel uncomfortable emotionally.  That is not to condone true abuse and cruelty but it is to acknowledge that relationships with others and with God requires work.  We do not always get our way.  Working through differences is hard.  Admitting we are wrong, saying “sorry,” and humbling ourselves is tough.  Perhaps the challenge we need to reflect on is to acknowledge that God is our foundation for any relationship and God is always present and willing to work with us.  We are his temple and we have the Holy Spirit to call on when the stress seems intolerable.  Lord, help us develop staying power for the rough times.  Give us understanding hearts that are willing to look at the other’s point of view. Do I need to ask for help today in any of my relationships?  Lord, may our relationships honor you!

8-9 I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me. But if they can’t manage their desires and emotions, they should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually tortured life as a single. (1 Corinthians 7: 8, The Message)

Living in a world that understands marriage to be the norm for men and women is a challenge.  My girlfriend and I had trouble renting an apartment in Los Angeles when I was a young adult because it was assumed I was wanting to live in immorality.  The tribe we worked with believed that men must have sex every month or they would develop mental illness and women needed sex every 40 days.  Woman was created to have her husband’s children.  When asked how many children a man has, he would give a number that represented his children plus one for his wife.  I was taken to a home once and introduced to a group of women.  I was asked my name, how many children I had, and the third question was if family planning was a sin.  The woman had almost bled to death on her ninth delivery and knew that if she refused to sleep with her husband, he would seek another wife and she would no longer be supported.  Likewise a common discussion was the question of satisfying husbands who were bringing AIDS home from working in the capital.  The comment, “I now know what being faithful unto death means.”

It seems to me that Paul in this brief verse endorses singleness as a legitimate social situation for a woman, no deficiencies need be assigned.  Moving from marriage to widowhood, I am facing redefining my life in new ways I have not faced since my young adulthood.

Recently I was flying to see my daughter and rewatched the charming video, “Cool Runnings.”  The coach of the first Jamaica bobsled team had cheated to win the Olympics and lost his medal.  Now later, the young driver asks his coach, “Why?”  Why cheat.  He thinks and answers.  “I was not enough, I had to win.”  The young man asks, “Couch, How will I know if I am enough?”  The coach thinks and responds, “If you are not enough without a medal, you will not be enough with it.”  I think that applies to our self identity.  If we are not enough and fulfilled without a marriage title, we will not be enough with a Mr or Mrs attached to our name.

So let us reflect.  Are you “enough” as you are and are your friends “enough” as they are or are you always finding fault with yourself and others?  Christ died for us when we were yet sinners (1 John 4:10) , with all our faults.  We love because he loved us first (we 1John 4:19). What a gift.  Thank you Lord.

1 Corinthians 7:1-6 (The Message)

 Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations?

2-6 Certainly—but only within a certain context. It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality—the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to “stand up for your rights.” Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it’s for the purposes of prayer and fasting—but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. I’m not, understand, commanding these periods of abstinence—only providing my best counsel if you should choose them.

Paul now turns to answering questions that have been sent to him.  Top of the list is marriage.  Our culture that has been so impacted by Hollywood and with stories from Disney about Prince Charming and the Beautiful Princess set very high standards for our Wesern minds.  I once was in a conversation with my Sikh friends who had entered an arranged marriage.  She said to me, “You Westerners put a hot pot of soup on a cold fire and it cools off.  We put a pot of cold soup on a hot fire and it warms up.”  My daughter had a Muslim roommate in high school.  When chatting about dating and going to college, her friend very warmly said to us, “My father loves me and will arrange a marriage that will be good for me.  I do not have to worry.  I am free to focus on my studies.”  Neither of these comments is the Western approach to marriage.

Paul clearly affirms marriage in these verses.  Monogamy nor polygamy is not the point of his advise.  He condemns abuse or controlling attitudes.  He does not present marriage as a breeding place for children but points to mutual satisfaction and respect between partners as they seek to understand each others sexual drives.  The advice one of my students who had never been to school was to not play “Kona Kona.”  She was saying not to play “corner, corner.”  Don’t stand in a corner blaming your spouse for plans that went sideways.  Don’t take disagreements in the living room into the bedroom to be settled.  These seemed to me to be good advice.  Perhaps it is good advice for all relationships.  

May we strive for our relationships to be focused on the mutual good of everyone  involved.  My our relationships be based on respect for the image of God in the other. May we seek not to play “corner-corner”, scape-goating someone for faults that are not theirs.  Lord help us to honor you in our relationships.

“You are not your own; you were bought with a price.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Let’s continue to follow Paul’s thinking as he addresses the Corinthians and his concerns for them.  He is concerned about their lack of unity.  He is concerned to hear rumors of sexual immorality that they are not willing to confront.  He is concerned that they are taking disputes to the public courts to be tried by people who do not even understand the guidelines that define morality for Christians.  As we continue to read, Paul lists a series of sinful relationships that are rejected by God and will be judged.   We don’t often hear sermons about greed, slander, drunkenness or swindling.  We might hear about the sins that are least likely to condemn us.  But Paul now continues to add, 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”  We are all sinners and we can all be forgiven, washed clean, as we turn to God.

Paul now pivots back to the sin of sexual immorality

12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body”

Paul returns to his basic thesis that we are building on the foundation of faith in God and the building that each one of us is part of is purposed for worship and prayer.  We are God’s temple and the Holy Spirit indwells us and we have no business with participating in the sins of this world.  Please understand that Paul is not saying sex is wrong for God made us sexual but abuse is wrong.

. 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.  

These last two verses are memorized by many.  Not only were we created by God but we were redeemed, bought back, through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  There is forgiveness and hope for each one of us.  

So what is our challenge as we read these verses?  It is tied up in the word “honor.”  What does honor mean to you and how does it work.  Let’s use an acrostic to dig deeper and ponder.  H is for_____, O is for ______, N is for ______, O can also be for ______, and R is for ______.  Lord help us to honor you with our bodies and with our relationships.

 5 …Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? (1 Corinthians 6:5)

In this first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul has spoken about his concern for the disunity in the church based on loyalties to different evangelists.  He reminds them that it is God, not the evangelists, that their faith is built on.  God is the foundation of faith and the “body” or temple being built with all their lives is protected by God and meant for worship.  In chapter 5 he moved to his second concern, reports of immorality among the people that the Corinthians are ignoring.  They are not only divided but they are also not living with integrity with each other.   Chapter 6 moves to his third concern.  Members are taking their grievances to local courts to be tried by judges who did not respect nor understand the guidelines of faith.

Perhaps we don’t even blink our eyes at the thought of taking a grievance to court – that’s the way things are done – but we take our grievances to court in other ways.  Grievances are often aired in the court of public opinion in the name of freedom of speech.  Another name for it is to gossip about our grievances.  

The Hatfields and the McCoys ongoing feud is the American stereotypical example that most have heard of.  What was the real cause of their dispute is not clear but grudges carried through the years and generations is still code for disagreement that has grown to a dispute that whatever court decision results, neither side is satisfied.  Paul objects and says that churches should not be like this.  We have a common foundation and we have the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Wisdom, in our churches and we should be able to sort out our differences without going to court.

So how does that apply to us today?  Maybe we are not the Hatfields and the McCoys but during elections now Republicans and Democrats sometimes avoid each other and discussions about politics.  Let us ask the Holy Spirit to shine his flashlight on our souls and reveal any grudges that we are holding that are blocking the flow of God’s love.  Lord, forgive us and help us to forgive others.