24 October 2010
Psalm 63, 98: Ecclus 18.19-33; 1 Cor 10.15-24; Matt. 18.15-20

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That would summarize the first set of proverbs in our reading. Another would be “Measure twice, cut once.” We (or at least I) tend to move ahead boldly rather than doing those things on the front end that will make things smoother. If we think before we act and learn before we speak we will save ourselves many problems in life. The remainder of the passage is a warning against allowing our circumstances to rule over us, to keep our lives balanced and focused on the Lord rather than our situation. Jesus constantly warned against allowing the worldly things to determine who we are.

Jesus gave us the prescription for dealing with problems in the church caused by sin. There are problems that are not due to sin and then there are problems where sin is involved. We can disagree over programs, music, etc, and sin isn’t necessarily involved, personal preference is not a sin. Other problems in the church relate to interpersonal sin and often we excuse it with the words, “That’s just how John is.” If “the way John is” means that John runs over people, demands his own way all the time, or treats people shabbily, then that is something John needs to change and so long as we don’t call him out on it, we are not helping him see or deal with sin that God wants to change and the body continues to suffer. It is important that we not excuse sin in the church but rather deal honestly with it and here Jesus anticipates we will need to do so and gives us the methodology.

We are not to use our freedom in Christ as an opportunity to sin. Paul says that it is important that we use that freedom wisely. He uses particularly the example of participating in two feasts, one the Eucharist, a remembrance of and a sacrifice to Christ and the other a pagan feast. How can we discern the body, participate in the feast of thanksgiving for what Jesus has done for us while also participating in pagan feasts where, since the sacrifice is not offered to the Lord is offered to a demon (one who accepts worship and sacrifice is not of heaven, see how the angels always refuse to accept worship in the Bible)? In participating in the feast, Paul says, we have also participated in the worship, and uses the example of the meal at the Old Testament peace offering as a way of thinking about the issue. Yes, we have freedom in Christ, but we must be careful with that freedom, as Christ Himself was careful.

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who live in it.
Let the floods clap their hands;
let the hills sing together for joy
at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming
to judge the earth.