Let’s Take St. Paul Seriously
by Fr. David M. Knight
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Twenty-Third Week of the Year
Lectionary 438
1 Cor 6:1-11/Lk 6:12-19
If our first reaction to 1Corinthians 6:1-11 opposing lawsuits is to think no one will take this seriously, then that reaction itself is something we have to take seriously. It says that we were never taught authentic Christianity, and it explains why we are failing to give Christianity to others as we should.
But can we take Paul seriously when he says Christians should never enter into lawsuits against each other? Where does that leave Catholic lawyers? Paul even appears to say we should not go to court, period: “Why not put up with injustice and let yourselves be cheated?”
Paul sounds like Jesus!
Do not resist an evildoer. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well. (Matthew 5:39-40.)
We’ve never taken that seriously either. But the point is, we can, and we must.
We think we are upholding “Christian moral principles” when we condemn the sexual sins Paul lists in the second half of the reading. But any rational person would condemn those. We are not as strict about “thieves and usurers,” especially if it is the government we are robbing of taxes, and if what we charge for lending money is not excessive. We are accepting of “slanderers” so long as the one they slander is not one we would vote for. And we don’t consider “swindlers” any company whose profits are legally gained, even if excessive or unjust. “Drunkards” means those who disgrace themselves in public. In all this, we follow the culture, not Christ.
But Paul proposes a radical break with the culture, and with all morality that is nothing more than human ethics. That is what we were never taught, except as admirable ideals we are not obliged to follow or to bring to Confession. And that is why Christians are not “witnesses” whose lifestyle raises:
irresistible questions in the hearts of those who see how they live: “Why are they like this? Why do they live in this way? What or who inspires them?” (See Pope Paul VI, Evangelization in the Modern World, nos. 21, 41.)
This should not discourage us. On the contrary, it shows us a positive direction in which to move. And that is inspiring. As stewards of the kingship of Christ, we have a project to work on.
In yesterday’s Gospel scene, the Pharisees were “enraged” that Jesus would look beyond the limits imposed by laws to focus on their goal. In Luke 6:12-19 we see his response to conflict: he “withdrew to the mountain to pray.” When day came “he chose Twelve to be his apostles,” to preach a love as unbounded as the heart of God. We are all “sent” to do that.
Initiative: Think divine. Good human behavior falls short of Christian behavior.
Reflections brought to you by the Immersed in Christ Ministry
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