The Third Sunday after the Epiphany [Proper 3], rcl yr a, 2023
ISAIAH 9:1-4; PSALM 27:1, 5-13; 1 CORINTHIANS 1:10-18; MATTHEW 4:12-23
Has Christ been divided?
Last week, in our 1st Corinthians reading, we had a section of Paul’s letter where he was did a couple of things. He wanted to establish his authority:‘I’m not any old guy,’ says Paul; indeed, the one writing you this letter is “Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” ‘I was sent to you by the same God we all worship.’
But he didn’t do just that. He was buttering them up. All sorts of compliments start to flow! Paul is not writing to any run-of-the-mill frozen chosen; Paul says he is writing “to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints.” “[I]n every way … enriched in Christ Jesus.” “[N]ot lacking in any spiritual gift.” Paul pours it on thick!
That this is true of all Christians, indeed it’s true of us here at St John the Evangelist, Kitchener; all members of Christ’s Church are sanctified in Christ Jesus, all are called to be saints, each of us as Christians are enriched in Christ Jesus, and possessing all the gifts we need. Paul is saying this to the Corinthians, though, because he wants to gain a bit of goodwill, a bit of favour.
Why? Because the hammer is about to fall, and a blow is about to be felt. And Paul doesn’t take his time at all. He gets right to it. He’s just said all these nice things, he’s just lowered their defences, he’s just ingratiated himself … and immediately he begins to say the hard things, the sorts of things they might not want to hear.
You see, the Corinthians are in crisis, a crisis of conflict, a crisis of conflict that comes when a church isn’t of the same mind, a crisis of conflict that comes when a church doesn’t share the same purpose. ‘Chloe’s friends told me, folks,’ says Paul. ‘You are quarrelling.’
There are factions, with some pledging allegiance to Paul, others to Peter, others to another evangelist named Apollos. This makes no sense to Paul, because Christians give their fullest allegiance not to church leaders, but to Jesus; that it is Christ Jesus that was crucified for us, not Paul; that Christ is not divided, but whole in the body of the church; that we are baptized not in the name of a favourite rector, a favourite bishop, or even your favourite theologian, but in the name of the Holy and undivided Trinity. ‘So cut it out already,’ says Paul. ‘Enough of this infighting.’
Now wouldn’t it be clever of me to have just buttered you up, counting us up among the Corinthians; reminding you that we, too, are, according to God’s gift and kindness sanctified in Christ Jesus, we are called to be saints, and already enriched in Christ Jesus, even possessing all the gifts we need, only to let the hammer fall on all of you, trusting that indeed I’ve successfully won you over, and gained your favour, only to say to all of you: smarten up already! Why do you fight so much? Follow Jesus already!
I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting these past weeks, as we come up to vestry, about us as a church. About where we’ve been; about where we are; about where we are going. This includes thinking hard on what might be in my charge on February 5th.
I don’t know if you’d noticed, but I’ve been saying roughly the same thing in my charge for all the years I’ve been here. I’ve been saying, since I arrived, that I found two main ministry concerns here at St. John’s, that our major efforts were in going in two directions: on the one hand, that we are a parish that pursues beauty through the arts, especially music; and on the other hand, that we are a parish that has a heart for our neighbourhood.
And so this became my expression of not so much my own vision, but it was an articulation of what we already were. And part of what I said—over and over, in different ways, is that these two directions in ministry need not be in conflict. Because I did find a lot of tension and conflict around this dual expression of ministry, it did seem that it was hard for us to imagine that we could be both a parish that loves beauty, and a parish that loves our neighbour.
It’s not an either/or, I said, over and over in different ways, it’s a both/and; in fact, for us to bring expression to beauty and of love for our neighbour was a pretty good way to be a downtown parish. Because these are both ways of being faithful, and we only risked unfaith when we dismissed those who didn’t follow Jesus the way we did.
And so today, I come upon this passage from Corinthians, where Paul has ingratiated himself to his listeners, a bit like maybe I’ve tried to gain some favour with all of you, reminding you that indeed we are too, by God’s gift and kindness sanctified in Christ Jesus, we are called to be saints, and already enriched in Christ Jesus, possessing all the gifts we need. And just like Paul drops the hammer, you may be wondering, will I drop the hammer too? Will I chastise you, too, for our own divisions?
And you know what? I’m not going to do that. I don’t think I have to preach that sermon, I don’t think I have to give that charge. Because by God’s goodness and grace we’ve grown a lot. That conflict, that old antagonism, I just don’t see it like I used to. And so this sermon is not one that preaches like Corinthians chapter 1, bringing you all on board so I can say smarten up. (Well, we could always still use a little work, so maybe we can still smarten up a little.)
But in truth, what I see, is a parish that is beginning to thrive in a new way, where we can each begin to exercise our gifts without imagining that for others to thrive means that I’m lacking in something; that’s either/or thinking. I really see that we are gathering around the one Jesus, following him in different ways, but not imagining that because I follow Jesus Jesus one way, and you another, means that you’re doing something wrong.
Because like Paul says, is Christ divided? Into whom is it that we are baptised? Into the living God, the holy and undivided Trinity. And for this I really do think we ought to be thankful, thankful that by the grace of God in Christ Jesus he is granting us the Spirit of unity, not division. Bringing us more deeply into the mystery of Jesus, the Jesus will speak to others in ways that I may not always understand, but that nevertheless I can trust— trusting Jesus, and others in their own call to discipleship. By the grace of God, whose Spirit is given that we might be one in Christ; in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, AMEN.