05 February 2023 - Epiphany 5

 

Theme

This week’s readings encourage us to live earnestly and humbly as we strive for righteousness, rather than pretending to be righteous while actually perpetuating evil. Isaiah condemns those who acted righteous and fasted publicly, and then lists examples the “type” of fasting that God wants - feeding the hungry, freeing the prisoners, clothing the naked, etc. The psalmist declares that the righteous will be blessed and lists the characteristics that the righteous will be identified by - generosity, compassion, justice, etc. Paul teaches the church in Corinth that living humbly by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit is more important than acting wise and speaking well. Jesus declares that his followers should live righteous lives and implies that the fundamentalist religious leaders were not pursuing the right things.

Scripture Readings

  • Isaiah 58:1-9a, (9b-12) - The prophet Isiah condemns those who act like righteous people, attending the temple, claiming to delight in the Lord and fast, but at the same time oppressing their workers and quarreling. Isaiah asks if they really think this type of fasting will please God? The type of fasting that God wants is this: Free prisoners and the oppressed, lighten the burden of workers, share food with the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, give clothes to the naked and do not hide from relatives who need help. Isaiah says that this is when salvation will come, wounds will be healed and God will protect them.
  • Psalm 112:1-9, (10) - A Psalm of praise that declares how the righteous will be blessed. The righteous are identified as those who are generous, compassionate, just and fair. These people will not fear or be overcome by evil.
  • 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, (13-16) - Paul declares that when he first came to the church in Corinth, he did not use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell them God’s plan. Rather, Paul humbly relied on the Holy Spirit to work through him. The kind of wisdom that Paul speaks with is the mystery of God that was previously hidden but is revealed now in the Spirit. No-one can know God’s thoughts except through God’s Spirit which is why we have access to God’s thoughts now.
  • Matthew 5:13-20 - Jesus says that his followers are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Salt is useless if it loses its flavour. A light should not be hidden but displayed brightly. Jesus says that he has not come to abolish the law or the prophets, but to accomplish their purpose. Anyone who ignores God’s law will be least in the kingdom of heaven, but everyone who obeys God’s law will be exalted in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus says that “unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom.”

The Context

This passage of Matthew is a part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In order to understand Jesus’ words, it needs to be read as a part of the whole. Jesus was teaching that “obeying” God’s Law in order to seem righteous and “holier than thou” was missing the point. God’s Law was given for the benefit of God’s people. Therefore, the best way to obey God’s Law is perhaps to humble oneself for the benefit of others.

Personal Application

Reading the Apostle Paul’s words to the church in Corinth, I am struck by how many people (myself included) struggle with similar things today. Too often, we try to intellectualise the Gospel. We use big, fancy, theological words (sometimes called “Christianese”) to tell people how great God is.

Paul’s approach seems to have been a bit different. Paul humbled himself before others and let the Holy Spirit reveal God’s greatness through him. The Holy Spirit is powerful, but She seems to work best through the powerless. The Holy Spirit is profound and wise, but She seems to speak most through the voiceless. The Holy Spirit exalts and liberates, but She seems to mostly lift up the humble, the lowly and the oppressed.

How can we humble ourselves in order to be more susceptible to the Spirit’s leading in our own lives? How can we be more alert to the Holy Spirit’s presence and work in the lives of others?

Communal Application

Many churches today teach that orthodoxy (right belief) is more important than orthopraxis (right action). In these particular Christian circles, in order to receive God’s salvation, you are required to say the right prayer or recite the correct creed. In order to remain in these circles, you need to toe the line and obey the rules. This brand of Christianity teaches that believing in a particular doctrine is the most important part of following Jesus.

But today’s readings seem to offer a different perspective. In all four readings, God’s people are encouraged to humble themselves for the benefit of others. Caring for the needs of others seems to be a lot more important to God than believing the right doctrine and ensuring that others know how smart or holy you are.

Do our churches perpetuate the belief that orthodoxy is more important than orthopraxy? How can we ensure that our faith does not become stagnant like the faith of the religious leaders in Matthew? How can we humble ourselves so that others may experience God’s blessings?

Comments

Post a Comment