Word to the Wise
Saturday, September 9, 2006 - ST. PETER CLAVER [22nd Saturday in OT]
[1 Corinthians 4:6B-15 and Luke 6:1-5]For as I see it, God has exhibited us Apostles as the last of all, like people sentenced to death, since we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and men alike! We are fools on Christ's account, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we in disrepute.
After scolding the Corinthians for their factionalism, Paul goes after them for their pride and elitist way of thinking. He contrasts the sorrows and trials of being a preacher with what the Corinthians are thinking of themselves. The words on the printed page lose a lot of the bitter irony of his remarks! The simple problem was that the Corinthians exhibited an attitude that they had "arrived" (as it were) and were better than others. The Stoic philosophers, well known in the Greece of Paul's time, were known to have said that anyone who has wisdom is truly a King. Paul uses that to mock the Corinthians and call them to task. However, the problem is one that continues to exist. Spiritual "elitism" or an attitude that "I'm saved and you're not!" has plagued Christianity since its very beginning. When people think they have a "hotline to God" or consider themselves to be spiritual "insiders," a kind of arrogance or pride takes over. Perhaps a more mundane image might be that simply because you have gotten your flu shots doesn't mean that you're protected from every form of flu! The irony with the Corinthians is that their knowledge of Christ is becoming a danger to them because of their spiritual pride! Catholicism has occasionally prone to this dangerous notion. The "fullness" of truth can become a kind of commodity that we think WE have and nobody else does! We can get the attitude of being "insiders" and think that God works for us and not the other way around. Paul shows clearly that working for God can be very difficult indeed and it's time for the Corinthians to sober up. That's good advice for all of us! AMEN
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