Sixth Sunday after Pentecost. Octoechos Tone 5. Synaxis of the Holy, Glorious and All-Praiseworthy Twelve Apostles.
Romans 12:6-14. 1 Corinthians 4:9-16. Matthew 9:1-8. Mark 3:13-19.
Read Romans 12:6-14
It is curious that St. Paul would tell the Romans to use their spiritual gifts for what they are meant for. What else would they use them for? Actually, they were at risk of not using them at all. Paul had to say, “Having then gifts…let us use them.” Why wouldn’t they?
The first clue lies in Paul’s instructions regarding the character formation we are to pursue. The instruction, “Let love be without hypocrisy,” is revealing – Paul conceives of the possibility that love could be withhypocrisy. Mischaracterizing love as a completely affectionate thing leads us to the mistaken assumption that a person cannot both love and be a hypocrite. But love is much more than our variable feelings; it is a committed self-giving for others, connected to “serving the Lord”. Over the course of a lifetime of confession and reparation, our lurking, unknown hypocrisies are rooted out. But we are not to wait until we are perfect to start loving. So, being aware of our imperfections, we sometimes need encouragement to use our spiritual gifts.
The second clue is in Paul’s conclusion: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” When we serve the Lord by loving others according to how we have been gifted, we will take some hits, sometimes from the very people we are acting toward in love. We may need time for healing or healthy change in the relationship, but the direction in which we are to move is clear: blessing toward those who hurt us.
Together, these two things get to the heart of today’s epistle reading: both we and the people we serve with our gifts are in the process of formation, but we are still called to be “not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord”.