Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. The Transfer of the Precious Relics of Our Venerable Father Theodosius, Hegumen of the Monastery of the Caves at Kiev (1091); Fore-feast of the Holy Dormition of the Mother of God; Holy Prophet Micah (8th c. BC)
1 Corinthians 4:9-16; Hebrews 13:7-16; Matthew 17:14-23; Matthew 11:27-29
Read 1 Corinthians 4:9-16
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
It can be gut-wrenchingly difficult to have to defend yourself against unfair judgement by people who know you but do not think of you as they ought. It is isolating; you feel alone. Your very defense under such conditions can seem to your accusers to confirm their view of you.
On the other side, there are a lot of ways we can be wrong about other people. A common one is to compare someone to others who present themselves in a more sophisticated way and thereby seem to be more successful as this world measures success.
In today’s reading, the Apostle Paul engages with people in the Church at Corinth who do just that and wrongly put him in the position of having to defend himself and his apostleship. What he does is powerfully instructive for us, whether we are the judges or the judged. He only engages in such a conversation for the good of the others, not for the defense of himself. He points them toward Christ and His gifts as the actual source of who they now are; he acknowledges that about himself right off the top. He holds a mirror up to them that they may see. He affirms his continued loving relationship with them and calls them to imitate him in the service of Christ.
These things are easier said than done. Paul was well prepared for this, but even for him it took preparation. Life sometimes happens too fast for us to be good at it but if we keep at this practice – engaging for the good of others, directing ourselves and others toward Christ, unflinchingly look at how we really are, and continuing in faithful loving relationship – we will increase in effective engagement with others in ways that are commendable before God.