Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Tone 8; The Transfer of the Holy Relics of the First-martyr and Archdeacon Stephen (5th c.)
1 Corinthians 3:9-17; Matthew 14:22-34
Dormition Fast
Read 1 Corinthians 3:9-17
Have you ever seen a house being transported down the highway on one of those “wide load” trucks? Uprooting a house from one foundation to be placed on another, is a risky business. Although on the face of it, transporting an already built house as opposed to building another might seem cheaper, this isn’t always the case. Damage can be caused in the move itself, but further damage is often discovered as the house settles on its new foundation. The work of the housebuilder is revealed through this process, and often with disastrous results!
The work we do for the Lord will also be tested, as St. Paul teaches us today through fire. Life in Christ through serving in His Church requires proper planning. A house is not “made up as we go along” but requires planning, skilled labour and the commitment to the project. The same is true of our “life project,” namely, the living out our baptismal promises.
The materials we put into this work affect the security and strength of the Church as well. St. Paul contrasts the much more expensive (and beautiful) materials of gold, silver and precious stones with the cheaper and combustible wood, hay and straw. Our Christian life demands our best, not our leftovers. It might be easier to throw together something made of straw, but even that little effort will be wasted if it does not survive.
Finally, St. Paul warns his hearers of the seriousness of his message. It is possible to build incorrectly and to choose inappropriate materials, but it is also possible to tear down God’s temple, the Church, through our own actions. The actions we take as the Church have repercussions for generations, and this realization can be all but forgotten in our familiar Sunday worship.
The good news today brothers and sisters is that the Church is not lacking in exemplars of “golden work” which has survived the fires of adversity in order to support our faith here and now. The saints, and especially St. Paul whose lesson we receive today, show us the way to build with gold and not with straw to leave the legacy of the Church to our children.