Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost; The Holy Martyr Luppus; The Holy Hieromartyr Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons.
1 Corinthians 16:13-24; Matthew 21:33-42.
Read 1 Corinthians 16:13-24
What do courage and strength look like? We are often habituated to envision them as assertive acts in relation to an external adversary, that we need to be brave and strong to overcome someone else. Paul provides us with opportunities to explore other possibilities for exercising these virtues.
Paul begins by specifying that being watchful, standing firm in our faith, being courageous and strong are things to be done in love. That directs us to look inward. Our first challenge is with ourselves.
Then he directs us to what may seem an unusual act of courage and strength – being “subject to such men” as Stephanas and “every fellow worker and laborer” who has “devoted themselves to the service of the saints.” That requires humility. How is that strong and courageous?
Humbly submitting oneself to spiritual leaders is an act of trust. Courage and trust are connected because trusting others requires the courage to be vulnerable. We have all had trust broken at some point in our lives. It is important that trust be established by integrity, mutual respect, and emotional safety. Paul points to such known objective criteria. He calls for such people to be recognized, not to put them on a pedestal, but so that the leadership space gets visibly filled with trustworthy people and not left vacant for false ones.
And Paul concludes by exemplifying this in his own life. “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed,” is not a swipe at non-Christians or even the Corinthian believers he has been contesting with. He does not withhold communion from Corinthians drawn toward factions, those he has been correcting doctrinally, or even those who dislike him personally, but if someone rejects the consecration and adoration of Jesus. Paul puts all his trust in Christ.