Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 12th February 2023
Lectionary Readings:
Deuteronomy 30 v15-20; Psalm 119 v1-8; 1 Corinthians 3 v1-9; Matthew 5 v21-37.
Are you still a baby?
The apostle Paul in his letter to newly converted Christians in Corinth, takes them to task for not behaving properly towards each other.
My friends, you are acting like the people of this world. That’s why I could not speak to you as spiritual people. You are like babies as far as your faith in Christ is concerned. So I had to treat you like babies and feed you milk. You could not take solid food and you still cannot because you are not yet spiritual. You are jealous and argue with each other. This proves that you are not spiritual and that you are acting like the people of this world. (1 Corinthians 3 v1-3).
Paul longs to see evidence of the ‘fruits of the Spirit’* among the Christian community in Corinth.
Paul expects those who have been baptised in the name of Jesus and blessed with the Holy Spirit to behave in a different way to those who have not. He is disappointed and frustrated by their behaviour. Paul’s reference to baby milk suggests that he had taught them the basics of Christian life and he expected to see some growth in their faith as individuals and as a Christian community. Now he is faced with the prospect of going over the same ground again.
In our Old Testament reading, Moses is addressing the people of Israel just before they cross the River Jordan into the promised land. “Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life and success or death and disaster. I am commanding you to be loyal to the Lord, to live the way he has told you and to obey his laws and teachings.” (Deuteronomy 30 v1,2).
Moses seems to be unsure that the people of Israel will behave as God’s chosen people. Moses reminds them that they have been taught God’s basic commandments and his teachings about how they should relate to one another. These guidelines for community living were framed in a way as to encourage individuals to use their gifts and talents for the benefit of all, and to live in harmony with others in their community.
Jesus is quoted in today’s reading from Matthew’s gospel as reminding his followers to obey the same teachings. “You know what your ancestors were told……” (Matthew 5 v21a).
Jesus, Paul and Moses are concerned that the people of God should behave as such. We are expected to show God’s love to others, treating others as God treats us, with love and compassion.
* How many of Paul’s ‘Fruits of the Spirit’ can you remember off the top of your head?
(see Galatians 5 v22,23)
Charles Wesley wrote these verses about our growth as ‘spiritual’ people.
(Singing the Faith 500 v 1,6).
Happy are they who find the grace, the blessing of God’s chosen race,
the wisdom coming from above, the faith that sweetly works by love.
Happy are they who wisdom gain, thrice happy who that guest retain;
they own, and shall for ever own, wisdom, and Christ and heaven are one.
Bible quotations are taken from the Contemporary English Version.