A More Excellent Way

As with many of the historical books in the Old Testament, Nehemiah presents the scholar with many issues. Actually Nehemiah and Ezra (the book that precedes it) were originally one book and they together may actually have been part of the book of Chronicles. The division of Ezra-Nehemiah was first done by Jerome the Christian translator of the Latin Bible. But even putting the two books back together does not begin to solve the many problems of the two. While scholars debate about these, using skills that I do not have, a simple reading of the two does show that there is some duplication and inconsistencies between them. One of them is who came first, Ezra or Nehemiah? While Ezra is credited with rebuilding the temple, Nehemiah is credited with rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem after the temple. Common sense would dictate the other way around. Would not one rebuild the walls to protect the city before anything in the city, even the temple? And would not the reading of the book of the law of Moses be done after the temple was rebuilt and not the walls as indicated here? Besides, in other places Ezra and Nehemiah seem not to know each other. These difficulties did not seem to bother the writer of this account. What was important is that the people heard the Law and accepted it with joy. Although, as with God’s people of every time and age, they soon were dazzled by some new thing and wandered away. The world always seems to offer something better, some easy salvation to a troubled world. In the end we always find that these promises are lies to place us into some new bondage.

There is a more excellent way. In today’s reading from First Corinthians Paul is continuing his argument with the Corinthians about their individual desires to be seen as the greatest Christian in their community. But there can be no “greater” in the Christian community. Paul explains this with his analogy of the body. We are all parts of the same body and thus are equal in importance. He could have argued the same point by pointing out how they should emulate Jesus who gave up being God and humbled himself for others. Paul reserves that argument for the Philippians. The Corinthians needed a much more earthly description.

It is interesting and a bit disappointing that those who chose today’s (and next week’s) text from First Corinthians skip the second half of verse 31 where Paul tells the Corinthians he will show them, “a more excellent way.” I know there are several reasons why they did, but it misses the point that Paul is calling the Corinthians to change their lives and live differently. There is also a play on words here. The early Christian church called itself, “The Way'' from Jesus’ pronouncement, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” This more excellent way is to open yourselves up to the power of the Holy Spirit and to allow God to use you to better the world around you, sharing God’s love by all you say and do. Unlike the people gathered at the Water Gate, you have been gathered by water and the Holy Spirit to be the people of God – knit together as bone to bone and sinew to sinew – made one Body through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Follow his example and help God bring faith, hope, and love into the world.