Nobody but God

I suppose, if they had a choice, most people would prefer to be served than to be the servant. It seems that is part of the issue Paul addresses in his letter to the Corinthians. That's why he calls himself and Apollos “servants.” Even they, who brought the gift of Jesus and shared their faith, were servants of God. If Paul and Apollos were servants then the Corinthians were also servants of God. No one was better than another. No one was given a greater gift than another. Since they were all servants of God there should not be any quarrels or fighting among them. As Paul put it, he planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. That is true for all of us. Someone planted the seed of faith in us, others watered it, but it is God who spurred the growth. I know there are many who claim that you must fervently believe in your heart and accept Jesus as your lord and savior in order to be saved. We confess that we cannot by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ our Lord, or come to him, but that he comes to us by the Holy Spirit. (Definition of the third article of the creed, Luther’s Small Catechism.)

In a world that promotes a do-it-yourself persona, being dependent on another is looked down upon. You know the routine. There are plenty of do-it-yourself books, videos, and personal coaches to help you, often with some cost. But here, there is no cost. Jesus has already paid the entrance fee. Jesus has done the hard work for you. When the world tries to convince you otherwise, remember that Jesus has spanned the chasm that separated you from God and made you his sisters and brothers; God’s children. Now you are freed to use the gifts that God has given you to answer Jesus’ call to pick up your cross and follow him.

While Moses gave the Israelites a choice – life or death – Jesus has made that choice for us and now we use what God has given us to water the world with God’s love. I know the task is big, it may seem impossible. With horrible news every day of violence and death, surrounded by people in a hurry, and confronted by anger that seems to come out of nowhere, we often forget our call to love others and instead, succumb to our own dark feelings. I am not saying that we should not get angry. Jesus did. It is what we do with our anger (and other emotions) that matters. Instead of reacting as the world, we are called to react as Jesus did, with love. 

As Jesus told us in last week’s Gospel we are the salt of the earth. We are called to flavor the world with love. That was Paul’s, Apollos’ and the Corinthians’ calling. Now it is yours. You are called to live your life in God’s love. You do that by sharing your gifts with the world. Your gift to the world does not have to be a huge world-shaking event. It can be a kind word or helping hand to someone struggling. Or a short prayer instead of anger in return for someone who yells at you. Whether your act is simple or complex, remember that it is showing the world God’s love given through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.