The Right Time for the Lord

Pentecost 5 – June 23, 2024

Job 38:1-11
Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
Mark 4:35-41

I cannot tell you how many times that I have had discussions with others who desire to do something – buy a house, have children, retire – who tell me that it was not the time to do it because there were other things that they needed to attend to first. My response has always been. “Are you sure you cannot do both?” For those important things in life the time may never seem right. I also tell them as they struggle with their decision that the important things in our lives are never easy. With these questions, and a few others, I try to help them to decide the acceptable time for those life undertakings.

I bring this up because Paul talks about the acceptable time. Again, as in most of Paul’s letters we can only guess at the issue he is addressing in this letter. It seems that the Corinthians were not answering God’s call to live out their salvation. What good is faith if you don’t share it with others? We know that talking about Jesus could get the Corinthians in trouble with the authorities. It could also divide families. Were the Corinthians hiding their faith because they were afraid? Did they worry that their livelihood and lives were threatened by those around them? When we look at Paul’s list here it seems that this might be the issue. He starts out with the list of hardships that he and his companions had undergone in order to share the Gospel with others. Paul is not guaranteeing an easy life for Christians, rather he is telling us that Christians will still struggle in life. Perhaps that struggle will be greater because we are Christians. The heart of what he is saying might be found in the second list: In the struggle of everyday life, working with the Holy Spirit comes purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthfulness of speech, and the power of God. 

Those are the gifts of God. We are called by God to use these gifts in sharing our faith with others. God has called us to this task, not because we are the best at it, but because it needs to get done. That’s why God is so generous in giving us gifts. As we share our gifts we are reminded that we don’t do this alone. God, through the Holy Spirit, guides and strengthens our faith as we proclaim Jesus’ salvation.