In today’s appointed Epistle reading, Paul asks us to put up with a little “foolishness”:
I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough. I think that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. I may be untrained in speech, but not in knowledge; certainly in every way and in all things we have made this evident to you.
Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed God’s good news to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for my needs were supplied by the friends who came from Macedonia. So I refrained and will continue to refrain from burdening you in any way. As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
And what I do I will also continue to do, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in what they boast about. For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds.
I repeat, let no one think that I am a fool; but if you do, then accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. What I am saying in regard to this boastful confidence, I am saying not with the Lord’s authority, but as a fool; since many boast according to human standards, I will also boast. For you gladly put up with fools, being wise yourselves! For you put up with it when someone makes slaves of you, or preys upon you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or gives you a slap in the face. To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. (2 Cor. 11: 1-21).
Paul has a way of being just a little sarcastic in the opening lines of today’s passage. In some ways, he reminds me of my grandmother when she was just about to zing somebody. But Paul is trying to deal with a concrete problem. Someone has steered the Corinthians in the wrong direction, and he is trying to show them that he preached Christ to them without hope of anything material from them. In fact, his ministry among them was supported by others. Paul preached boldly, and he did because Paul knew the Risen Christ! He preached not with eloquence of a paid professional, but with heartfelt genuineness and love to those he pastored. Paul was authentic.
Are we authentic in our preaching of Jesus Christ to the world? Do you and I preach Christ boldly because we know Christ? Are you and I genuine in our Christian faith?
Let us pray: Holy Father, give us the strength in Your Holy Spirit to preach with boldness the Risen Christ. We pray to grow nearer to You each day so that we may proclaim in a laud and strong voice to the entire world that our God is real, able, good and generous. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
MARDI GRAS FUN AT ST. AUGUSTINE'S on FAT TUESDAY, 8 MARCH at 6 P.M.: Welcome a new tradition at St. Augustine's for Fat Tuesday, a true Mardi Gras celebration to be inaugurated by a famous Mardi Gras King and his Queen at St. Augustine’s!
Ash Wednesday, 9 March at 7 P.M.: The Ash Wednesday Liturgy with the imposition of ashes. The ashes this year will be taken from the Palm Sunday crosses from St. James the Fisherman and given to us by Bob Newding.
Saturday, 12 March, work day in the Community Garden.
Clothing is still welcome for the people of Lord of the Streets.
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Karen Lehr for her continued recovery and for Juanita Mack.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough. I think that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. I may be untrained in speech, but not in knowledge; certainly in every way and in all things we have made this evident to you.
Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed God’s good news to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for my needs were supplied by the friends who came from Macedonia. So I refrained and will continue to refrain from burdening you in any way. As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
And what I do I will also continue to do, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in what they boast about. For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds.
I repeat, let no one think that I am a fool; but if you do, then accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. What I am saying in regard to this boastful confidence, I am saying not with the Lord’s authority, but as a fool; since many boast according to human standards, I will also boast. For you gladly put up with fools, being wise yourselves! For you put up with it when someone makes slaves of you, or preys upon you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or gives you a slap in the face. To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. (2 Cor. 11: 1-21).
Paul has a way of being just a little sarcastic in the opening lines of today’s passage. In some ways, he reminds me of my grandmother when she was just about to zing somebody. But Paul is trying to deal with a concrete problem. Someone has steered the Corinthians in the wrong direction, and he is trying to show them that he preached Christ to them without hope of anything material from them. In fact, his ministry among them was supported by others. Paul preached boldly, and he did because Paul knew the Risen Christ! He preached not with eloquence of a paid professional, but with heartfelt genuineness and love to those he pastored. Paul was authentic.
Are we authentic in our preaching of Jesus Christ to the world? Do you and I preach Christ boldly because we know Christ? Are you and I genuine in our Christian faith?
Let us pray: Holy Father, give us the strength in Your Holy Spirit to preach with boldness the Risen Christ. We pray to grow nearer to You each day so that we may proclaim in a laud and strong voice to the entire world that our God is real, able, good and generous. Amen.
CALENDAR REMINDERS
MARDI GRAS FUN AT ST. AUGUSTINE'S on FAT TUESDAY, 8 MARCH at 6 P.M.: Welcome a new tradition at St. Augustine's for Fat Tuesday, a true Mardi Gras celebration to be inaugurated by a famous Mardi Gras King and his Queen at St. Augustine’s!
Ash Wednesday, 9 March at 7 P.M.: The Ash Wednesday Liturgy with the imposition of ashes. The ashes this year will be taken from the Palm Sunday crosses from St. James the Fisherman and given to us by Bob Newding.
Saturday, 12 March, work day in the Community Garden.
Clothing is still welcome for the people of Lord of the Streets.
PLEASE REMEMBER EVERYONE ON OUR PRAYER LIST, especially Karen Lehr for her continued recovery and for Juanita Mack.
Your servant in Christ,
Fr. Chester J. Makowski+
St. Augustine of Hippo Episcopal Church
Galveston, Texas 77550
No comments:
Post a Comment