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Wednesday – Twenty-Second Week – OT2
Readings: 1 Cor 3:1-9; Lk 4:38-44.
Reading 1 (1 Cor 3:1-9): Brothers and sisters,
I could not talk to you as spiritual people,
but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ.
I fed you milk, not solid food,
because you were unable to take it.
Indeed, you are still not able, even now,
for you are still of the flesh.
While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,
are you not of the flesh, and walking
according to the manner of man?
Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another,
“I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely men?
What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul?
Ministers through whom you became believers,
just as the Lord assigned each one.
I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.
Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters are anything,
but only God, who causes the growth.
He who plants and he who waters are one,
and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor.
For we are God’s co-workers.
you are God’s field, God’s building.
Gospel (Lk 4:38-44):
After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.
Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,
and they interceded with him about her.
He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.
She got up immediately and waited on them.
At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases
brought them to him.
He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
And demons also came out from many, shouting, “You are the Son of God.”
But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speak
because they knew that he was the Christ.
At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.
The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him,
they tried to prevent him from leaving them.
But he said to them, “To the other towns also
I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,
because for this purpose I have been sent.”
And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Fr. Anthony Dinh Minh Tien, O.P.
I. THEME: The Holy Spirit versus the fleshy way
Scripture teaches us not only God’s mysteries but also all human activities, not only in the spiritual but also in the physical realm. One can say without exaggeration that there isn’t human area which Scripture doesn’t mention.
Today readings show some examples of human activities. In the first reading, St. Paul mentioned bad habits which happened in the Corinthian community which are jealousy and division. In the Gospel, St. Luke reported many of Jesus’ activities, such are: to proclaim the Good News, to heal the sick and to expel demons.
II. ANALYSIS:
1/ Reading I: The way of the Holy Spirit and the human way
In chapter eight of the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul gave us a thorough analysis of these two ways: the way of the Holy Spirit and the way of the flesh. The first way must be the way of all faithful and the second way must be corrected so that people may be better every day. In today reading, St. Paul corrected the Corinthians who lived according to the second way, more concretely are their jealousy and division.
1.1/ Jealousy and quarrel: When people see others are better than them, or have something which they don’t have, they shall revile to lower others or quarrel to accuse each other. According to Paul, when people do such thing, they are living according to their flesh and divide their family and community. As long as they live according to their flesh, they can’t receive instructions to live according to the Holy Spirit. St. Paul pointed out for the Corinthians to see that these things were happening in their community. He wrote to them, “Brothers, I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were unable to take it. Indeed, you are still not able, even now, for you are still of the flesh. While there is jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving in an ordinary human way?”
1.2/ Division: When people can’t attain their illegal desire by an individual effort, they have a tendency to choose people who have the same desire to form a party, and then they shall together find a way how to attain that illegal desire. For example, they shall all elect the one who belongs to their party and this person, after being elected, must satisfy their illegal requirement. St. Paul criticized this evil way as follows, “Whenever someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and another, “I belong to Apollos,” are you not merely human? What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one.” If a community let their flesh control, how that community can survive and do what the Holy Spirit wants them to do!
St. Paul showed them a better way which is to live according to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. According to Paul, the most important thing which one must do in life is to help people to have their faith in God and to strengthen this faith every day, not to acquire fame, power and material gains. Each leader or preacher is only a God’s instrument which God uses in a certain time or situation to contribute to their proclamation of the Good News. The main one who gives the faith and strengthen people’s faith is God. Therefore, instead of forming a party and choosing a leader to control him, they must let the Holy Spirit guide them to choose an able person to guide their community; and they themselves must positively co-operate with their leader in the mission of proclaiming and strengthening the faith of God’s people, as Paul taught them, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
2/ Gospel: All contributed to the healing of sickness in life.
(1) Jesus’ activities: He worked from the morning to the evening to heal both people’s soul and body. After Jesus finished his teaching to provide knowledge for people in a synagogue, he came to Simon’s house for rest and finding something to eat; but he didn’t see any food prepared for him, but Simon’s mother-in-law and many other sick people were waiting for him. Instead of getting annoyed, he healed all of them. When the crowd wanted to keep him in their place, he left and said to them: “To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
(2) Simon’s mother-in-law: With only two short verses, St. Luke taught people an important lesson which is the one who received a favor must return a favor to her benefactor: “Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever, and they interceded with him about her. He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them.”
She couldn’t serve Jesus, her son-in-law and other disciples because she had a fever; but after she was healed by Jesus, she didn’t find an excuse that she must have time to rest, but immediately stood up and served Jesus and his disciples. She must be a good example for all to follow because all have a duty to contribute in order for their family and community to be in order and at peace. Life shall be chaos, and everyone shall be suffered if Jesus must teach and heal and cook and serve!
(3) Everyone made their contribution: A Vietnamese adage says, “A horse is sick, the whole herd doesn’t eat.” The disciples let Jesus know that Simon’s mother-in-law was sick. And at the sunset, all the sick were brought to him. Although the disciples and the crowd can’t heal, but they helped to find the healer or to carry the sick to Jesus to be healed. In the daily life, people must stick together to help each other to overcome obstacles. Don’t be so selfish or blind before others’ sufferings because it can happen to everyone. If we turn our face away from others’ suffering, who shall help us when we face suffering?
III. APPLICATION IN LIFE:
– Not only we must take away our bad habits but also develop virtues in our daily life.
– Once we are healed by God and others, don’t turn our face away from others’ suffering, but must return a favor to our benefactor or to others in need.
– Faith must be our prime concern when we live in this life. Don’t sacrifice our faith and the faith of others for lowly gains such as: fame, power and material gains.