January 22, 2023 – 3rd Sunday after Epiphany

There are weeks that there is nothing in the readings on which I want to preach, and then there are weeks that have multiple themes that seem like good avenues to preach. There are weeks that the readings that we get just don’t seem to connect to our  congregation, and then there are weeks that it seems that the readings are written just for our specific context. 

Today’s letter from Paul tells us to “be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose” (1 Cor 1:10b, NRSV). If you read the Common English Bible, it’s phrased as: “Agree with each other and don’t be divided into rival groups. Instead, be restored with the same mind and the same purpose.” And in The Message translation, we read: “You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common.”

Christ is the center of our faith. Christ is the center of our Church. In Christ, divisions – between bodies, races, backgrounds, education, income, political party – break down, or they should. In Christ, there is no north or south, no east or west. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. We are all one as we are in the Lord – or should be.

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is both descriptive and prescriptive. He explains what is happening in that church. What is going on in Corinth is simply that there are different factions, divisions, in the congregation. It is reported to Paul by Chloe’s people that people are quarreling. We don’t get to hear what they are quarreling about… We might guess, but we don’t ever hear. If I had to venture a guess, they were fighting about the best way to proclaim Jesus’ journey to the cross and beyond. But, that’s my interpretation, and I welcome your thoughts as well.

My friends, if we are going to speak the same thing and be united in the same mind and the same judgment, then we must be together where there are opportunities to share our understanding of the scriptures. We cannot be of the same mind if I don’t know what you think, and you don’t know what I think. We cannot speak the same thing if we are not speaking to one another. I want to be very clear, the goal is not for me to tell you what to think or what to say. It is that we teach each other, learn from each other, and discern a vision together. We should not be uncomfortable when there are disagreements because this is the process for us to be of the same mind and judgment.

That all said, disagreement hurts. We want to move forward together without putting in the hard, hurtful work at times. But unity only comes when we are centered on Christ, not on others. Our power is in Jesus, not in us. Only through Jesus and sharing the good news can we expect to grow, to flourish, in our faith, and in our membership.

What we see with the Corinthians is that they were far more concerned with polished messages than with the content of the message. We live in a similar culture today. People are far more interested in how you say something rather than what you are saying. You can say all kinds of things if you have cleverness of speech and are wise in word usage. But so often, the content of the message is ignored because of its appeal to our ears. The content is what should matter. It is not about show; it is about substance.

Paul makes his appeal that Christians who are working together in a congregation be of the same mind and judgment. The primary way we can fight against divisions is to remember that this is not about us; it is about the proclamation of the cross of Jesus. Our one mind is to be set on Jesus Christ. This is not to say that we cannot disagree on the path to Jesus, but that our overall focus needs to be united.  Let us keep our focus on Jesus as we strive to work and worship together for the glory of God. Together, let us envision a future that is centered on Christ where we can share the Good News that exists in our world today.