05 September. Monday, Week 23

1st Reading: 1 Corinthians 5:1-8

Applying church discipline to a scandalous case (incest)

It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and of a kind that is not found even among pagans; for a man is living with his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body I am present in spirit, and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment in the name of the Lord Jesus on the man who has done such a thing. When you are assembled, and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival, no with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Gospel: Luke 6:6-11

On a Sabbath day, Jesus heals the man with a withered hand

On another sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would cure on the sabbath, so that they might find an accusation against him. Even though he knew what they were thinking, he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” He got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” After looking around at all of them, he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

Bible

Bringing unity to the Church

The hope of forming all his church members into one body of Christ cannot be accomplished any more easily than Christ’s action of restoring the impaired hand and thereby stirring up the frenzied anger of his opponents. Yet Paul’s patient effort to reconcile all men and women brings great joy and satisfaction. Since this ideal is so glorious, Paul feels himself, even in the midst of struggle, to be impelled by a powerful force urging him on.

In his Church community in Corinth, Paul would not tolerate a compromise in public morality, no matter how influential the person may be. He speaks of the “lewd conduct” of a man who is cohabiting with his stepmother. Most probably the father is deceased, but still this type of marriage was seriously scandalous in Jewish eyes (Lev 20:11). Paul demands therefore, “Get rid of the old yeast,” for just a little of it would spoil the whole batch. He takes the occasion to speak of the sincerity expected of Christ’s followers. Although union with Christ is open to all, regardless of race or nationality, still it comes at the cost of fidelity and self-control. To be one body in Christ (1 Cor 12:12,27) means that the purifying spirit of Jesus must flow through all the members.


No matter what the cost

Probably Jesus did not intend to stir up the quarrel in the synagogue that is reported by Mark today. But he sensed a trap by his enemies to put him in a negative light. A disabled man was being used to make Jesus look like a law-breaker, using the man’s handicap to get at the volatile preacher from Nazareth. There is a common tendency to put limits on the love of God, just as narrow-minded people tried to limit Jesus’ outreach and exclude individuals or whole groups from his help. But the power of Jesus cannot be bound by rigid traditions. So many facile reasons can be advanced for not doing the right thing: it’s the wrong day of the week to come looking for help; fear to side with the unemployed or disabled; unable to correct a powerful, influential person, for obvious wrongdoing. And people even see reasons why God should not act generously. But following Jesus’ example we should “Just Do It!”


Bringer of hope

Jesus is often portrayed as giving hope to those who are desperately in need of hope. In today’s gospel, when he came into the synagogue, he must have given hope to the man with the withered hand, in spite of the hostile presence of others. And the man’s hope was not disappointed. In Luke’s gospel the last words Jesus speaks to another human being are words that give hope to a condemned man crucified alongside him, “today, you will be with me in Paradise.” The risen Lord remains a hopeful presence in all of our lives. In today’s first reading from the letter to the Colossians, Paul refers to “Christ among you, your hope of glory.” Paul is reminding us that the Lord lives among us, and that his presence among us is the foretaste of eternal glory. His presence among us here and now inspires us to hope for a fuller experience of his presence in eternity. This too is a hope that will not be disappointed. Our faith in the Lord must always be a hope-filled faith. As followers of the Lord, we are always people of hope. [MH]


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