Sun, Jan 26, 2020
Motives and methods
1 Corinthians 1:10-18 by Craig de Vos
Series: Sermons

Australia Day has––

in recent times, at least–– 

become a day of national introspection;

a day when we pause to ponder who we are as a nation…

and what are our values.

Some, of course, see it simply as a day of celebration––

remembering all that is good about this country…

while turning a blind eye to the injustices of the past…

not least the treatment of the original inhabitants of this land.

For many of the latter, Australia Day is known as “Invasion Day” or “Survival Day”.

And while calls for the date of the celebration to be shifted are being more frequently made…

they’re seldom taken seriously by politicians––

of all persuasions.

The day that is, supposedly, one when we ought to come together as one…

actually drives us further apart.

 

Then, of course, there’s that matter of national introspection.

Tim Soutphommasane––

the former Race Discrimination Commissioner and a political philosopher—

argues, that modern Australia isn’t defined by race, ethnicity, or ancestry—

especially given that almost half of us were born overseas…

or are the children of migrants.

Instead, he suggests that what defines us…

is a shared commitment “to democratic values and aspirations: a deep sense of equality, a fervent belief in a fair go”… 

and “an irreverent larrikin streak”.

Fair enough, most would probably say.

But how does the idea of a “fair go for all”––

the ideal and mythology of “mateship”––

sit with our nation’s appalling treatment of asylum seekers?

As the social commentator––

Hugh Mackay–– 

warns, “It’s going to be a catastrophe for us culturally in the future, just like the stolen generations was”.

And, if we’re honest, all of this talk of “mateship” and “a fair go for all”…

really only reflects––

and is true for––

the white, male experience.

It hasn’t been the experience of refugees, Aboriginal people, or even women.

As much as we don’t want to admit it…

our so-called ‘national values’ are highly partisan and political.

They’re defined by––

and they reflect the experience of––

those who have power and privilege in our society.

They don’t always reflect the lived experience of everyone else.

There’s an on-going battle to define our identity and values…

and it’s the loudest and most powerful voices that win.

 

The church at Corinth was quite large…

and comprised a number of groups who met regularly in homes.

Each of those groups had its own leader…

who happened to be wealthy and well-to-do.

And, in Corinthian society, the wealthy and well-to-do lived in a constant state of rivalry––

always battling one another for greater prestige…

and power…

and control.

Their leadership of these house groups was another manifestation of that.

The Church was just another arena where they could engage in these personal battles––

pushing their own agenda…

seeking their own advantage…

and trying to impose their will upon everyone else.

In the Corinthian Church, there were also a number of slaves––

who were simply expected to do as they were told…

and to support whoever or whatever they were told to support.

The bulk of the church was comprised of ordinary working-class battlers––

people who toiled long hours…

struggling to eke out an existence in small cottage workshops;

people who––

because of their struggle to survive––

relied upon the assistance of the wealthy and well-to-do…

to whom they gave loyalty and support in exchange for things like hand-outs of food…

or reduced rents…

or legal protection.

And, in the case of the church–– 

and these house groups––

these ordinary folk helped prop up the leadership of the wealthy and well-to-do leaders…

if they didn’t actually fight their battles for them.

The church at Corinth was a hotbed of conflict and rivalry…

of competing interests and agendas…

of personal preferences and mixed motives.

And, in his letter to them, Paul tried to sort out this mess.

Literally, he writes…

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters…that there should not be splits or divisions among you, but that the same purpose, attitude, and intent would be restored among you”.

 

It’s not that Paul wants all of them to think exactly the same thing––

like a bunch of uncritical, unthinking robots;

nor is he naively wishing that they wouldn’t have any disagreements…

or any vigorous debates about their identity, values, or priorities.

No!

What he wants is a commonality of attitude, purpose, intent, and will.

He wants them to consider their motives––

and why they are behaving like they are.

In short, Paul’s response is, “Cut it out!

Stop all of the politicking… 

the power-plays…

and the petty rivalry.

Stop all of your efforts to impose your own ideas… 

or needs…

or preferences…

onto the rest.

Stop using the church for your own self-interest…

self-aggrandisement…

or self-satisfaction”.

Instead, Paul urges them to focus on what really matters––

on the reason that the church exists in the first place.

In other words, he urges them to focus upon Christ.

And, in particular, he redirects their focus to the cross of Christ––

that demonstration of God’s power through powerlessness…

which shames every human act of politicking… power…

pretention…

and personal rivalry. 

Paul redirects their focus to the cross of Christ––

that supreme act of self-giving…

which flies in the face of all human selfishness and self-centredness.

Paul redirects their focus to the cross of Christ…

and asks them to allow that event to shape their attitudes and agendas…

their identity and values as Church.

 

And that’s something that we, in the church, still need to hear today…

because these are still characteristic of the church today––

on a broader scale––

both between the various branches of the Christian church…

and within.

Too often, in the Christian church, we lose sight of what is fundamental…

or what is crucial.

Too often we get bogged down in defending certain ideas…

traditional ways of doing things…

particular structures…

or matters that are really no more than personal preference or taste…

and driven by personal agendas and petty politicking.

Too often we use the church as an arena for claiming––

or exercising–– 

our need for power and control.

And… 

for the sake of Christ…

that has to stop!

But it is also relevant for us…

here…

in this Church…

as we reflect upon the journey that we have been on these past few months…

and as we think about our future as a community of faith.

Let’s be honest about what has happened…

and how we arrived at this point.

Let’s reflect upon our motives and our methods.

And let’s focus on what is really important:

not seeking to preserve our power or privilege…

or to enshrine our tastes or traditions…

but let’s focus, rather, on Christ.

Let’s focus on how our life together, as Church, best serves Christ;

how our life together… 

as Church… 

best demonstrate the love of God made known in Jesus Christ…

and displayed most powerfully in Christ upon the cross.

Because, as Church, we exist to incarnate that love of God––

a love that comes to us in fragility and weakness;

a love that reaches out in vulnerability and risk;

a love that dares to renounce power, manipulation, and control— 

in whatever form it takes.

That is our identity.

Those are our values.