Enkindle the Embers of Unity, Quench the Fire of Disunity (Wednesday, Week 22, Year A)

For some time now, we have heard Paul talk about the spiritual and the unspiritual: what it means to live and operate on the level of the Spirit (the spiritual) and on the level of the flesh (the unspiritual). Paul was very emphatic about this topic possibly because he was addressing a group of people who were too intellectual and academic in their approach to the things of God and all of that. Remember that the Corinthians were Greek; and the ancient Greeks were known to be too particular and more interested in intellectualism, sophistry, philosophy and human wisdom. And we must not forget that Paul has been very suspicious of over-reliance on worldly/human wisdom in understanding and appreciating the things of the Spirit. To rely more on human/worldly wisdom is a sign that one may be operating on the level of the flesh; and to operate on the level of the flesh breeds a whole lot of vices such as division or sectionalism, hedonism, and so on. In today’s section of that letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 3:1-9), St Paul made it clear that the Corinthian Christians were divided: obvious factions in their community. Some said that they belonged to Paul; some to Apollos; and so on. An attitude of those who live and operate on the level of the flesh! Very regrettable indeed! 

It is like saying, “I go to church because of this pastor or priest: I belong to the camp of Father or Pastor A; I belong to the camp of Father or Pastor B; and all of that”. One thing we must take to heart, from the analogy given by Paul (cf. 1 Cor. 3:9), is that the Church is like a vast field where there are plants and crops of different colors, sizes, and other peculiarities. What actually makes such field so beautiful is the vast array of its floral/botanical diversities (with plants of different appearances beaming and bubbling with life). Diversity is beauty! We are gifted differently: Paul had his own gifts or a peculiar way of doing things; Apollos had his own gifts as well. Using their different gifts, true ministers of the gospel and all of us work to the glory of God; adding more beauty to that vast array of God’s field which is the Church. Why should we then mar or destroy this beauty with divisions or factions?

Jesus must be at the centre of whatever we do. He is the message; the messengers are mere helpers who are supposed to proclaim Him (that is, Jesus the message). But sometimes we are more dazzled by the procession of the messengers than by the message that they brought, with the result that Jesus himself is left out; pushed out of the centre. Let us learn from Him as He demonstrated in today’s gospel passage (cf. Luke 4:38-44) where He thought it wise to go to other cities to preach the good news after teaching and healing in Capernaum. With such attitude of considering everyone, every city and every group as equally important and worthy of God’s riches, we will never breed or stoke the fire of division in our communities and families.