Readings for the Day:
Reflection:
Several years ago now, I remember talking with The Rt. Rev. Kee Sloan, the bishop who ordained me, about some of the stories of the ancient Israelites. He told me as he has gotten older, the more he sees himself in those stories. As I’ve had time to reflect on his words to me, I’ve found I see myself in those stories too and not always just in the flattering ones either.
I mention this because Bishop Sloan’s wisdom is at the crux of what Paul is trying to say to us in the words of 1 Corinthians today. At first glance, this passage can seem hard, both in a confusing and perhaps harsh way. But what Paul is trying to is that what occurred in the past is meant as examples to us. When we read the stories of old, we see that the People of God often struggled to follow the Lord. Even when God gave them opportunities to do the right thing, the People continued to rebel. The cost was the People’s homeland and, in some instances, their livelihoods.
If we are really honest with ourselves, we have done the same things that those who came before us in Scripture did. In a sense, they are not just meant to be examples, as Paul says. They are meant as a warning. If we are to recognize ourselves in Scripture and listen, then we can avoid the same pitfalls our ancestors did in the past.
God is always trying to reach out to us and show us the better path for a better life. In hearing the words of the Lord, we can make the steps we need to in order not to fall into the pits those before us fell into and to instead learn from their mistakes as we walk forward.