Jordan Byrd
Ordered, 1 Corinthians 16
For a better part of this year, I’ve had some ongoing back pain. I kept thinking, that the pain will eventually go away. That, my body would eventually adjust and heal, and I’d feel normal again. But, that hasn’t happened. What I’ve discovered is that the pain is tied to a lack of using certain core muscles. What I’m learning is that when muscles aren’t stretched and used often, they contract and shorten. And when I try to engage them, (for seemingly simple movements: e.g. standing-up, rolling over in bed, reaching down for something on the ground), the muscles spasm, or other muscles kick-in to compensate, causing those muscles to strain – doing more than they’re meant to do. Overall, the pain seems to result from lack of stretching and lack of use. The pain is likely a result of sitting too long during the day. So, I’ve been slowly incorporating stretches and exercises into my daily rhythms, with the hope that I can use and stretch those muscles more. And hopefully, I’ll stop experiencing as much pain; and I can experience more of life.
How much do I have to love someone?
One of the questions we all constantly bump-into is: How much do I have to love someone? Throughout the apostle Paul’s letter of 1 Corinthians, love is highlighted from the beginning of the letter to the end. And the love that Paul references isn’t just a general affection toward others. Rather, this love looks like the self-giving, stretched-out arms of Jesus on the cross. This is the kind of love that Paul highlights throughout 1 Corinthians.
And here in 1 Corinthians 16, he mentions this love of Jesus three last times: 1 Corinthians 16:14 - “Do everything in love [like Jesus].” 1 Corinthians 16:22 - “If anyone does not love the Lord [like Jesus], let that person be cursed! And 1 Corinthians 16:24 - “My love (like the love of Jesus] to all of you in Christ Jesus.”
In a broken world, we can get use to avoiding people, and in turn, we don’t have as many encounters to have to love people. This leads to a seated approach to loving others. I’ll love my neighbor, as long as they come my way first. I’ll love my spouse, as long as they apologize for what they said or did first. I’ll love _____, as long they meet me where I already am first. I’ll love as long as I don’t have to get up, and stretch myself and feel some tension or uneasiness to love them.
This posture ends up atrophying our spiritual muscles. to where we become accustomed to: staying away from others, staying in our own tribe, and staying in a comfortable state. We eventually become accustomed to life in this state, where we settle for a lesser experience of the life that God has for us. We’ve been shaped to believe that selfishness is best. We’ve been shaped to believe that tribalism is best. We’ve been shaped to believe that arrogance is best.
But God’s word in 1 Corinthians reminds us that these postures are false. That these actually are lesser ways of living. And the pain we feel in pursuing a selfish, tribalistic, and arrogant life is an indicator, that we’ve not stretched ourselves to love like Jesus. And in doing so, we’re missing out on the abundant life that comes through living in and out of the love of Jesus.
First Corinthians 16 shows us good news that we encounter in Jesus. The good news that living in and out of the love of Jesus is the surest and most abundant way we can live life.
Stretch until you feel it; but stop if it causes pain.
One repeated phrase that I’ve heard physical therapy practitioners say is: stretch until you feel it; but stop if it causes pain. So often, we can confuse the feeling of stretching for the feeling of pain.
Is it possible that the tension we feel, when loving another person – is God trying to shape us further into the abundant life of Jesus? And we feel a tension in doing so, because we’ve become accustomed to sitting. We’ve become accustomed to not loving like Jesus. We’ve become accustomed to selfishness, tribalism, and arrogance. How much should you love like Jesus?
Love like Jesus until it stretches you.
Paul’s concluding instructions in 1 Corinthian 16 point toward: Loving like Jesus until it stretches you. Love like Jesus until it stretches you.
Teaching my kids to be generous is probably one of the toughest tasks that comes with parenting. It’s tough, because, I don’t even always want to be generous. My things may be at a different scale, compared to my kids, but, the same struggle is there. With my kids, their struggle to be generous, can often come down to the fact that they only have so much of something. For example, the only get candy here and there. So, why would I want to share what is rare to me. For me, it’s not necessarily candy, but I only get so much down time, so when I get it, why would I want to share what is rare? Having generosity as a first thought is not easy for us.
But this is exactly what God’s word tells us through Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 16:1-4. Paul instructs the Corinthian church to give an offering for the Lord’s people. Here, in 1 Corinthians 16, we’re not given the specific details. But in Romans 15:25-26 we encounter that this offering is for the poor followers of Jesus in Jerusalem, Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. (Romans 15:25-26)
The offering itself is not the specific point we should notice. The specific point we should notice is how they determined “what” to give. In verse 2 of 1 Corinthians, Paul instructs the Corinthian followers of Jesus to, “set aside a sum of money in keeping with [their] income….” and to do so, “On the first day of every week….” (1 Corinthians 16:2)
Paul is advocating for a weekly giving pattern. He is also advocating for a giving pattern above and beyond the needs of the local Corinthian church, as this collection was for the poor in Jerusalem (a whole region away from Corinth). Paul is also advocating for prioritizing generosity with one’s income. For followers of Jesus, generosity is primary, not secondary. Generosity is to be prioritized in your budget, not just whatever is leftover after other expenses. Note that Paul is not saying to just give everything you have. But to give a sum – a certain amount, in keeping – in proportion – to your income.
Love like Jesus with your money, until it stretches you.
In context of 1 Corinthians and 1 Corinthians 16 emphasis on love, Paul is calling the Corinthian followers of Jesus to: love like Jesus with their money, until it stretches them. Followers of Jesus become more like Jesus when we think beyond ourselves with our money. Followers of Jesus love like Jesus with our money, when we give until it stretches us. If we give from the seated position, we’ll give our leftovers. But, if we give as Paul is instructing, we’ll be stretched. We’ll be confronted with our worries, fears, and insecurities. We’ll be confronted with the temptation we face to give to ourself, before giving to others. But, if we allow God to stretch our use of money, we’ll find that we have to trust and rely on God to provide what we give away. We’ll have to trust God, because we’ll feel the tension of not having that extra cushion of money. Which can often serve as a false God, trusting that cushion to provide for us, more than we trust God to provide for us. If we allow God to stretch our use of money, we’ll find that we initiate love toward others, like Jesus.
How much are you to love like Jesus with your money? Love like Jesus with your money, until it stretches you.
This past week was the Democratic National Convention. The Republican National Convention was a few weeks ago. These two gatherings have possibly become the most start examples of tribalism in American culture. While these two parties will always emphasize certain principles over others, the overriding desire of the American public seems to always be a longing for the two parties to work together. We constantly hear about the ideal of “crossing the political aisle” in Congress. Or “bipartisan” bills or policies. More and more, these seem to be ideals, and not realities. But, the longing for unity is still there.
Another area where we’re tempted to not love like Jesus until it stretches us is in our interactions with people who are not like us: those poorer than us, those wealthier than us, those more conservative than us, those more liberal than us, those from a different culture. The followers of Jesus in Corinth were also called to love people not like them until it stretched them. In 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, Paul has already encouraged the Corinthian church to love their impoverished, Jewish brothers and sisters. This wouldn’t be natural. It would not be natural for non-Jews (Corinthians), to be concerned with non-Corinthians (Jews in Jerusalem). But, because of their encounter with the love of Jesus, they are also called to extend that love to those not like them. To do so, would definitely be a stretch. It would them moving from the seated, stay in our own culture – position. To standing-up, and stretching themselves to care for people unlike themselves.
Further more, 1 Corinthians 16:6 also highlights another stretch that Paul asks the Corinthian church to make. Paul references that he is trying to physically come and visit the Corinthian church. And when he comes, he is hoping that they will be generous to, help him on his journey, wherever he goes. (1 Corinthians 16:6)
Paul is asking for the Corinthian church to be generous in support of his missionary journeys to other regions and cities that are not in Corinth. This is Paul asking them to be generous above and beyond: their offering for poor Jews and their generosity to their own needs as a church in Corinth. And again, to be generous to people not like them (people they may never meet or have any personal relationship with).
Love different people like Jesus did, until it stretches you.
Paul is calling the Corinthian followers of Jesus to: love different people, until it stretches them. Followers of Jesus become more like Jesus when we think beyond ourselves and about other people. Followers of Jesus love like Jesus, when we consider people different from us, until it stretches us. If we interact with other people from the seated position, we’ll maintain the tribalism. But, if we intentionally consider those not like us, as Paul is instructing, we’ll be stretched. We’ll be confronted with our worries, fears, and insecurities. We’ll be confronted with the temptation we face to just stick to people we know. We’ll be confronted with the temptation to believe other people aren’t worth investing in.
But, if we allow God to stretch us, We’ll have to trust God, because we’ll feel the tension of being with people who are different from us. And we’ll have to trust God to show us that something more beautiful can come from different people interacting together under him as their Lord. If we allow God to stretch our interactions with others, we’ll find that we initiate love toward others, like Jesus.
How much are you to love people different from you? Love different people like Jesus did, until it stretches you.
I really enjoyed watching the Summer Olympics this past month. Normally, I’m not very into the track and field events. But, I ended up watching a lot of it during this Olympics. I’m not sure if it’s because track athletes have to get so amped up to burst off the blocks and sprint for 100 or 200 or more meters; but, it seemed like a lot of the athletes are very arrogant. Like, predicting the outcome of the race, before it’s run. Or, holding up the number one sign, with their finger, before the final race has been run. The athletic ability of these athletes was amazing to watch, but the arrogance of their attitude, made it difficult for me to fully root for them. I am disagreeable with their attitude, but they are very good at what they can do.
Who is a disagreeable, arrogant person in your life right now? We all have them. Those people we disagree with, and can’t stand to be around. The Corinthian church had similar people in their life. Paul being one of them!!! Most of Paul’s letter is a list of corrections. It’s never easy to receive criticism. And Paul has been saying that many of the Corinthian church’s practices are flat wrong, deceptive, and fly in the face of the way of Jesus. The relationship of the Corinthian church and Paul is a battle of who is right. And both strongly believe they are correct.
The Corinthians are so confident in their beliefs that they have had no problem in splitting the church into tribes; no problem in flaunting their sexuality beyond the bounds of marriage faithfulness; no problem flaunting their freedom for selfish purposes; and no problem flaunting their wealth in the face of the poor. And Paul is very confident in his correction of their beliefs, that he wrote a letter to them, and wants to visit them. The tension in their relationship is not hard to gather.
We see this even further, when, in 1 Corinthians 16:10-11, Paul asks the Corinthians to treat, his apprentice, Timothy, well; and to not make him fearful to come, to no show him contempt, because of his relationship to Paul; and to not make his visit to them unpeaceful.
We see a similar tension, in 1 Corinthians 16:12, where one of Paul’s co-workers, Apollos, is unable to visit the Corinthians. Apollos is referenced toward the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 1:12), as one of the leaders whom some were following, over and against Paul, or other leaders – and causing division to the church in the process.
Lastly, there is third tension, more closely tied to their own church community in Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 16:15-18, Paul praises the devotion and service of the Corinthian church members: Stephanas, Fortunatas, and Achaicus. It’s likely these three are the ones who delivered the Corintians questions to Paul; and likely those who will be carrying Paul’s response back to the Corinthian church. There is already tension between the Corinthian church and Paul; and now Paul’s praise of church members whom do not seem to embody the values of Corinthian culture: wisdom, prestige, wealth, and power will certainly not make the relational tension any easier. But, Paul’s praise of the: humble, servant-hearted, devoted work of these three church members is in step with the values Paul highlights all throughout the letter of 1 Corinthians; and in step with the values that Jesus embodied in his own life – which is the primary example whom Paul points toward for all involved in this relational spat.
Love disagreeable, arrogant people like Jesus did, until it stretches you.
In this close to Paul’s letter, he is calling the Corinthian followers of Jesus to: love disagreeable, arrogant people, like Jesus did, until it stretches them. Followers of Jesus love like Jesus, when we’re stretched to value the inherent worth of the person we disagree with. Followers of Jesus love like Jesus, when we’re stretched to consider if the other person has an perspective worth considering. Followers of Jesus become more like Jesus when we surrender both perspectives to the authority of Jesus. If we interact with other people from the seated position, we’ll maintain the division. But, if we intentionally consider those not like us, as Paul is instructing, we’ll be stretched. We’ll be confronted with our worries, fears, and insecurities. We’ll be confronted with the temptation we face to think we know it all. We’ll be confronted with the temptation to believe that other people don’t have value, if they don’t see things from our perspective. But, if we allow God to stretch us, We’ll have to trust God, because we’ll feel the tension of interacting with people who disagree with us. And we’ll have to trust God to show us that something more beautiful can come from disagreeing, arrogant people interacting together and being shaped to became agreeable, humble people under Jesus as our Lord. If we allow God to stretch our interactions with others, we’ll find that we initiate love toward others, like Jesus.
How much are you to love disagreeable, arrogant people? Love disagreeable, arrogant people like Jesus did, until it stretches you.
Starting next Sunday, we’re going to stark reminding ourselves of the Mission of God which God has been on, since creation began; and since creation has separated from God; and how God has been on this mission through various people throughout history; and how he invites us to participate in his mission. How God wants to have us ride the wave of his mission – to bring the whole world back into his abundant life, by following his Son, Jesus.
To ride that wave, and participate in God’s mission will involve being shaped further and further to be like Jesus, and love like Jesus. God’s mission will inevitably bring us into situations where we’re called to love like Jesus until it stretches us: in our finances; in reaching out to people, who are very much unlike us; and reaching out to people, who are arrogant and disagreeing and ignorant to the good news of abundant life available in following Jesus.
But before we get to that in the coming weeks, each and every week, God has placed us in proximity to people whom he’s called us to love like Jesus, until it stretches us. God has called you to love needy people around you, until it stretches you. God has called you to love the people around you, who are not like you, until it stretches you. God has called you to love the people around you, who are disagreeable and arrogant and hard to get-along with, until it stretches you.
In 1 Corinthians 16:20, Paul encourages the Corinthian church to greet one another with a holy kiss. Best I can tell, this was simply a cultural greeting in the Corinthian culture, but adapted by the followers of Jesus to demonstrate a welcoming and loving posture toward each other. Overall, this isn’t a habit that we have in our culture. But, we do have gestures that communicate a similar posture and attitude toward each other. Like, saying hello, or shaking one’s hand, or a fist-bump. The posture of initiating a greeting and recognition of the other: even if they are of a different class and status as you; even if they are of a different background and life-journey from you; even if they drive you nuts with their opinions and actions. Simply because they are your brother or sister in Christ; or because they have eternal, inherent value and worth in being created in the image of God.
Whom is God’s Spirit calling you to love like Jesus until it stretches you?
Who are those people in your life: either in the church, or elsewhere in your life that God’s Spirit is calling you to stand-up, and initiate the love of Jesus, until it stretches you?
Taste and see.
If you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, I invite you to dwell on the reality that this is God’s posture toward you, in Jesus – tThat no matter how ungodly, no matter how unspiritual, no matter how obstinate you’ve been toward Jesus, he is extending his love toward you, even until it stretched him to the point of death on the cross. I invite you to taste and see that the love and life of Jesus is the most abundant life you can experience; and Jesus will stretch himself to the point of death to help you follow him into the abundant life of God. Please reach out to me, or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you discern taking a step of faith toward tasting and seeing that abundant life in Jesus.
Jesus loved us until it stretched his life to the point of death on the cross. We too can experience the abundance of this love, as we love like Jesus, until it stretches us.
Love like Jesus until it stretches you.