This blog provides a meditation on the Episcopal daily readings along with a headline from world news:

TALIBAN TAKE REVENGE ON RABBANI

1 Corinthians 5:9-6:8

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral persons— 10not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world. 11But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even eat with such a one. 12For what have I to do with judging those outside? Is it not those who are inside that you are to judge? 13God will judge those outside. ‘Drive out the wicked person from among you.’

6When any of you has a grievance against another, do you dare to take it to court before the unrighteous, instead of taking it before the saints? 2Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3Do you not know that we are to judge angels—to say nothing of ordinary matters? 4If you have ordinary cases, then, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church? 5I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to decide between one believer and another, 6but a believer goes to court against a believer—and before unbelievers at that?

7 In fact, to have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? 8But you yourselves wrong and defraud—and believers at that.

who would dare to offend?

Sometimes I wonder if Paul’s habitual rhetoric leads him to generalisations which he’d find difficult to defend. How many of the Corinthian believers were immoral, greedy and so on? How many of them were taking each other to court?

More importantly: how does Paul’s instruction to “judge” sit with Jesus command not to?

The Jesus tradition in Matthew 18 does include instructions for how to deal with brother or sister who won’t accept the discipline of the church community, but that in itself invites comparison with “Do not judge”.

We should distinguish between judgment=condemnation and judgment= moral discrimination. Standing in the place of God to condemn is utterly forbidden to disciples of Jesus. The whole purpose of the community is saving not rejecting. But those whose behaviour threatens to destroy the community or its mission to others (say, by malicious lies or open flouting of Jesus’ way) must be called to account; and if they will not listen, expelled from the community as a blunt warning that they are not “in the faith” of Christ.

Paul suggests that even matters usually referred to civil litigation, if they occur amongst members, should be settled by the church community.

Clearly these little churches had an importance in the lives of their members and therefore a rigor, which few have today. It might be claimed that the permissiveness of today’s churches (which include people who never attend them, support them, or care for the teaching of Christ) is a greater obedience to Jesus’ command not to judge, rather a sloppy reluctance to offend anyone who might contribute to the payroll. I guess I shouldn’t judge…

Paul’s afterthought is his surest touch: if disciples of Christ are disadvantaged by another person, why not just accept the disadvantage

 Matthew 5:38-48

38 ‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” 39But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; 41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. 42Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

43 ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.” 44But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 

Matthew’s collection of Jesus’ teaching in the 2sermon on the mount” still has the power to astonish. Here Jesus takes on the great human law of rightful revenge and its concomitant hatred of the enemy-and forbids them. It’s good to write that again: Jesus forbids even rightful revenge and hatred of the enemy. No-one who thinks these are right can be called a Christian. There’s no point in messing about. It’s stuff like this that got Jesus crucified, so if you don’t accept his teaching, get out of the church and be a honest opponent. Mohammed, peace be upon him, was happy enough with just revenge and hatred of enemies so if that’s what you fancy, you could become a Moslem. Don’t think I’m condemning you. I’m just insisting that those who don’t accept this teaching should not pretend to be Christians.

NB I am not saying that if you want to obey and fail, you are not a Christian; I mean, if you think the teaching is what we Glaswegians call “mince”, that is, nonsense.

Jesus insists that the disciple’s will is not coerced by the evil actions of another person: there is always freedom to be creative in response, even if it’s only the freedom to pray for one’s persecutors as He did. Here the theme, which has been present throughout the sermon, of obeying the God of the law rather the letter of the law of God, is made explicit: disciples are called to imitate the perfect vulnerability and generosity of God who makes his sun rise on the evil and the good.

This is teaching which aims to overcome the world in the manner of the Christians of the Roman Empire and their successors down to Luther King and Shahbaz Bhatti, minister for minorities in Pakistan, murdered on 2^nd March this year for opposing a vengeful law. Such people are, in my opinion, the world’s only hope.