Rotten Pasties

Wednesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Readings for Wednesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time

Reflection:

The other day we referred to the scripture as “big”, today we think a better word is “harsh”. In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he is addressing the methods of dealing with those who “…walk in a disorderly way.” He (Paul) goes on to say that those who do not work should not get anything to eat. This last statement could easily be taken out of context and used to support a position that says that we should not feed the homeless or disenfranchised. But we need to understand what was going on with the Christian community at Thessalonica.

It seems that a significant number of the community thought Jesus’ return was imminent, that is the end times (eschaton) were at hand. As a consequence of this belief they apparently quit working and became quite “disorderly”. We can only guess what that meant (What would you do if you thought the world was going to end in a few short days or weeks?)

Paul’s instructions make sense in those circumstances. If one of these people who live in community with you decides to just quit and wait for the end (remember the early Christian communities frequently lived in communal fashion, sharing all property, including the food.), first shun them, basically kick them out. Second, if they are not working, they don’t share the food. Paul, himself, may have expected the eschaton within his lifetime (based on other parts of his letters he probably did) but he points out, just incase his instructions seem too harsh, that while he and his friends were with them he worked hard (his implication is he did so even though he could have expected, because of his position, not to have been required to do so).

While the message of Paul is directed at another situation we can still take some direction from it. First, we who live in Christian community today are expected to support ourselves. There are those who expect to he supported through charity just because they share our faith. We need to point out that if they are not trying and are ignoring our efforts to get them to a point where they are self sufficient, they may not be eating.

Next, even though the instruction was intended for community members, if we are working with or even living with an individual who is behaving in a disorderly way and knows it, that means we have attempted to verbally correct the situation, we should avoid all contact with that person lest temptation be placed in front of us.

I’ve spent more time on Paul than I intended today. A significant lesson lies in the Gospel for us today. Jesus is continuing his discourse with the Hebrew religious leaders in what can be called the “Seven Woes”. Today we hear woes six and seven and they are clearly truths that are passed on to us. In the first Woe (which is really number six in the series) Jesus is telling the Jewish leadership that while they talk a big game, on the inside they are corrupt and will earn the reward of corruption.

In the second Woe (the seventh in the series), although it is difficult to follow if we are not aware of Hebrew tradition they are being told there is a Purgatory and they are going to be there for a while.. (“This order reflects the Jewish notion that there was an allotted measure of suffering that had to be completed before God's final judgment would take place.”)

The bottom line for us today is this; we really need to focus on building up our internal faith. It is what that is inside us that is most important. I do not want to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and have Him tell me; “…on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.”

Pax