1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
To whom are we faithful?
Today we hear St. Paul’s letter to the early followers of Jesus in Corinth, Greece. A major center of culture and commerce, Corinth was a cosmopolitan city in its day. It was also a hub of moral depravity and pagan worship. Surrounded by these influences, the early Christian community at Corinth was not without its own issues: liturgical divisions, improper Christian behavior, doctrinal problems, and various infidelities, to name a few. Paul addresses these issues with firmness and compassion.
Paul drew on the wealth of understanding of his Jewish-Christian faith to remind the Corinthians how fragile their relationship with God could be. Referring to the time of Moses, Paul reminds the Corinthians that, although God protected his people in the desert, blessed them, and provided for their needs, he also demanded their fidelity. Paul tells us that “God was not pleased with most of them.” Their infidelities weakened their relationship with God making them easy prey to the pagan influences. Paul urges the Corinthians to reexamine themselves. Those who stand tall need to look deeply into their hearts and consider whether they are standing on true faith in Christ Jesus.Lent is about looking deeply into our hearts. It is about asking ourselves the hard questions: What are we faithful to in our daily lives? What are those acts and attitudes of sinfulness that estrange us from God and others? God’s goodness is not to be taken for granted, by the early Israelites, the first century Corinthians, or us.
To whom are we faithful?
