Sunday, 4 November 2018

Being emptied and filled

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Question of the Day: 4 questions in this verse form the basis for understanding the 2 chapters we are reading today ...

1 Corinthians 1:20 "Where is the wise one?"

Where is the Torah scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn't God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

How does God do this? Just when we start to think we are smart, God shows us how little we really know.

Answer: We have a natural tendency to be ego-centric. To put ourselves in the middle of everything. You know, to think everything revolves around us.

1 Corinthians 1:27 "Yet God chose the foolish things of the world so He might put to shame the wise; and God chose the weak things of the world so He might put to shame the strong"

Our job is to empty ourselves (over and over again), so that God can fill us up. How do we empty ourselves? Do something for God. Every act of righteousness or tzedakah results in fresh anointing.

Rabbi Trail: Technically in Hebrew, an act of righteousness is called tzedakah. But tzedakah is usually used to mean giving charity (but could be any act

of love). When I use it here, I mean ANY kindness, generosity, sharing of yourself, sharing of the Word of God. Any way in which you "put yourself out" for another person, while expecting nothing in return. End RT.

God can't fill us up unless we first empty ourselves. Let me simplify this. If you're in need of fresh anointing (and who isn't) then do something for someone else. Oh, and this only works if there is nothing in it for you.

These two chapters mirror each other, and they build upon each other. The bottom line is the last phrase of the last verse of chapter 2. Does it get any better than this?

1 Corinthians 2:16b "But we have the mind of Messiah."

Only God can know God.

1 Corinthians 2:12 "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God - so we might come to know the things freely given to us by God."

The good news is that Messiah is in you, and that, my friends, is the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27b).

Blessings, R. Michael.