1st August 2021 Pentecost 10 (Tenth Sunday after Pentecost) Unity in The Body of Christ
(Scripture Reading: Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15, Ephesians 4:1-16)
By Heeyoung Lim
The whole Israel community grumbled against Moses and Aaron during their journey because of the lack of food. The Israelites exaggerated their current difficulties and even overstated and distorted how well they fared in Egypt. They forgot God’s grace of salvation and did not trust in God.
However, God said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites.” (9) Moses directed Aaron to gather the community to come before the Lord, who had heard their grumbling. While Aaron was addressing the community, the glory of the Lord appeared toward the desert in a cloud. The Lord’s response to this grumbling would be to give them meat in the evening and bread in the morning. The Lord told Moses that he would miraculously provide for the Israelites by raining down bread from heaven and that they were to gather it according to His order. God would also provide meat for them in the evening (13). Moses reminded them that the complaints were not to Moses and Aaron, but to God.
In demonstrating His power to create out of nothing, the Lord revealed Himself as the Lord their God. God continually said to Moses, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning, you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.” The Lord commanded and Moses directed the people to gather as much as they needed per day for each member of the household. The Lord our God hears our prayers and even grumbling, there are God’s guidance and rule we need to follow even when He cares for each of us.
Sometimes morning manna and evening quail seem to be hidden or ceased in our lives, but God wants us to see and concentrate on the grace and gifts instead of the desert we are experiencing. God asks us to live ‘todays’ to the fullest, trusting Him for our ‘tomorrows’. If we have not prayed and sought God’s wisdom for the trials we are facing, we may grumble and complain first instead of blessings and encouragements. There is no satisfaction and peace in disobedience, but there is security and appreciation in obedience. Unrealistic expectations and exceeding greedy almost always lead to complaining when something does not go
our way. Little steps of faith bring larger steps of faith and our steps run towards the fullest of Christ.
In today’s second reading, Paul describes himself as a prisoner for the Lord and urges Ephesians to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which they have been called. (Ephesians 4:1) Paul was physically in prison when he wrote Ephesians, but he had been living in freedom. He was OK because he had given up his freedom to follow Christ. We are not in prison, but we partly experience half freedom just like lockdown. There are many restrictions we should follow for our health and safety during lockdown.
Just as athletes who participated in the Olympics sprint to win prizes, we need to do our best in our life and faith. Athletes who participate in Olympic Games may aim to win medals or to elevate the names of their countries as national representatives. May we be also one of national representatives of the kingdom of God. The goal of the race of faith can be the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. (13)
Here are some Bible verses about life for the Lord. It is not only about the prize and competition, but also about Christian’s lifestyles and rules.
“And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules.” (2 Timothy 2:5)
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24)
“And let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)
Paul said, “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call” (2-4) We are called to do all, but it is not easy. For instance, it was not a piece of humility, but all humility. Patience is believing God’s timetable is good, no matter what it is. Somethings we want do not always come quickly. We can say that patience is one of characteristics of mature people. When we remember that the Lord is our God, it helps us be patient. Especially Paul calls for unity in the third verse and spends the next thirteen verses elaborating on it. The unity exists in Christ and is maintained by the Spirit.
We can live in unity with one another since we are spiritually united in Christ with all other Christians. God wants us to live holy lives, put behind us the sins of the past, and live a Christian lifestyle that reflects the values of Christ. Each of us received a spiritual gift by the grace of God. That grace has not been apportioned the same. Each is different, it is not people’s choice. Rather Christ has chosen what and how to give grace to each member. It is not about discrimination or favouritism; it is about difference and choice that come from God’s way.
Verse 7 and 11 tell us about the relationship between the call to unity and the spiritual gifts Christ has given us. Spiritual gifts are at the heart of Christ’s strategy for building his church. The gifts are given for the church and its ministries. This is for equipping the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. (12) The head of the church, Jesus wants each part of the body to mature and grow, not concentrating on its excellence and some favoured parts. Each part of the body is needed to hold the whole body together in unity. Spiritual unity by being united needs to be manifested through our words and deeds. If each part is encouraged to exist, work, and grow, the body will become more mature, healthy, and lovely. (16)
Today’s text invites us to become prisoners of the Lord just as Paul was a prisoner for the Lord spiritually and physically. We have restrictions, responsibilities, and rules we need to follow for living out the gospel. The Christian life requires that we stop doing bad things as well as start doing good things. May this week be a time of “fasting” from complaints or bad things as they come into our mind.
God has given the church what it needs to be healthy, growing, and mature. We can wake up each morning and end up each night with appreciation, saying, “Thank you, Lord”. We can also pray to God and seek God’s wisdom for the trials we are facing. May love and respect for others will be developed between relationships of individuals and communities so that we be able to feel the love of God wherever we are. Our job is not to create unity, but to maintain it. I hope we live in the unity and mutual ministry with others and in holiness before God. Spiritual maturity requires that we be in mutual ministry. I pray that we all grow to spiritual maturity and eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
(Ref. Bible, commentaries, theological books, UCA materials)
