FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
ON EVANGELIZATION AND MISSION
(Part 123)
PARADOXES
September 11, 2020
Today’s reading:
1 Corinthians 9:16-27
Today Paul speaks of certain contrasts, contradictions or paradoxes in the Christian life that are interesting.
Preach or do not preach
“If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!” (v.16).
Our Church is a missionary Church. MFC is an evangelistic and missionary community. Every Christian has been commissioned by Jesus to proclaim the gospel to others. We do so by our silent and verbal witness to Jesus. This is our privilege, to participate in the very divine work of God, for which we cannot boast. This is our mandate, our responsibility and our obligation. If we do not preach the gospel, we sin by omission.
Willingly or unwillingly
“If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.” (v. 17).
Acting on the Great Commission is not a service we just spontaneously undertake, but is a stewardship imposed by divine compulsion. The initiative is God’s and not ours. We merely respond. We realize what an awesome task has been entrusted to us, that God now relies on weak sinful humans to do what is divine work. We are stewards of God’s grace. It is awesome.
Recompense or free of charge
“What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.” (v.18).
Those who work deserve a wage. The greater the service rendered, the greater the benefit conveyed, the greater ordinarily would be the compensation. Our service helps confer salvation and eternal life. So do we get paid a huge amount? Yes, but not with earthly recompense. As is said, the pay is small or non-existent, but the retirement benefits are out of this world.
In MFC, we offer the gospel free of charge. We are the ones serving and giving to others, but still we are the ones who need to come up with the financial and manpower resources by which we do this work. This is our privilege and our joyful burden.
Free or a slave
“Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all” (v.19a).
No one forces us to serve God and specially to do the work of evangelization. But then again, woe to us if we do not preach the gospel. We are free to do what we want to do and how to live our lives, but our freedom is so that we can serve God and live our lives for God. Again, such work should be our privilege and joy.
Then like Paul, we want “to win over as many as possible.” (v.19b). As we have been saved, we want others to be saved as well. Thus in MFC and LCSC, we do rapid, massive and worldwide evangelization. We want to reach as many as we can with the gospel of salvation in Jesus.
Under the law or not under the law
“to those under the law I became like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win over those under the law.” (v.20b).
We evangelize any and all. We do not discriminate. We search out sinners and saints alike. We go for rich and poor, and everyone in between. We go into the parishes and into the publics. We minister to people inside and outside the home. We go to the ends of the earth.
Outside God’s law or within the law of Christ
“though I am not outside God’s law but within the law of Christ” (v.21b).
We reach out specially to sinners, even as we acknowledge our own sinfulness. We identify with those we evangelize, for we too were in such situations before our conversion. “To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some.” (v.22). We have repented, but continue to repent each and every day. Once we were no people, but now we are God’s people.
All run but only one wins
“Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize?” (v.24a).
We must persevere in the race. It is a marathon and not a sprint. There will be obstacles, oppression, suffering, persecution. But we need to endure. “Run so as to win.” (v.24b). We must be disciplined, as disciples of Jesus, as “every athlete exercises discipline in every way.” (v.25a).
We take nothing for granted. We are saved, but we do not presume we will remain saved. We must cling to God. We must be 24/7 for Jesus. We must be docile to the Holy Spirit. “Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.” (v.26-27).
Perishable or imperishable crown
“They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.” (v.25b).
What do we look forward to? The crown of glory. The embrace of our Lord Jesus as he welcomes us as good and faithful servants in the Master’s joy. We look forward to eternal life with our Father in heaven.
So there you are, my dear brothers and sisters. We must do the work of evangelization. And we must conform ourselves to the ways of Christ, in order to become worthy instruments of his gospel. “All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.” (v.23).
