not just spectators

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Our last reading from 1 Corinthians ended with Paul saying "I have become all things to all people so that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel so that I might share in its blessings." Today he continues that thought by comparing the life of faith with being a competitive athlete. Like athletes, Christians need constant self-control and training to be successful in our quest to be faithful to God.

After this analogy, Paul describes the people of Israel going through the wilderness. He says they were "Baptized into Moses," referring to passing through the Red Sea. He also mentions that they all were "under the cloud." There he is referring to the cloud of smoke and pillar of fire that was the shape God's presence took during their journey. He also says they all ate the same spiritual food: manna, and drank the same spiritual drink: water from the rock. His point in this is to remind people that simply being part of the community (which for us is also marked by baptism in water and spiritual food and drink, communion) is not enough. We have to strive for righteousness and faithfulness to fulfill our calling. It is a calling full of blessings.

God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 9:24- 10:5

24Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. 25Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. 26So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; 27but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.


10:1 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.