In today’s reading (1 Corinthians 12:12-14,27-31), Paul moves on to another issue in the Corinthian community—the question of “spiritual gifts” or “charisms” These gifts were granted to some members of the community and were the signs by which the Spirit helped the community to function. We need to remember that the organization of the communities, at this stage, was not very developed. The later hierarchical ministries we now have were still in the process of evolution. At this early stage, there was a certain amount of confusion in the community and was the cause of factional disagreements. Some of the “gifts” were even disruptive, perhaps not from the Spirit at all, but from the devil who wished to disrupt the early church. Clearly, there had to be a discernment between which were beneficial, and which were not.
In this part of his letter Paul makes five points:
- All the true gifts come from the Spirit working in the community.
- All the gifts, though given to individuals, are for the good of the whole community.
- The importance of each gift is to be measured by its benefit to the community.
- The gift of ‘prophecy’ is far more important than being able to ‘speak in tongues’, a gift about which the Corinthians apparently thought very highly.
- Love (agape) transcends and is present in all the genuine gifts and is in a class by itself. This is dealt with in the famous ‘Hymn to Love’ (1 Corinthians 13:1-13) that we will be reading tomorrow.
To illustrate what he wants to say, Paul uses the analogy of the human body. Although it is made of many different parts, each with its own functions, it is basically a single coordinated unit. So it is with the church. Christ is the Head, directing and coordinating the functions of each local church community and each group within the local community. For Paul, Christians are bodily united with the Risen Body through their Baptism and the common celebration of the Eucharist. The community becomes, in effect, an “organ” of the Risen Body of Christ. The importance of community unity and mutual complementarity is obvious.
The source of unity is the Spirit of Christ in which all, both Jews and Greeks, citizens and slaves, were baptized. Paul emphasizes that a body is not to be identified with any one of its parts. This is what was happening in the Corinthian community, where groups were giving excessive importance to the charism of one or the other of their leaders, or to the gifts which some individuals were experiencing. Paul tells them that they, in their community, are the Body of Christ but, like a body, each person has a different role to play. He singles out three charisms as being of prime importance.
- First come the Apostles. They are those who were specially and personally chosen by Jesus during his time among us to carry on his work of proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom. They were also to be witnesses of the resurrection. They are the founder members, the ‘pillars’ of the Church and the unique bearers of the tradition which Jesus handed on.
- Next to them in importance come the prophets. The term “prophet” now suggests someone who can foretell the future, but that was not and is not their primary role. The prophet is a person through whom God wishes to communicate a message to a particular community. It might be an encouragement; it might be a warning. The prophet, unlike the apostle, is a ‘non-institutional’ figure and can appear at any time. Clearly, careful discernment is needed to distinguish between the true from the false prophets. Because the message they give may be unpleasant to hear or may challenge the status quo, prophets may not be welcome and may even face efforts made to get rid of them. At the same time, we ignore the message of the true prophet at our peril. The role of the prophet is to wake us out of our complacency.
- Thirdly, there are the teachers, those whose gift is to form the community and to hand on the content and meaning of the tradition received from Jesus. Again, they make an indispensable contribution to the life and growth of the community.
After these come charisms of less crucial importance, although they can greatly enrich the life of the community. Some members had the gift of performing miracles, namely, actions which could not be explained, at the time, by natural means. Their main function was to reveal the power of God working in the community and to be spurs to a deeper faith.
The gift of healing was given to some, and again was how the Lord brought wholeness back into people’s lives.
‘Helpers’ are those who make charitable contributions or support the community in some other way; ‘leaders’ are those who do the administrative work and provide guidance on a practical level. Notice that Paul places the importance of leaders lower than the role of helpers.
Lastly, there are those who “speak in tongues”. The first mention of speaking in tongues occurred on the first Pentecost, when the Apostles left their locked room to go onto the streets to spread the Good Word. While they most certainly were speaking in Aramaic, everyone in the crowd heard them in whatever language was native to the individual hearing the word. This gift was to allow everyone hearing the Word to fully understand what they heard. Speaking in tongues did not include making utterances that needed interpretation by others.
These gifts are all spread among the community and not given to all, or even to many. Not all can claim to be apostles, or prophets, or miracle-doers, or healers. That would result in a very lop-sided body. While the gifts are many, given to many, the community is one.
Paul does not intend this list to be taken as exhaustive. There are hundreds of possible charisms, and surely every member in the community has a gift by which a positive contribution can be made to the life of the community. Everyone, however small a way, can and should make a difference by their presence.
If we are to desire any gifts, let us seek those that are of greater benefit to the community, not those that are more spectacular or seem to give higher status in the eyes of others. Paul says that behind all these gifts lies something much more important. We will see what that is tomorrow.
Today’s Gospel story (Luke 7:11-17) is only found in Luke’s Gospel. It is one of only three stories in the Gospel where Jesus brings a dead person to life. The most remembered and dramatic story is that of Lazarus told in John’s Gospel. There is the also the story of the synagogue leader’s daughter (Luke 6:40-56; Mark 5:21-43; Matthew 9:18-26).
The scene given to us today is particularly sad. A woman, who has already lost her husband, has now lost her only son—her only means of support. She is on the way to bury him.
The lot of the widow in those days—often a relatively young woman—was particularly difficult in a society where the married woman was no longer the responsibility of her own family and who, after the death of husband and children, was no longer the responsibility of her husband’s family either. She was largely left to her own devices in a society where social welfare of any kind was unknown.
Jesus himself is deeply moved at her plight. At this point, for the first time, Luke refers to Jesus as “Lord”, a title reserved for God himself. He approaches the litter (not a coffin as we know it) carrying the dead man and touches it, causing the bearers to stop. He then says: “Young man, I say to you, rise!” The word “rise” used here is the same as that is used when describing the resurrection of Jesus.
The reaction of the people around is one of awe and admiration: “Fear seized all of them, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has visited his people!’” They had no doubts about the origin of what they had seen. It was the work of God. Not surprisingly, the story spread like wildfire all through Judea and beyond. The episode prepares the way for Jesus’ response to the disciples of John the Baptist a little later.
This story should help us to look at our own situation and see how alive we really are. Let us look around and see how many people need to be lifted up and help them to find a new life. Maybe we can do something for them.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!