(Audio)
Yesterday we read, that "the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it, because it is judged spiritually." Today we read about concrete examples of the perils of acting as such a man.
Indeed, you are still not able, even now,
for you are still of the flesh.
While there is jealousy and rivalry among you,
are you not of the flesh, and walking
according to the manner of man?
We see here how even the truths of God taught by Paul or Apollos could be twisted by those who weren't receiving them by the Spirit of God. On a merely natural level even the truth of the Gospel could become one more wedge of division, one more way to assert one's own ego over another.
From the Corinthians we can learn that more than just different knowledge. Conversion and a new heart are the prerequisites for spiritual wisdom. We need a transformation of both mind and heart. We need a renewed mind to know how to live the new life in Christ and to believe that we can in fact live it. But we need a renewed heart so that we don't subvert or twist the truth we receive to make it serve lesser selfish goods. We need not fear that we don't have enough. We have in fact received the "mind of Christ", just as we read yesterday. Not only that, but "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (see Romans 5:5). The old mind and will would conspire together to insist on finding a solution within oneself. They would want to reason their way into being a new mind, to work until they created a new new heart. But it is not meant to be dependent on our efforts.
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (see Philippians 4:6-7).
Jesus could not help but heal people wherever he went. In him the renewal of all things was already breaking into time and space. But his priority was not on the healings which would only be temporary, ending when those he healed eventually died. He desired to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God in order to heal souls. Souls healed and this way were healed for eternity. They were henceforth destined for the resurrection of the righteous.
I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,
because for this purpose I have been sent.”
And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Jesus puts the mind and heart first to show us that it is not enough to merely live if we do not live for the purpose for which we were made. Even gaining the whole world is futile if we lose the soul. For what are we created? To love God with all our heart, all our mind, and all our strength (see Deuteronomy 6:5). To do this we need the faith, hope, and love which come only as gifts which cannot be earned. Let us open our own hearts and minds to be transformed by these gifts.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
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