On Sundays we have been reading about Paul, Apollos, and Cephas in the first letter to the Corinthians. It seems that the church in Corinth was divided by their affinities for the different leaders. Perhaps some liked Apollos' pastoral nature, Cephas' work ethic or Paul's fervor and certitude. Who knows why some were liked over others?
But the letter from Paul puts each leader in perspective. One plants, another waters, and God provides the growth. Paul's response is to redirect the devotions toward leaders back to Jesus. He asks if anyone was baptized in his (Paul's) or Apollos' name, or if he himself was crucified? No! It is Christ who performs the actions of salvation therefore it is to Christ we should direct our loyalties.
At this same time I am reading through Genesis in Morning Prayer. The stories of Jacob, Leah and Rachel are very troubling. Jacob loves Rachel, but has been tricked into marrying her older sister Leah. Leah is able to bear him many sons while the favored, Rachel is barren.
With each new child Leah prays that, "finally my husband will honor/love me." At the same time, Rachel has the affections of Jacob but cannot bear children. In a society where progeny was critical to life this is full of heartache for both women. Jacob picked his favorite but neither of his wives were content.
Eventually God is moved to have mercy on Rachel and she will bear children for Jacob. And ironically despite Jacob's desires and favoritism of Rachel it is Leah who's lineage, through her son Judah, will bear Jesus' genealogy recorded in Matthew's gospel.
There is the tendency among God's people to pick sides. It happens in the church as well. We like one staff member over another, we like this priest, or we liked the previous priest better. Or! We can't wait for the next priest.
Don't do that! What I am inspired by in these lessons is that we are all here to serve Jesus Christ. We are all brothers and sisters of the same Lord. We have different ways of serving. There are some administrators that do things differently than others, there are musicians that do things differently than others, there are priests and Sunday school teachers that do things differently than others. But we all serve the same Jesus. Praise the Lord!
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