Love's Dark Side

Daily Office Devotional, Tuesday, June 1, 2021

The Week of Trinity Sunday

The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.

Key phrase for reflection in today’s reading:

9And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for my needs were supplied by the friends who came from Macedonia. . . . 11And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

Today we celebrate the Feast of Justin Martyr. (See below.)

Daily Office Lectionary readings

AM Psalm 61, 62; PM Psalm 68:1-20(21-23) 24-36

Deuteronomy 30:11-20; 2 Corinthians 11:1-21a

Luke 19:1-10

Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, Book of Common Prayer

Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer), Page 127, Book of Common Prayer

Daily Office Epistle, 2 Corinthians 11:1-21

11:1I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by its cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough.

5 I think that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6I may be untrained in speech, but not in knowledge; certainly in every way and in all things we have made this evident to you. 7Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I proclaimed God’s good news to you free of charge? 8I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for my needs were supplied by the friends who came from Macedonia. So I refrained and will continue to refrain from burdening you in any way. 10As the truth of Christ is in me, this boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! 12And what I do I will also continue to do, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want an opportunity to be recognized as our equals in what they boast about. 13For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds.

16 I repeat, let no one think that I am a fool; but if you do, then accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17What I am saying in regard to this boastful confidence, I am saying not with the Lord’s authority, but as a fool; 18since many boast according to human standards, I will also boast. 19For you gladly put up with fools, being wise yourselves! 20For you put up with it when someone makes slaves of you, or preys upon you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or gives you a slap in the face. 21To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that.

David's Reflections

Love for others has its dark side; being devoted to the well being and wholeness of others can become painful when those who mean so much to you make self-destructive choices and question the sincerity of your devotion. Second Corinthians 10-12 expresses a cry from a heart broken for a struggling group of new believers, a church being victimized by self-serving missionary teachers. This group had lately come to Corinth and had been advancing their ministry there at Paul's expense. Christians birthed through Paul’s labors were turning on him in response to their message. Paul was living on the dark side of love.

Paul's missionary strategy involved supporting himself financially while living in a new location and founding a church there. He would only accept financial support when traveling between locations because he could not work to support himself in transit. And, occasionally another church would assist him from afar (At least twice the churches in the northern province of Macedonia had sent financial aid to him. Note verse 9 above and see Philippians 4 and 2 Corinthians 8:1ff)

His opponents here obviously had slandered him because of this practice. They had claimed that Paul must not be a true apostle; otherwise, he would accept the financial support of the church, which was an apostle's right. They also were questioning the sincerity of Paul's approach; he was taking advantage of the church somehow. (See 1 Corinthians 9 for an earlier response from Paul to this issue.)

Paul responded here very sharply; only in Galatians is his intensity comparable. Among other things, he accused these teachers of exploiting the Corinthians themselves. "For you put up with it when someone makes slaves of you, or preys upon you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or gives you a slap in the face. To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!" (verses 20-21)

As sharp as Paul's response feels, his heart was overflowing with devotion for this new community of faith birthed through his labors. I would hope that we would care enough for one another in our own communities to be this vulnerable with one another. Would that our love for each other would prompt us to take the risks of openness, especially when another might themselves be at risk and need to hear what might be both uncomfortable to say and to hear. For someone to love another enough to risk their rejection in order to express that love openly in loving confrontation--what a gift!

"Love goes out on a limb. Love spends the whole wad. Love goes for it all. Love burns bridges, kills the fatted calf, sells all it has for the pearl of great price. Love is a risky, daring, caution-to-the-winds . . . sort of thing. . . . Love goes for it all, dares the loss of all, puts all of its weight on what it cares and believes in: not life ignorant of realities, life in scorn of consequences." *

*Bruce Van Blair, A Year to Remember (Seattle, WA: Glen Abbey Books, 1988), p. 172.

The Collect of the Day, Trinity Sunday

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today we celebrate the Feast of Justin Martyr (died 167 CE).

http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Justin_Martyr.htm

Collect of the Feast of Justin Martyr

O God, who has given your Church wisdom and revealed deep and secret things: Grant that we, like your servant Justin and in union with his prayers, may find your Word an abiding refuge all the days of our lives; through Jesus Christ, who with the Holy Spirit lives and reigns with you, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

A Collect for Grace

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 100)

Of the Holy Spirit

Almighty and most merciful God, grant that by the indwelling of your Holy Spirit we may be enlightened and strengthened for your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 251)

In the Morning

This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen. (BCP, 461)

A Collect for Mission

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. (BCP, 100)