Kathemerinosatos

Brigid, Abbess of Kildare, 525Ad

It is a virtue and a prize to listen patiently to and put up with insults for the sake of Go” ~ Brigit of Kildare

Text

1 Corinthians 14:20

Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.

Reflection

This verse should be understood in the context of spiritual gifts particularly Paul’s emphasis on the superiority of prophecy over speaking in tongues. Now the Apostle exhorts his readers to attain a similar level of understanding. The exhortation itself is straightforward, consisting of three contrasting lines, “Be not children in your minds; but be like infants in evil, and be mature in your minds.” The context shows the particular area of thinking in which the Corinthians are to be mature, that is, in regard to the use of tongues. Paul expects the Corinthians to treat this subject with a degree of maturity expected of Christians. The contrasting images presented by Paul are interesting  in that he gives both positive and negative sides in a metaphor of a child. Rationally a child is immature to be trusted  but spiritually a child is innocent and rarely commit a sin. As Christians a balance of these two sides of a metaphor of a child is needed. We need to be rationally mature in dealing with issues like adults but conversely we need to be like infants when it comes to commit sins. What are those innocent qualities of infant? 1. They don’t lie. 2. They trust everyone. 3. They get angry but just for a short period of time. 4. They easily forget bad things done on them. 5. They don’t hold grudges. 6. They are full of love. 7. They are grateful of what they have. 8. They don’t segregate one another. 9. They easily confess bad things that they have done. 10. They report bad things without concealing the truths. May we be like those infants.  Amen.

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God now and forever. Amen.