Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (1 Corinthians 10:17).
Read 1 Corinthians 10:14–11:1
I have barracked for the Mighty Richmond Tigers since I first moved to Victoria, aged 10, in 1977. It is hard to imagine, but many other people support other football teams, codes, or even interests other than sports. That’s the freedom we have as individuals. Differences like this help create a diverse and interesting community.
We may have the freedom to follow and express our different preferences in our daily lives, but St Paul is very clear about where we must put our trust. We are to flee from idolatry. Martin Luther described what it means to have a god or idol: ‘A god means that from which we are to expect all good and in which we are to take refuge in all distress’.
Our senses are bombarded constantly with messages that imply our lives would be so much better and more fulfilling if only we used this product or if we followed this advice or avoided these foods. Put your trust in this product to give you less grey hair, lose weight, gain financial security, or be a little bit happier – the devil is trying to shift our attention from Christ alone to anything else that captures our interest, even if it is for a moment.
In most instances, the products or experiences offered are harmless in themselves. Things that support healthy and growing relationships can be received as good gifts from the one true God. This puts everything in the correct order, whereby we put our trust in God alone and receive from him all the experiences that make us unique in our own way.
Binding us together is the one body and blood of Jesus Christ. Joined together through receiving Jesus’ body and blood is where we experience true unity. This unity is an exclusive gift, however. We are called to put our trust in Jesus Christ alone. Paul warns that we cannot drink from both the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.
Whoever you barrack for, or whatever your interests may be, enjoy these as God’s gifts to you. But put your trust in the Triune God, who is the giver of all that is good, especially this gift of eternal life.
Heavenly Father, thank you for binding us into the true unity of Jesus through his body and blood. Help us value the gifts you provide, using them to build up relationships with those around us. Amen.
Mathew is married to Sonja, and they are in the process of moving from the Barossa Valley in South Australia to Tabor in Western Victoria. They are blessed to have two adult sons, one married, but, as yet, no grandchildren. Mathew enjoys gardening, cycling, writing letters, and sharing adventures with Sonja.
God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13a).
Read 1 Corinthians 10:1–13
In modern times, we know about the cloud. It’s where all our personal information is stored. Everything we’ve searched, googled, or inquired into, documents we’ve saved: It would appear that nothing about our identity is private anymore. Yet technology, as amazing as it is, will never be able to emulate the omnipotence and omnipresence of our Creator God. Absolutely nothing in all of creation is hidden in any cloud from God’s sight. We read in today’s reading of another cloud: God’s cloud, which continues to guide and protect us. It is the same cloud that shielded Moses and the Israelites. It is a cloud that God has provided – one that will come in the clouds and always reigns far superior: Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:7).
In our troubled world, we see chaos and suffering. The media has made it all too accessible, and for many of us, our hearts are grieved by the affliction that others endure in this world. Yet we live protected as if living within a cloud. When we take up the armour of God daily, we can feel assured that Jesus walks beside us: our champion who has defeated the enemy. Though tempted to doubt, fear and live troubled by the many cares of this world, we can stand assured that our Saviour, Jesus Christ, is with us through all the battles that life throws us.
Loving Creator God, speak to us daily through your holy word, so we can ponder your wonderful gift and hear your calling without doubt, temptation or fear. Let us hear and listen to your voice and mind our thoughts, feelings and actions so we can respond in love to you and our neighbours through the reading and meditation of your word. Teach us to believe in your promises, so we need not be ashamed but grow in faith to stand atoned before you. Amen.
Tatiana is married to Jim, and they live in Largs North, a seaside location in Adelaide. They have two adult children and six grandchildren, who are a wonderful blessing to them both. Tatiana teaches full-time as an English, history and religion teacher; she gained a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Australian Lutheran College in 1996, and in her spare time, she enjoys knitting, gardening, singing for church, writing and swimming. Her home congregation is Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide.
Whoever plows should plow in hope and whoever threshes should thresh in hope of a share in the crop (1 Corinthians 9:10b).
Read 1 Corinthians 9:1–15
Today’s reading echoes the previous texts for this week: encouragement to have faith in the freedom that Christ offers us, the call to serve others and, in yesterday’s reading, the reminder of humility to consider others better than ourselves.
I enjoy having a lovely garden, and really I like the Edna Walling approach: wild and rambling. Some areas of my garden are neat and tidy, yet other areas remain randomly interspersed with herbs and vegetables among the flowers. I’m very interested in companion planting – plants that complement other plants, like planting garlic bulbs under roses. I have a curious interest in herbs for tea, medicine, and textile dyeing.
One area of gardening I’m not very good at is growing plants from seed. Cuttings? Sure, but seeds often fail me. One Scripture verse that has meant much to me is Luke 13:19, ‘Faith is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches’.
Now, of course, today’s devotion is not about growing actual trees or vegetables, herbs or flowers. It’s about God’s spiritual garden of faith, and we can read many analogies and parables in the Bible about this topic. In today’s reading, St Paul wants to see the fruit of the Corinthian believers and share in the harvest of their faith. We read earlier in 1 Corinthians, where he refers to his part of the spiritual gardening process, and we learn when God takes over. ‘I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth’ (1 Corinthians 3:6,7). Later, in Galatians 5:22,23, Paul seeks to witness and experience the fruit of the Spirit at work among them.
We, too, are called, together with St Paul, to be ‘part of the spiritual seed-sowing process’ through our faith, testimony and witness. This seed is different, though: ‘for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God’ (1 Peter 1:23). Will you join me in some gardening?
Holy God, creator of all things in heaven and on earth, help us to become better gardeners, sowing spiritual seed in your garden of love. We pray that we can draw on your word of truth to share your message of hope with others. May we continually seek to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and work at cultivating your garden by sowing the seed of your word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Tatiana is married to Jim, and they live in Largs North, a seaside location in Adelaide. They have two adult children and six grandchildren, who are a wonderful blessing to them both. Tatiana teaches full-time as an English, history and religion teacher; she gained a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Australian Lutheran College in 1996, and in her spare time, she enjoys knitting, gardening, singing for church, writing and swimming. Her home congregation is Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Adelaide.
But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this (1 Corinthians 7:28b).
Read 1 Corinthians 7:25–31
With a wry smile on their face, I know quite a few people who would agree with these words. Others might add, ‘It’s too late. I’ve found out the hard way!’
St Paul never married, so what’s he doing commenting about something he knows nothing about in a personal way? It might be stating the obvious here, but upon closer reading, through to the end of this chapter (verse 40), he seems to have observed enough relationships that some godly wisdom can be found.
No one sins by getting married under normal circumstances. However, there’s more to any marriage than just the ceremony. Ideally, there are years of ‘wedded bliss’ ahead that will reveal the depths of love two people can share through all the ups and downs of life. Together, dreams can become realised, such as the blessing of children, establishing a home that reflects individual and collective aspirations, growing old(er), and sharing intimacy and special occasions that only they can cherish.
Paul’s comment, ‘those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this’, provides a reality check everyone needs. Even Jesus commented on us experiencing trouble in this world: ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33). Both Jesus and St Paul speak God’s truth that nothing we will experience is unknown to him.
We all enter this world not knowing what’s ahead of us. Usually, we want a smooth journey with no hidden surprises, but that isn’t always the case. Our spouse and those closest to us can be viewed as God’s gift in times of hardship. They may not be perfect, but they can remind us just how much we need quality relationships when the troubles of life arise. However, we need Jesus especially. Stay close to him.
Who do you blame, and who do you turn to when the troubles of this life arise?
Heavenly Father, thank you again for your word that reminds us that troubles in this life are inevitable. Give us the humility to cast all our burdens and cares onto you and see in those closest to us your hand at work to guide us through. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Pastor Steve and his wife Angelyn are virtually empty nesters living in the beautiful southern Perth coastal suburbs near Warnbro Sound beach. He likes gardening, watching sports, working on home projects and spending time with his wife and children. He is constantly seeking ways to help connect people to Jesus in a meaningful way.
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11).
Read 1 Corinthians 5:9–6:11
I have known many people who match the description of who Paul is talking about in this ‘in-your-face’ section of his letter to the Corinthian church. This world provides plenty of examples of people I am so glad I’m not like. The sexually immoral, the greedy, idolaters, a drunkard or two, and even brothers who have taken each other before the courts. What a list! Who’d want to be associated with people like that?
Then I need to pause for a moment and admit that some aspects of these people’s lives reflect some aspects of my life in times gone by. Come to think of it, those times have gone by rather recently – sadly. I have been guilty of having idols – putting things ahead of God, wanting my own way above what God wants. Oh, yes, and then there’s the moment in my life when I have been greedy in wanting more than I need instead of sharing or leaving something for others. And who wants to talk about sexual sins these days anyway? Everyone has done something ‘less than pure’ in their life, so I’ll not be the first to mention it if you don’t.
I love that Paul encourages this young, problem-filled church with that small past tense word ‘were’.
Being washed clean through the waters of baptism, sanctified (being made holy), and justified (being put right with God) in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, has meant that our past doesn’t need to define us into the future. Thank God for new beginnings through Jesus’ forgiveness and presence in your life.
How well prepared are you to meet Jesus, should this life’s deadline come tomorrow?
Gracious God, thank you for blessing me with a new start and better way of life as your word and Spirit have touched my life. Please help me every day in my struggle to leave behind ungodly ways so I can live for you as a witness of your grace. Amen.
Pastor Steve and his wife Angelyn are virtually empty nesters living in the beautiful southern Perth coastal suburbs near Warnbro Sound beach. He likes gardening, watching sports, working on home projects and spending time with his wife and children. He is constantly seeking ways to help connect people to Jesus in a meaningful way.
Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? (1 Corinthians 5:6b).
Read 1 Corinthians 5:1–8
I always appreciate the concreteness of the illustrations Jesus gives us about the kingdom of heaven. On Sunday, we reflected Matthew 13:33 and how the kingdom of God is like yeast hidden in three measures of flour. Today, Paul uses leaven or yeast to describe how badly immorality affects the community of saints in the church. I think this is important for our Western and post-modern sensibilities to hear. We all know how scandal can lead to destructive gossip and unrest in the church, and it becomes important how the leaders in the church handle such matters. When these things happen, members can fall away as they become spiritually discouraged because of this public hypocrisy. We must soberly recognise this risk.
Here, Paul is saying that immoral behaviour has such dire consequences on the spiritual unity of the body that the whole cannot live. He says it is so bad that the dough has no hope of ever being good again, so he recommends it be cleansed. I find this interesting because when it comes to bread-baking, dead yeast, even if mixed in dough, cannot be salvaged. It is better to get rid of the dough and start again.
Paul proposes that the church be cleansed from within. He recommends that the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth is the only fitting way to celebrate the final Passover feast. Jesus’ blood shed on the cross for us is the only thing that truly cleanses us and the world from sin. So when public sin enters the church – which it will – we in the church are wise to consider God’s grace that was given to us through Christ’s sacrifice and to sincerely trust in it. We can ask Jesus in prayer and through his sacrament to cleanse the body of our community so that it can be healthy again. As Christians, we are called to live our lives as holy and sanctified members of Christ’s body, always remembering that we, too, have been cleansed and taking care not to hinder the light of God’s grace as revealed in our behaviour that is always on display in the church and world.
Dear Heavenly Father, by your grace, you have redeemed us by the blood of Christ. Help us, by your Spirit, to live as your children in sincerity and truth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Kimberley Pfeiffer is married to Joshua, and they have four children. She is a member of the Lutheran Church of Australia and has served in various forms of church work. Kimberley is currently studying in graduate school at Concordia Lutheran Seminary, St Louis, USA. She is enjoying the challenge and the adventure abroad.
If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward (1 Corinthians 3:14).
Read 1 Corinthians 2:14 – 3:15
In today’s reading, the Apostle Paul was writing to the people at the church in Corinth. Paul had been away for some time, and his sapling church was struggling along. Things weren’t going very well, and upon hearing about the quarrels and conflict, Paul sent this message to encourage them and lead them into the mysteries of God.
Paul wanted to reveal to them a deeper understanding of the wisdom and power of God in the cross of Christ, but first, he needed to show them that their thinking was not being ruled by the Spirit of God. Paul pointed this out as he reflected on their concerns about which leader to follow – Paul or Apollos. This matter was causing them great unrest. As in every generation, we do well to reflect on how this relates to us in the challenges we face in our own church.
Paul showed them that they were thinking about their problems in the wrong way. They were relying on human wisdom. He said that the only way forward for the church is to seek the wisdom of God with the help of the Holy Spirit, who reveals and teaches spiritual truths (1 Corinthians 2:10–13).
Paul opened their minds to the wisdom of Christ by helping them to look beyond what they could see in the human sense. He showed them that the cross is the only way, and this would require patient endurance in their spiritual growth as a church. They could only do this by putting their trust in Christ as their spiritual foundation, their stable base. Paul goes on to say that this will be hard because it will go against everything they thought they knew – after all, the way of the cross is folly to the world.
As we read God’s word today, we, too, can be reminded of the importance of placing our trust in Christ as our only foundation. One blessing from this is that we are set free to appreciate our pastors for who they are and not pick them apart for what they are not. We can thank God that we have them and that God has given them to us for our growth in faith and love as we learn with the saints to walk in the way of Christ.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, to be your church’s firm foundation. Lord, you know how fragile our faith can be when we are fearful about the future. Teach us your ways, and raise up faithful servants to nourish your church with your life-giving word. We ask this with the help of the Holy Spirit and in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Kimberley Pfeiffer is married to Joshua, and they have four children. She is a member of the Lutheran Church of Australia and has served in various forms of church work. Kimberley is currently studying in graduate school at Concordia Lutheran Seminary, St Louis, USA. She is enjoying the challenge and the adventure abroad.
Read 1 Corinthians 2:1–13
Many times in the Scriptures, one of the inspired biblical authors gives us an analogy from our human experience to gain a deeper understanding of spiritual realities. This verse is one of those times and makes a simple but profoundly important point. The issue at hand is how a person can come to know something about God. Can we work God out, beginning with our own ideas?
The Apostle Paul tells us to think about it like this – who really knows you? Others can get to know you through your words and actions, but no-one can read your thoughts (incidentally, this is one thing that makes human relationships difficult!). As such, no-one really knows you in your innermost self, with all your deepest thoughts, desires, fears, and such. There’s a profound sense in which you’re the only one who truly knows yourself.
St Paul says if you can resonate with this, you have a window into how we can know about God. Just as it’s only our spirit that knows our thoughts, so it’s only the Spirit of God who knows the thoughts of God. Of course, this is infinitely more mysterious in God’s case, as the Spirit of God is a distinct person within the Trinity. Yet we can still get the point of the analogy. You know you. God knows God.
What this means, then, for us is very simple. If we want to learn about God, we don’t start with our own ideas. Instead, we look to the Spirit to reveal to us what we can know about God. The Spirit does this for us through his word and his ongoing work of enlightening our minds to understand his word.
This is good news for us because the secret wisdom of God is not to do with justice, vengeance or punishment but with grace and mercy. Marvellously, when the Spirit reveals to us the innermost thoughts of God, they are centred on our salvation in Christ Jesus.
Gracious Father, thank you for revealing yourself to us by your own Spirit through your word. Enlighten us more and more by your Spirit, so we may truly know you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Joshua is married to Kimberley, and they have four children together. He is a pastor of the Lutheran Church of Australia and previously served at St Paul’s Nundah in Queensland and Bethlehem Adelaide in South Australia. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies at Concordia Seminary St Louis, USA, and enjoying the adventure.
Jesus said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me? … Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep’ (John 21:17).
Read John 21:15–25
Simon Peter had messed up big time. He had followed Jesus so far in his time of need, but then, when it came to the crunch, he fell to pieces. To deny knowing him once was bad. To do it again was worse. To do it a third time, well, that just seems unforgivable. Now, however, Jesus comes to restore him. If you’ve ever been in this position of making a big mistake and then have been given a second chance, you know something of what this must have been like for Simon Peter. Jesus, in his resurrection, comes not to condemn or settle the score with those who had let him down, but rather, he comes with his blood-bought peace to restore Peter to his service in a remarkable way.
Jesus repeats his question three times, a parallel to Simon Peter’s threefold denial. The question is striking, though, as it doesn’t exactly match. It’s not, ‘Simon, can you publicly admit now that you do know me and are one of my disciples?’ Instead, it’s ‘Simon … do you love me?’ As always, Jesus gets past the external manifestation to the deeper issue of the heart. The issue is, who or what has Simon Peter’s fear, love and trust above all things? Jesus graciously forgives and restores Peter to service, and in that restoration, Peter is invited to once again place Jesus at the centre of his service and life. He is invited to love the one who loves him.
If you struggle with past sins and wonder how Christ can still use you in his kingdom, look to Peter and how he was graciously restored to service. As we do this, we’re invited to respond to the same question our Lord posed to Peter, ‘Do you love me?’ At the centre of all service in the church and all of Christian life is the one who loves us and invites us to love him above all things. I once heard someone say that when a congregation is searching for a pastor or lay worker, they usually have many questions but can sometimes miss the obvious one: do you love Jesus?
Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for restoring Peter to your service, even after his failure. Help us to fear, love and trust you above all things. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Joshua is married to Kimberley, and they have four children together. He is a pastor of the Lutheran Church of Australia and previously served at St Paul’s Nundah in Queensland and Bethlehem Adelaide in South Australia. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies at Concordia Seminary St Louis, USA, and enjoying the adventure.