1 Corinthians 5:9-13

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral persons— not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy and robbers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging those outside? Is it not those who are inside that you are to judge? God will judge those outside. “Drive out the wicked person from among you.”

So, I almost gave in to the temptation not to write about one of the daily lectionary texts.

And as you read this one, I'll bet you can understand why.

Or at least I hope you do.

As important as the Apostle Paul is for us as the founder of our Christian theology, every now and then he can be oh, so unhelpful.

This, I believe, is one of those times.

You may have noticed that Paul doesn't often quote the Historical Jesus. He is often more concerned with the Cosmic Christ: the one who "In the beginning was the Word" and was "with God" and "is God."

Paul didn't often have much to say about the words of Jesus of Nazareth, the man.

That Jesus of Nazareth didn't quite qualify his "Do not Judge" statement as Paul does here.

Instead he said it that simply: Do not Judge.

The reality is that daily we both eat and associate with people who have committed sexual sins. Or who have been drunk. Or greedy. 

Or been idolatrous. 

And many of those folks are in our communities. Our churches.

Our homes.

Our selves.

Yet, instead of "drive them out," Jesus said: "This is my body given for you."

He says: you are forgiven.

Set free.

Now, Paul had his reasons to tell the Corinthian church what he did. This new church, just setting out, needed boundaries.

But don't mistake Paul's qualifying words to them as the same words from our savior.

Those words were "Do not judge."

Those words encouraged us to be together, united, forgiven, free.

Instead remember Paul's other words to the Romans, words we heard on Reformation Sunday. 

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

All.

Me.

You.

Us.

Them.

All.

Lord of all, forgive me when I judge. Help me to see the log in my own eye before I try to take out the speck of someone else's. Amen.