THE SEASON OF EPIPHANY
February 7, 2021
“From Super to Service”
The snow is blowing, drifting, clinging to bushes, trees, and fences, creating a white landscape with a few touches of gray and brown. It must be time for a big-deal football game, right? This weekend, large areas of the country are experiencing full-out winter, which doesn’t exactly match our definition of football weather. Most people connect crisp fall days and colorful leaves to what is commonly considered football season. But this is another situation altogether, and after a much-hyped schedule of playoff games, the two finalists take to the field (fortunately for them, in balmy Florida.)
Whether football fans or not, many people find “Super Sunday” a good excuse to have a party (on a smaller scale this year, of course) and are glad to relieve the winter blahs by enjoying a festive afternoon. Watching someone perform at a high level of skill, whether athletic, artistic, or technical, both fascinates and impresses us. Practice and self-discipline are keys to success, and we often hear the expression “student of the game” as one of the reasons someone is very good at what they do.
Our modern-era enthusiasm for sporting events is far from the interests of people living in the First Century, but there are a few mentions in the Bible of races and competitions. In his letters to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul spoke of the new concept of being free from the constraints of Jewish law, and how he was able to be a servant to others because of his freedom.
“Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one.” (I Cor. 9:24a, 25) Using the image of a well-trained runner winning a race to the cheers of the crowd, Paul encourages the early Christians to be disciplined as they share the faith and serve others, reminding them that their reward is eternal.
So how do we go from all this winning to being a servant? In an apparent contradiction, Paul referred to himself as both a free person and a slave, and inspired Martin Luther to write “On the Freedom of a Christian.” Luther said, “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” Being a servant arises from the consciousness of one’s freedom. Modeled by Christ, we see that true freedom is power to bear another’s suffering and even their death.
Freed from the burden of the law, as the saved and forgiven children of God, we have the privilege and responsibility of sharing this joyful good news. As we wrap our freedom in servanthood and reach out with Christ’s love to a world in need, the Gospel will be lived and living.
“For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them.” (I Cor. 9:19)
Free to serve,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers