23RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

It is . . . a failure on your part that you have lawsuits against one another.

We all know what it’s like to be at odds with someone. We’ve experienced misunderstanding, conflict, even animosity with other people. And that means we’re not so different from the Corinthian believers whom Paul admonishes in today’s first reading. They just couldn’t seem to resolve conflicts among themselves. They spent a lot of time suing one another, likely over petty differences. And Paul told them that needed to stop.

Paul wasn’t condemning the legal system. He was encouraging the Corinthians not to give up on each other. He wanted them to make every effort to settle their own disagreements and live in peace with one another. And that’s good advice for us too.

How good are you at resolving your differences with other people? So many of the conflicts we experience spring from our own selfishness or stubbornness, which can divide us from one another. And that’s something we can change. How? Look back at Paul’s words to the Corinthians and consider your role in a conflict you are involved in. Are there ways in which you are “inflicting injustice” in that situation (1 Corinthians 6:8)? If so, take responsibility for that, and seek the grace of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Of course, there are circumstances in which you really are not the one at fault, and other times when you need to seek the remedy of law. But for many of the conflicts we routinely face, the best way to find peace is to make sure our own lives are in order. Then we’ll be better able to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ with the humility and the respect they deserve. We might even become more willing to put up with a little inconvenience. Patience, generosity, and understanding can do wonders in helping to resolve personal differences.

So let’s take responsibility. Let’s practice going out of our way to be generous and forgiving. Let’s not give up on one another. You might be surprised how effective it is when we welcome Jesus’ peace into our relationships.

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”

1 Corinthians 6:1-11
Psalm 149:1-6, 9
Luke 6:12-19