Today’s reading holds a pertinent message for our rights-oriented culture. Paul recognises and validates certain rights that he has as an apostle. But he then points out that he was compelled to forfeit those rights to fulfil his mission in the most effective way. He gave up his rights wherever he felt they may be an obstacle to fulfilling his responsibility. In this, Paul is consciously following the example of Christ who, as he says in Philippians 2:6-8, gave up all his rights for the sake of his mission. You will often be faced with a choice between your rights and your responsibilities. Following Jesus means that we must always be prepared to give up the former for the latter. We must always be prepared to forfeit our rights if this is necessary for the fulfilment of our responsibilities. Even to slaves the exhortation of Paul and Peter was for submission to the injustice of their position “so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive” (Titus 2:9-10, cf. 1 Peter 2:18-21). This seems ludicrous to modern sensibilities, but this is what made the early Christian movement so powerful (and eventually gave it the influence to end slavery). Paul gave up his rights “to make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive”. We also should be prepared to do so, not as a display of piety, but wherever this might be necessary for the benefit of our mission. This is what Jesus meant when he called us to take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23).
Reflect on what rights you may need to forfeit to fulfil your mission more effectively.
Read 1 Corinthians 9:1-23
