(Please read this Scripture passage first, before the homily.)
Are we allowed to eat meat that was sacrificed to pagan gods? Now to share in the meat meant to share in the sacrifice. If should do this, some could take it that we were worshipping false gods. Now we know that false gods do not exist, for there is only one God and one Lord. So, we can eat the meat if we’d like because false gods do not exist. On the other hands, what if our neighbor does not have this same understanding and thinks that we are worshipping false gods? What if the neighbor gives up the Christian faith in favor of these false gods? Then we have lost our Christian companion because of our “superior” knowledge. Our freedom, then can cause a neighbor to sin. This, St Paul would say, is a misuse of freedom.
What does all this have to do with the reading for today? In the previous chapter, Paul had spoken about meat sacrificed to idols and sold in the market. In today’s reading, Paul would give us an example from his life of freely giving up a right for the sake of others.
Paul had come among the Corinthians as an apostle. He knew that he had a right to have the Corinthians take care of him. He knew that Jesus had said to do this. He also knew, however, that if he were to use this right, the Corinthians would think of him as just another money-hungry philosopher out to get them.
Paul, therefore, allowed the church in Philippi to care for his needs and he preached the gospel to the Corinthians free of charge. He had the right to a salary or stipend, but he forewent the money for the sake of the people.
The Corinthians had the right to eat meat sacrificed to idols because idols did not really exist. Some did eat, even though others were scandalized at this behavior. Paul had the right to financial reimbursement for his labors, but he refused to accept it for the benefit of his converts. Paul, by his example, would teach that the Corinthians should do as much regarding meat sacrificed to idols. They did not have to use their rights all the time.
What rights do we have that we should at times forego for the benefit of others? We can claim a right not to wear masks in public, but since this puts other people at risk, we could forego the right for the benefit of the others. We can allow people to advance ahead of us, when we could assert our right of way.
When I was growing up, we bigger kids would often teach our littler siblings how to play games. Sometimes, we would let them win. By letting them win, we kept their interest up and helped them learn better. Sometimes they learned how to beat us.
There are also some things we have no right to do. We have no right to take down other people’s campaign signs. While we have the right to vote for the candidate we think best suited for office, we have no right to defame the other candidates. We have the right to say I prefer Candidate M but no right to call the other candidates names or spread rumors about them.
Paul used himself as an example of helping others by foregoing rights. We must also give way to others.