I managed to see my parents for a time between flights in NZ, then flew to Hong Kong: my first trip there. The entire place is like a bazaar: I do not speak Cantonese and the locals do not understand my accent (I can understand their chinese accent though). I then travelled for 11 hours through five time zones and I am sitting in a hotel, trying to stay awake long enough to get the body clock to reset.
Today’s text, ironically, has a passage about travel and liaison among workers. You can learn a lot about Paul and his co workers from these business parts of his letters — because they are busy. Paul did not do this alone, and he did not want his co-workers alone in the crowd of the city bu instead he wanted them safely enclosed in the local church.
10If Timothy comes, see that he has nothing to fear among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord just as I am; 11therefore let no one despise him. Send him on his way in peace, so that he may come to me; for I am expecting him with the brothers.
12Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but he was not at all willing to come now. He will come when he has the opportunity.
13Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. 14Let all that you do be done in love.
15Now, brothers and sisters, you know that members of the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints; 16I urge you to put yourselves at the service of such people, and of everyone who works and toils with them. 17I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence; 18for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. So give recognition to such persons.
19The churches of Asia send greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, greet you warmly in the Lord. 20All the brothers and sisters send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
21I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22Let anyone be accursed who has no love for the Lord. Our Lord, come! 23The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.
Now, the other passage that was quoted was one about demoniacs and Jesus being accused of being the prince of demons, the Lord of the Flies. I have talked about that recently. I’m more interested in the comment that those who do not love the Lord are to be cursed. It may be that their hatred curses recursively, but the haters are to be damned.
Which is a fairly dangerous warning, particularly to the trolls that keep on turning up and producing five minutes or more of hate. We have to be careful: we can be irrtable (and I’m quite aware that I am all to often irritated) but we must not hate Jesus.
We must love him. But the acid is that Jesus has a test for that love. It is that we keep his commandment, do as he did, and love one another,