How Would Jesus Be?

A Reflection on the Second Reading for February 7th, 2021:
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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1 Corinthians
9.16-19, 22-23

Brothers and sisters: If I proclaim the Gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the Gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the Gospel.

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.

To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the Gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
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Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

Against the Oprah era narrative of “be your best self”; “you can’t be all things to everyone”; and “you do you”, this epistle from Paul is jarring. Paul has been changed, saved, and transformed by the truth of the Gospel. He doesn’t boast or brag about his salvation, he carries the truth as a happy burden that can only be divested by sharing it over and over again, at whatever cost is required.


Paul didn’t want to “be his best self”, he wanted to be like Christ. He wanted to live a life worthy of his calling as evangelist to all people. He did something like modern secular society can’t countenance — he let his faith transform him and inform every action he made. He became a slave of his faith and subjugated his own autonomy to serve his God. Can you imagine declaring this in a University’s class? How incongruous would this declaration of chosen slavery be interpreted in the chemistry lab? The philosophy student lounge? The medical school atrium?


And yet, Paul reminds us that this is indeed the obligation we bear as recipients of the Gospel. The obligation isn’t just because of some God given need to evangelize, but in fact is an activity through which we are further conformed to Christ Himself. Paul is modelling an imitation of Christ that we can in turn imitate. Not the well intended but bland “what would Jesus do” but rather the far more challenging “how would Jesus be”. Paul tells us: he makes himself a slave to all, he becomes weak to reach the weak, he becomes like those he needs to reach in order to reach them. What more profound imitation of Christ could there be? After all, to reach us, Christ took on flesh. He became one of us to reach us. He subjected Himself to our weakness, temptations, and even our death — all to overcome them all.


By making himself all things to all people, Paul has rejected the ideal of perfect human autonomy and self-determination in favour of a life of total service to others to ensure they can hear and receive the Gospel. We are called to sacrifice everything to make the Gospel free of charge, totally available, alive, and authentic to all we interact with.


That will mean looking and feeling like a fool. That will mean being mocked, scorned, and cast aside. But that will also mean that when those around us are afraid, hurting, and alone, they will know they can trust their hearts with us. By being shameless — and importantly, not boastful — witnesses of the Gospel, we can make our very lives a space for people to encounter Christ.




Stephanie Potter

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