Reaping What We Sow – Lectionary Reflection for Pentecost 4C/Proper 9 (Galatians 6)

Interfaith Prayer Team - City of Troy

Galatians 6:1-16 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

6 My brothers and sisters, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. ² Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. ⁴ All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. ⁵ For all must carry their own loads.

⁶ Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.

⁷ Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. ⁸ If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh, but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. ⁹ So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith.

¹¹ See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! ¹² It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. ¹⁴ May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. ¹⁵ For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything, but a new creation is everything! ¹⁶ As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

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                In Galatians 5 Paul tells the Galatian churches that Christ had set them free, but he also told them not to “use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence.” Instead, he told them to become slaves/servants of one another in love. The Law, he revealed, is summed up in what Jesus called the second great commandment, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” How do we live out this calling? According to Paul, we are to live by the Spirit and not gratify the flesh. So, be led by the Spirit (Gal. 5:1, 13-16). That is the message we encountered in the previous week’s reading. That message leads us to Paul’s final word in chapter 6.

                The passage from Galatians 6, according to the creators of the Revised Common Lectionary, can begin either with verse 1 or verse 7. I placed the first six verses in italics to make this demarcation clear. There is a continuation of the spirit of love, such that the Galatian believers are called upon to restore those who have transgressed the ways of Jesus, but they are to do so with a spirit of gentleness so they might fulfill the law of Christ, which is the law of love according to our reading of Galatians 5. So, while we are to bear each other’s burdens in the spirit of love, we should also carry our own loads. That might seem like a contradiction, but what Paul is saying here, as I read it, is that while we are to care for others, we should try not to be a burden ourselves. Oh, and make sure to take care of your teachers (we preachers like to take note of this verse, to remind our congregations that we are worthy of our hire).

                All of this serves as a foundation to the core message of this final chapter. Paul tells the Galatians that we will reap what we sow. In other words, if we sow to the flesh, that’s what we’ll produce. What is the product of sowing to the flesh? According to Paul in chapter 5, the works of the flesh include: “sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these” (Gal. 5:19-21). In the context of his Galatian letter, where Paul is more concerned with factionalism than immorality, the emphasis probably should go to quarrels, dissensions, and factions. If that’s what you sow, that’s what you’ll reap. In Paul’s mind, that’s not a good move. So, don’t be deceived because you can’t pull one over on God. Know also that God will not be mocked.

                While Paul first warns against sowing to the flesh, he then moves to what he wants us to sow.  That is, instead of sowing to the flesh and reaping the corruption of the flesh, “sow to the Spirit.” If you do that, you will reap eternal life. Sowing to the flesh leads to death (and from what we can tell, Paul assumes that the choices are eternal life and eternal death/annihilation). So, let us sow that which leads to eternal life. What does that involve? Well, let’s go back to Galatians 5, where Paul lays out the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23).

                Paul preaches a message of freedom, but he’s not what you call an antinomian (anti-law). He doesn’t believe that suggests anything and everything goes. Our freedom is limited by the greater good of the community. We see this stated clearly in Paul’s Corinthian letter, while the issues might have been different there, the principle is the same: while all things are lawful, not everything is beneficial. The slogan “all things are lawful” is probably a slogan cooked up by some of the folks in Corinth, but instead of tossing it out, Paul reframes it. For Paul, when it comes to being the church, we should focus on what is beneficial not just to ourselves, but to the entire community (1 Cor. 10:23-24). In Paul’s mind, the church is the body of Christ, and as such, we are all equipped by God with gifts that build up the body (see my book Unfettered Spirit: Spiritual Gifts for the New Great Awakening, 2nd ed.). In other words, we need each other (1 Cor. 12).

This emphasis on community might not resonate well in Modern America, which is focused on the individual. That is especially true at this moment in time as many Americans prioritize their freedom to do what they want when they want. So, when it comes to the Pandemic, well I get to decide when to wear a mask or get vaccinated. If I get sick well, that’s my concern. The problem is that if you get sick you can pass it on to others, many of whom have compromised immune systems. When your freedom adversely affects the larger community, the needs of the whole body need to take priority. At least, that’s my reading of Paul’s letters to the Galatians and the Corinthians. Remember what Paul revealed in chapter 5: “the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Gal. 5:14). So, don’t grow weary in doing what is right. Continue the necessary work that leads up to the time of harvest.

                Paul is concerned here and elsewhere with a human tendency to focus on our wants and desires. As he does in the Corinthians letter, he emphasizes the needs of the community. He might not use the body imagery here as in 1 Corinthians 12, but the message is similar. Therefore, “whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those of the family of faith” (vs. 10). Interestingly, Paul adds the qualifier about work for the good of the family of faith, which serves as a reminder that our ability to minister to the larger world begins with caring for those in the community. That starts here with Paul’s desire to unify a divided community, one that seems to be divided over the question of circumcision. He needs to get that issue resolved if the congregation is going to be effective in its witness. An angry, divided, congregation will not be able to bear witness to the good news of Jesus. So, he starts there. However, the caveat suggests that Paul’s ultimate aim is the good of all. That means Paul has in mind not only the church but also the larger community existing outside the congregation. Let us remember that Paul has a mission-based mentality! So, how might we extend this love to the larger community?

                Having made this plea to pursue the welfare of all, Paul returns to the problem that led to the letter. In fact, he makes it clear that he is the author by writing in large letters this closing. He calls out those who are pushing the Gentile believers to be circumcised so that they wouldn’t be persecuted for the cross. He tells the Gentile believers that even the circumcised folks don’t obey the law, even though they’re making circumcision the end-all of the way of faith. Their desire to do this is rooted in their desire to boast about their power over the Gentile believers. Indeed, this is a power struggle between the founding father of the congregation and those sent from outside who have undermined that message. Paul responds that he wishes to boast only in the cross of Christ, that he might be crucified with Jesus. This isn’t a matter of martyrdom, but rather putting to death the desires of the flesh. Ultimately, he makes it clear that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters. Rather, what matters is the new creation. Here we see Paul’s apocalyptic side. Circumcision represents the old creation, but in the new creation, circumcision won’t matter. The boundary between Jew and Gentile has been transgressed by Jesus. So, if you want to be circumcised, that’s fine, just don’t impose it on others.

                The word he gives to those who have experienced the new creation is this: he wishes them peace and mercy. That together Jew and Gentile united under the cross of Jesus might be the Israel of God. The message to the Galatians is one of unity. If you sow to the flesh, you will undermine that unity. If you sow to the Spirit, you will live under the cross, and experience unity of the Spirit so that as a congregation you can pursue the good of all. Paul wishes God’s peace be upon all those who follow this rule that reveals the new creation in Christ. So, may we pursue the way of the Spirit, then what we sow and reap will be a blessing to all, including ourselves!  Doing that involves following the way of love. How are you expressing the love of Christ?