Daily Devotion for Lent 2021 - Day 18

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 7 (NRSV)

Television shows in the 50's and 60's
portrayed married couples as 
sleeping in separate beds.  Paul
may have liked this portrayal by the media!

As we move through this chapter, we have Paul's advice to married couples in Corinth.  He seems to go back and forth on what is proper but he leans heavily toward being celibate primarily because he believes that Jesus will return shortly.

He doesn't want sex to be a distraction as it has been throughout human history.  Paul does make concessions to a more mutual approach to sexuality within marriage.  Rather than making the woman submissive to the man, he allows that a married couple is responsible to one another.  

While this was remarkable in the first century, twenty centuries later, it seems regressive to state that a husband is in charge of the wife's body and vice versa.  We would say that for healthy boundaries to be observed, one should always be in charge of their own body as far as what they would find allowable.  I think Paul is trying to make the point that we should seek to keep our sexual urges within the bonds of marriage while respecting one another in the process.

Paul does allow for interfaith marriages.  Rather than the non-believing spouse to drag down the faithful, Paul allows the optimistic view that our good influence might rub off on them.  This may have been much more common in Corinth at that time because there would have been so many who worshipped multiple gods at multiple houses of worship.

Ideally, a life unencumbered by a married relationship seems to be Paul's goal for the faithful at this point.  This comes from the belief in Christ's imminent return.  Because of context (Jesus didn't return in Paul's lifetime), we can see how we give allowances to ignore some of the advice he gives and more actively encourage marriage for people who would seek this covenant.

Can our closest relationships distract us from our faithfulness?  Absolutely they can!  But the opposite is also true.  If we see these relationships as enhancing our relationship with God, they strengthen our faith which also strengthens our marriage life and commitment.  As we consider the deepest questions of faith with those whom we love, it draws us closer to one another while drawing us closer to God.

Prayer for the day:

Holy Lord, we know that it is healthier for us to be comfortable in our own skin.  When we are satisfied with who you have created us to be, it allows us to have an inner peace that permeates all of our interactions.  May the peace we find in Christ give us love for one another that observes healthy boundaries and enhances your love in the world.  We pray these things in Christ's name.  Amen.

Photo by Kerry Ann Dame via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

All scripture quoted is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.