Boasting in the Lord (4th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

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Click here for the Old Testament reflection (The Faithful Remnant)

In this reading, St. Paul challenges the prevailing mindset of the majority ofpeople in the Greco-Roman world regarding who is to be considered important. The Greeks prized wisdom, as seen from their venerable tradition of philosophers and scientists. The Romans, being empire-builders, prized strength, which they expressed through their military might. Many of the early Christians, having come from that background, still carried those worldly mindsets with them, looking down upon others for being less wealthy, wise or prestigious than themselves.

Thus, Paul reminds them that God did not choose them for salvation based on any of those categories. Rather, He chose precisely those who lacked such categories to show how insignificant they are in His eyes. What truly matters is a heart that is humble enough to accept His grace. Even those who have wisdom or power do so only because God gave it to them out of His abundance, which takes out all grounds for boasting. As Paul tells them later on: “For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7)

At the close of this passage, Paul quotes a section of Jeremiah. Although he doesn’t quote the passage in full, it is worth quoting because Paul’s message echoes the prophet’s which stresses that what the Lord truly values is a heart that loves Him and seeks to obey His law:

Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:23–24)

We should always keep it in mind that God saved us not because of any worldly quality we may have, be it wisdom, prestige or power, but out of sheer grace, and this realization should humble us and cause us to grow in love for God, and for our neighbours who are likewise loved by Him.