The Church, through the epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans, is trying to teach us a great mystery today: the mystery of us being members of the Body of Christ.  In order to prepare us to hear of this mystery, St. Paul prefaces today’s lesson with these words; “… I say, through the grace given to me, to [all of you], not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Romans 12: 3)

What does it mean to “think soberly”, and that we should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think?  First let me tell you what it does NOT mean: it does not mean that you are always wrong, that you should always defer in debate, or that you should quietly allow wickedness to be done in your presence.   It does not mean this any more than “turning the other cheek” means that you should refuse to defend those things that God has given you to protect.  As the Psalmist says, we are obligated to “seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 33:15) – and the pursuit of righteousness is not something that simply happens: it requires unyielding commitment; a conviction that there is both evil and goodness in this world; and the force of will to embrace goodness no matter what the cost.  After all, Christ Himself told us that “the kingdom of haven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (St. Matthew 11:12, see especially the  commentaries of Sts. Theophlact and John Chrysostom).  This is what it means to “think soberly”: [it means] to see things as they really are, unaffected by the distracting haze that our enemies surround us with in order to confuse and seduce the weak.

To our credit, our culture is not one normally given to passivity:  we have a reputation for being stubborn and unyielding.  But this can bring its own temptation to vice, and this comes when we [to paraphrase St. Paul] “think of ourselves more highly than we ought.”  It is good to be stubborn in defense of goodness, but such a thing is impossible if you are selfish.  If we are stubborn in defense of ourselves, then how do we know that we are on the right side of the fight?  In fact, by looking at the question in this way, you can see how dangerous stubbornness can be:  without some sort of standard, we could end up defending the wrong position and working for the enemy.  A standard is the flag or banner used to make sure soldiers know which position it is that they are to defend: if we are stubborn out of habit or in defense of the wrong thing, (be it comfort, tradition, blood or whatever) then we may well be defending the wrong hilltop.

So how do we use our stubbornness and commitment correctly?  How do we make sure that we are guarding the right hilltop?  How do we make sure that this trait is a virtue and not a vice?  Let me draw three lessons out of today’s epistle that should help set us straight:

Christian Virtue: Confident Humility

The first thing we must do is to admit that it is possible for us to be mistaken; to admit that we may (in theory, at least  ) inadvertently end up on the wrong side of an argument.  If we cannot do this, then we are either God (the only omniscient one) or fools.  There is no middle ground.  It is true that we must have confidence, but this confidence must be grounded in humility. 

Defend the King’s Standard: the Cross of Calvary

The second thing we must do is seek and defend God’s standard.  Put it above your own opinions [if time and need, story on compass and being lost].  Better yet, make it your own; makes God’s knowledge (for God does not have “opinions”) the basis of your own thoughts and actions (better than any talking head or politician).  This standard is not hard to see: it is the Cross, and it is planted high upon the hill of Golgotha.

Do Your Part:  and never leave your assigned post

The third thing to do is to recognize yourself as a part of the Body of Christ, and to dedicate yourself to its health.  God has given you specific gifts: use them to the benefit of the Body.  Fallen man is selfish, and will seek to use his gifts only for himself, but you were created for something different.  Can you imagine the cell of a body that did not work naturally towards the good of the whole organism?  It would be a disaster, both for that cell and for those around it (in fact, we do know of such cells – cancer).  A marriage cannot be healthy unless both members put the good of the marriage before themselves; in a marriage dedicated to Christ, such a commitment leads both members (a unified flesh) towards perfection.  As St. Paul says, this is true of marriage, but it is even more true of the Church (Ephesians 5: 22).  We need to devote ourselves incorporating (!) this truth into our lives.

To go back to the imagery of war, for an army to win in battle, each of its soldiers and units must master its function and then perform it well in battle.   Imagine the damage done if laundry units decided to operate as recon forces, or if intelligence units decided to pack parachutes, or cooks decided to fly helicopters.  Each part of an army is designed to supplement the other, each part is dependent on the others for success.  The commander is responsible for deciding how each part must be employed to win the war.  Every part is critical; we have different jobs but all are vital.  Cooks do not fly helicopters, but the army cannot survive long without food.  Find your calling and master it, then trust to our great commander (the only one who sees the battle from all sides) to lead you to victory. 

To explore this analogy of the Body of Christ as an army a bit more, neither a body nor an army can survive for long if its members turn against itself.  This is why our stubbornness must be tempered with humility and why we spread love and blessings (and never curses) among one another.  After all, there is a reason that armies reward submission with honor and mutiny with death. 

In the end, it is not our own valor that wins the war nor is it our own opinion that sanctifies us: Christ is the victor, the glory is already His.  If we make His standard – the Cross of Calvary – our own and plant our feet firmly before it, then our commitment, our stubbornness, and even our anger, will lead us also to victory and glory forever through Him.