St. Paul and Social Change

Homily for Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

The readings from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians that we heard yesterday and today often come in for some criticism regarding St. Paul’s attitude toward women and, as is the case today, slaves and their masters. This criticism is leveled against St. Paul because he fails to speak about the need for change in these kinds of relationships. However, this argument fails to take into consideration one key aspect of St. Paul’s preaching; namely, St. Paul and his contemporaries believed that Jesus’ return was imminent. Rather than advocating social change, St. Paul was trying to prepare the early Christian community for the second coming of Jesus.

This attitude is readily apparent in all of St. Paul’s writings, particularly so in his earlier writings. In the very first of St. Paul’s letters, the First Letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul goes so far as to say that he believes that he will still be alive when Jesus returns. However, by the time we get to the later letters such as the ones that he wrote to St. Timothy, it is clear that he has changed his mind. Even so, there is no reason that St. Paul would preach about social change when his mission was clearly one of embracing those who have been excluded from the worship of the God of Israel whom Paul believed was the one, true God.

The Gospel reading that we have for today also fails to speak about the need for social change. Instead, we hear Jesus telling his followers that they must be ready for the return of the master. We are to strive to enter into the kingdom of God through the narrow gate. The key for us is to get through that narrow gate before it is locked. In other words, we are to hear and respond to the word of God now, not tomorrow. This way, when the day of our death comes at a time known only to the Lord, he might judge us worthy of entering into eternal life in heaven.

Jesus was asked: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Perhaps the answer is simpler than we think. Those who will be saved will be those who spent their lives on earth sharing God’s many blessings with those around them, especially the least among us.