No Work – No Food

This might sound like a political post today, considering all the government debate about welfare, but today’s post is spiritual. There is a difference between politics and faith only so far as faith affects our eternal condition while politics merely affects the relatively few years we live on earth. The effects of government last only so long as another election, while our eternity is set once and for all by God upon our death. I can’t be held responsible if government hijacks spiritual topics for its own benefit. Nonetheless, today we are reminded by Saint Paul that if do not work, we should not eat.

Brethren, we command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is living in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, we did not eat any one’s bread without paying, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not burden any of you. It was not because we have not that right, but to give you in our conduct an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not work, let him not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work in quietness and to earn their own living. Brethren, do not be weary in well-doing. If any one refuses to obey what we say in this letter, note that man, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not look on him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with you all. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. – 2nd Thessalonians 3.6-18

The resources of the Church are meant for good, and normally we think of feeding the hungry as something good. Let’s put this passage into perspective for a moment. It was common practice in the Apostolic era for the Church community to share its resources with each other. (Ref Acts 2.44) It was important for these resources to be administered faithfully by the Apostles, so the urging from Saint Paul for everyone to work their fair share is a spiritual discipline.

The commandment to work to eat is as old as humanity, (Ref Genesis 3.17-19) and is therefore crucial in our journey to salvation. So, what happens when we do not work? If it is because we cannot work, due to illness or physical handicap, we become opportunities for others to show compassion. We may not be ABLE to work physically. In those cases, we should do what we can to assist those who are able. Saint Paul wasn’t speaking about the infirm. He was speaking about those who had become lazy.

It can be easy to become lazy when others are doing the work for us, whether that work is physical or spiritual. That’s right. It also possible to be spiritually lazy when we think we can just sit back and allow God (or the Church) to do the work for our salvation. We come to Church and ‘sit and watch’ while the chanters, choir, clergy, ushers, etc. are working so that we can ‘have’ communion. Church is not theater, but the ‘work of the people’ and we must be engaged in the worship of the Church if we are to expect benefit of the spiritual food that we receive. Its hard to believe that some even come to Church and never even say “Amen” to a single prayer. Now, that’s lazy!

As we look forward to the final weeks leading up to the Feast of the Nativity, our fasting will grow more intense as we ‘up our game’ and increase our spiritual work. I invite you to consider this passage from Saint Paul and expand its meaning to include spiritual work, and not just physical work. After all. “Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4.4)