“You are the man!” The man in Nathan’s famous words is David. Not long before this, he had been dancing with all his might before the LORD as the ark of the covenant was being brought home. He entered the tabernacle with a heart full of thanksgiving and dedication to the LORD. But now, David is a different kind of man - a ruthless adulterer and a cruel thief with blood on his hands, the kind of man who asks why he shouldn’t have whatever he wants.
This question finds a reprisal in the Corinthian church, which, despite its Christian name, openly accepts behavior that would make even pagans blush. “Everything is permitted,” they argue, asserting their self-imposed right to do as they please.
The theft of goods and spouses and undue liberty is certainly greedy and merciless, but at heart, it is idolatry. It is the sinner acting as his own god, declaring his sin as a rightful act, and then stooping to shameful depths to justify it.
But St. Paul tears our idols down in a firm pronouncement: we are not our own. We were bought at a price that God himself paid with his Son, Jesus. He has bound us together in the sacraments as part of his body. This is no place for our flimsly, self-made crowns in his church. Instead, we echo his sacrifice by seeking first what is beneficial to our brothers and sisters, and honorable to our Lord.
One day, when we follow our king into the new Jerusalem, there will be no sin to condemn and no shame to endure, only the sound of eternal praise from perfectly united sons and daughters of the king. Until then, we strive to put away sin live in the grace of our Lord.
