1 Corinthians 9:1-7: a reflection

1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord? 2If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3My defense to those who examine me is this: 4Have we no right to eat and to drink? 5Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work? 7What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn’t eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk?

As Paul defends his conduct as an apostle, he lays down a principle of simple fairness: those who labor rightly share in the fruit of their labor. What soldier ever serves at his own expense? he asks. Who plants a vineyard, and doesn't eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn't drink from the flock's milk? The soldier is supported, the farmer eats of his vineyard, the shepherd drinks of the flock; it is right and fitting that those who labor should share in what their labor produces. This is a principle of justice and fairness: the laborer deserves his portion, and it is right that those who work be supported by their work. God's ordering of things honors labor; those who work rightly share in its fruit. To deny the laborer his fair portion is to go against the fitting order Paul appeals to. Work rightly deserves its support.

Notice the fairness Paul appeals to: those who labor share in the fruit of their labor. He draws on ordinary examples everyone would grant, the soldier supported in his service, the farmer eating of the vineyard he planted, the shepherd drinking of the flock he tends. In each case, the one who labors rightly partakes of what his labor produces; it would be unjust to deny it. This is a principle of simple fairness, and Paul appeals to it as something evident. Those who labor, in whatever field, rightly share in the fruit of their work; to be supported by one's labor is fitting and just. God's ordering of things honors work in this way; the laborer is worthy of his portion. There is a fairness owed to those who labor, a right sharing in the fruit of their work, that we should honor rather than deny. To value and support the labor of others is to honor a fitting order. Fair treatment of those who work is a matter of justice.

That is worth taking to heart, for those who labor rightly deserve to share in the fruit of their work, and fairness honors this. We can be tempted to benefit from others' labor while denying them their fair portion, or to undervalue the work that serves us; but Paul appeals to the plain fairness that the soldier, the farmer, and the shepherd all share in the fruit of their labor. Those who work rightly deserve their portion; to deny it is unjust. There is a fairness owed to those who labor that we should honor. Do not benefit from others' labor while denying them their fair portion; honor the fairness that lets those who work share in its fruit, as Paul appeals to it. Honor the fairness that lets those who labor share in the fruit of their work, rather than benefiting from their labor while denying them their portion, as Paul appealed to the soldier supported in service, the farmer eating of his vineyard, and the shepherd drinking of the flock; for it is a matter of simple justice that those who labor rightly partake of what their labor produces, and God's ordering of things honors work in this way, so that to value and fairly support the labor of others is to honor a fitting and just order.

Lord, as Paul defends his conduct as an apostle, he lays down a principle of simple fairness: those who labor rightly share in the fruit of their labor. What soldier ever serves at his own expense? he asks. Who plants a vineyard, and doesn't eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn't drink from the flock's milk? The soldier is supported, the farmer eats of his vineyard, the shepherd drinks of the flock; it is right and fitting that those who labor should share in what their labor produces. This is a principle of justice and fairness. Your ordering of things honors labor; those who work rightly share in its fruit. Show me the fairness Paul appeals to: those who labor share in the fruit of their labor. He draws on ordinary examples everyone would grant, the soldier supported in his service, the farmer eating of the vineyard he planted, the shepherd drinking of the flock he tends. In each case, the one who labors rightly partakes of what his labor produces; it would be unjust to deny it. This is a principle of simple fairness. Those who labor, in whatever field, rightly share in the fruit of their work. There is a fairness owed to those who labor that we should honor rather than deny. Take that to my heart, for those who labor rightly deserve to share in the fruit of their work, and fairness honors this. I can be tempted to benefit from others' labor while denying them their fair portion, or to undervalue the work that serves me; but Paul appeals to the plain fairness that the soldier, the farmer, and the shepherd all share in the fruit of their labor. Keep me from benefiting from others' labor while denying them their fair portion; help me honor the fairness that lets those who work share in its fruit, Lord, as Paul appealed to it.