2 Thessalonians 3:6-9

“For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it…” vss. 7-8a

Sometimes we are surprised by what was such a big deal for Paul. These are the passages that make our scriptures so real–they are a window into the issues that plagued the early congregations, and they’re not too different from the kinds of things that we wrestle with today. It turns out that Paul didn’t get a salary for the work he did in Thessalonica. He didn’t think he needed financial support–he had a trade and he worked at that to support himself. His preaching and teaching was done free of charge. More than that, he thought his practice was worthy of imitation. And when he heard that some in that congregation were idle, he took them to task. Everyone who was capable should have gainful employment! It’s amazing what an issue that has continued to be among us. We get irritated when folks don’t pull their own weight. And eventually freeloaders will destroy community! That’s one of the realities of communal living, and even people who hang their hats on the message of grace get cranky when their fellow saints are slackers. It’s not that we need to make an idol of hard work, but it doesn’t hurt to point out the things that threaten the cohesiveness of our life together. 

Thought for the Day: How do I feel about the idle?