Learning from the Past Mistakes
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by Ronald O. Cezar
Text: I Corinthians 10:1-13
Prayer:
I recognize, O God, that the words that
come out of my mouth are not mine, but from you; use me, O God, as an
instrument to speak your words; you will bless your message now that we ponder,
and bless we all share it; I entrust everything to you in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
INTRODUCTION:
Good morning DS Koinonia! Still, we are
journeying together through the season of Lent. Lent is a period of reflection
in our Christian calendar, that allows us to consider where we are going as
individuals and as a faith community. It is a time to examine and look at
ourselves and acknowledge our weaknesses, faults, and failures. It is time to
look back at our lives and reflect on them. And we will inevitably remember in
time and envisage lovely situations, but it is also unavoidable that we will
recall negative events and experiences from our past lives. Because yesterday
cannot be denied that is part of our present. In our text this morning, which
we quote for our reflection, in I Corinthians 10:1-13, Apostle Paul describes to the Church at Corinth the
events of the Israelites as their ancestors, and he encourages them that they
need to look back from their past to serve as an example, and to learn from
their ancestor’s past mistakes.
Clearly, biblical history
shows that past events can serve as an example and teach a lesson. And it is
contrary to the song of Skusta Clee one of the members of the X-Batallion, the
song entitled "Ayaw Ko nang Balikan Ang Nakaraan." However, reality
teaches us that we can look back on the past and learn from them. And so, this
morning, the message of our reflection entitled “Learning from the Past
Mistakes.” And this theme will lead us to ponder how we might learn from
mistakes in the past.
Primarily, being
aware of the situation. This is what Paul had stressed in
this passage. He wants to emphasize to the Corinthians the situation of their
ancestors. He also stressed that the Corinthians must never forget about the
history of their ancestors and be aware of it. These events began when God
delivered them through Moses from slavery in Egypt, across the sea, and into
the wilderness. In these verses, Paul recounts the event of their ancestors
using the event found and read in Exodus 13:21, Exodus 14:22, Ex. 17:6, and
Num. 14: 26-29. He used this story to know their situation. The story was
during the time that the Lord guided the Israelites day and night by the pillar
of cloud and by the light in their travel to passed the sea. And the time also
when there were at Horeb, God gives them water to drink, through Moses, by
striking the rock. And in the other hand, in the wilderness, God was not pleased
with some of them, because of their actions, they grumble against Him. And Paul
traces their history in this way to demonstrate to the Corinthians the
importance of looking back and learning about their ancestors. And the
significance of this event will be linked to their current condition. He wants
to remind them of the importance of the events that are happening in the past,
and let them see how God cares for, protects, guides, and loves them. He
provides spiritual food and spiritual drink in the wilderness. But why is it
that Paul emphasizes two scenarios in these verses? Paul describes that God
takes care of them. However, Paul's statement that God was not pleased with
most of them suggests that their ancestors made a mistake. And according to the
Numbers account, some of their ancestors were grumbled against God, and some of
them disobeyed Him. And this is what Paul reminded the Corinthians, to know their
identity. And the Apostle Paul recognized and introduced the two
characteristics of their ancestors: grumbling ancestors on the one hand, and
obedient ancestors. And grumbling considers disobedience. And because he
noticed that some of them already possessed this mentality in the church, the
Apostle Paul introduced it as a reminder.
In our current situation, why is it essential to look
back on past events or history? According to Brainly, history helps to know
the past, understand the present, and prepare for the future.” It suggests
that remembering the past is an important component of our life because it
allows us to learn about it. But not only the place is important, and what happened
in that history, but it gives weight to the people who are part of that history.
That is why the Apostle Paul made it very clear to the people of Corinth that he
was recalling not only what happened at that time, but also what some people
were doing. It will also cause us to reflect on our prevailing conditions. And the story he used was from the book of
Numbers, and using the word grumbling which was used to describe some
Israelites in the wilderness, has a serious connotation. I looked it up in the
Meriam Webster dictionary to see what it meant. It means to
mutter in discontent. Dissatisfaction is what causes them to murmur. As was the
case with previous typhoon Odette, during the distribution of aid, many
complained about not receiving aid. But what is clear is that it has already
received another aid from the NGO, but it happened not to be listed because
someone gave only a limit, a lot of murmurs and grumble, and almost had to
fight. The reason is dissatisfaction. And we inevitably grumble because we are
discontent with the service; for example, we ate at a restaurant—we are paid
well, but we are not satisfied with the taste and quantity; in the office, we
are discontented with the work of the employers; with the salary—those who
already have a job, because the salary does not always match to
their work; in short, it is a low salary; However, to learn, it is
necessary to be aware of the situation.
Secondly, do not imitate the mistake. The Apostle Paul continues by reminding them of the
things that their ancestors did, first and foremost a warning to them not to
seek evil things. Paul’s letters to the Christians at Corinth address his concern
over a pressing issue; the rampant immorality associated with the idolatry of
Corinth. The
Corinthian church had become infected with this immorality. He has challenged
the idea by warning that what happened to the generation of Israelites in the
wilderness could happen to the Christian in Corinth. He observed the Church at
Corinth repeat their ancestors' evil practices. And his exhortation to the
Corinthians was aimed at preventing them from doing evil. He urged the Church
not to imitate such practices.
In our present time, idolatry refers to something that
draws us away from God. When something or someone becomes more important to us
than God, is an idol. Now there are many things we can say
that can distance us from God’s presence. For example, excessive use of
"gadgets". Using cellphones not only children are addicted but also
adults. And some people say, by their observation, that even church worship is
going on, some are using their cellphones. Avoiding doing this is a way of
learning.
Lastly, learning from their actions. The apostle Paul
recognized the importance of learning from the past. In this chapter, he
highlights events from Israel’s history to provide spiritual truths and a
warning against evil desire. Verse 11 warns them that the things that happened
to them serve as an example, and it was written to teach them and remind them
as well. It's sometimes easier to do the wrong thing than to do the right
thing. This is what happened to some of the people in Corinth. That is why the
Apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthians to say, in verse 13, No testing has
overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not
let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing, he will also
provide the way out so that you may be able to abide to endure it. This was
said by the apostle Paul to set an example for the Corinthians and to instruct
them. Because he saw their ancestors' wicked deeds repeated, as well as the
deeds of their day. Some Corinthian Christians were eating food offered to idols
in a way that did not build up their neighbors or in a way that participated
with evil and they indulge sexual immorality. As a result, Paul encourages them
to be as faithful in ministry as God has been faithful to them.
The events of the past serve as a source and a lesson
for us now. If the Apostle Paul insists on teaching them a lesson by looking
back at what happened to their ancestors. Today, we, too, reflect on our past
actions. Whether we agree or not we have our failures. So, let us take a moment
to pause and reflect on our past. Because, as Skusta Clee said in his song, "Ayaw
Ko nang Balikan Ang Nakaraan." We
must revisit our past. Because we can learn a lesson from it and avoid having
to repeat it if we take a close look at it.
Conclusion:
As we celebrate Lenten Season, this morning let
us examine ourselves individually, let us look back and look at our past, and
look at ourselves, and being aware of it, let us ponder, are we not like some
Israelites who did things that were displeasing to God, and the Corinthian
Christians who repeated what their ancestors did against the will of God? So, the
message reminds us, “Learning from the Past”, which leads us to reflect
on the importance of the past, it is essential to be aware of the situation, do
not imitate the mistake, and learning from their actions, and we continue appreciating
God’s goodness and faithfulness and acknowledging our weaknesses. Amen.
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