You are probably familiar with the saying, “If it feels good, do it.”  This was the motto of the cultural revolution in the 1960’s that was expressed so clearly at the Woodstock music festival.  In today’s second reading, from the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul responds to a similar motto that represented the sentiments of some members of the congregation at Corinth. 

The second reading begins with the final sentence in verse 13 of chapter six in first Corinthians and, unfortunately, omits the motto that Paul discusses.  Paul’s complete statement was, “’Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food,’ but God will do away with both the one and the other. The body, however, is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body; God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.” (1 Cor 6:13-14) 

“Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food” was the motto of a group which had misunderstood Baptism as a magical escape from the burdens of life.  Paul referred to a similar belief and a similar group in his letter to the Philippians when he wrote, “Their god is their stomach.” (Phil 3:19) 

This group of Corinthian church members justified hedonistic practices on the basis of the conditional nature of life in this world.  They reasoned that, because bodily existence lasts only a while and then passes away, bodily existence has no moral value; therefore, one can do as one pleases. 

The hedonist group at Corinth devalued bodily existence; Paul saw this dualism as antithetical to the Christian faith.  He wrote, “the body is meant for the Lord.” (1 Cor 6:13)  Paul wasn’t legislating against pleasure or comfort; he was merely stating that the human body was created by God for God’s service.  Furthermore, it was the body that received Baptism, and the body that would be raised up on the day of resurrection. 

The misguided faction at Corinth claimed they were free to do as they pleased, but their attitude wasn’t really one of freedom; it was what Paul called slavery to sin.  It was a licentiousness born of despair, a despair that is easy to understand.  

The vast majority of people in the ancient Roman Empire were subjugated.  They were forced to pay taxes to a regime that offered them no protection and treated them with no mercy.  Their lives were brief, burdened, and difficult.  The Corinthians’ magical beliefs about Baptism allowed them escape from the burdens of life. 

The esoteric religious beliefs that allowed the Corinthians to justify hedonism are no longer popular or prevalent, but the despair, disillusionment, and disappointment that produced those beliefs are still with us today.   

We live in vastly improved conditions today, but life is no less unpredictable than it was in previous eras.  So, why not grab all the pleasure and satisfaction one can before life comes to an end?  The answer is simply that all created pleasure and satisfaction comes to an end.  The question that ought to be on every person’s mind is, “Why not find something that is permanently reliable?” 

Licentiousness is a prevalent attitude today.  When I say this, I am not referring to the caricature of religion expressed by a Presbyterian friend of mine who defines Calvinism as the deep-seated fear that someone, somewhere might be having fun.  Rather, my judgment is based on the observation that many people justify their behavior based on the motto, “If it feels good, do it.”  They do as they please and call it freedom. 

I’m not convinced that this attitude is about feeling good.  To me, it sounds more like panic.  Why is it that people over-work, over-indulge, and over-do?  Is it because it feels good or because they’re trying to fill an emptiness in their lives?  I tend to think it’s the latter. 

The misguided faction in the congregation at Corinth said that the conditional nature of the world was sufficient reason to do as one pleases, with no thought to the moral consequences of one’s actions. 

The teachings of Jesus say that the conditional nature of the world is sufficient reason to trust in God, place one’s hope in the resurrection of the just, and act in a morally upright manner toward others. 

If you find the choice between these two options to be at all confusing, look at the individual results of each choice. The former choice is escapism; the latter is reconciliation and peace.