LAWSUITS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 23 Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Lawsuits.”

That’s the specific issue that shows up in today’s first reading from 1^st Corinthians 6: 1-11.

Last night I read the readings for today to see if I could come up with an interesting and a helpful theme or topic for a short homily.

Lawsuits was a key issue in the beginning of today’s first reading - and then a bunch of sexual issues at the end of the reading. The gospel has the theme of Jesus praying before deciding.  That’s a very smart move.

Wanting to know more about lawsuits in the city of Corinth around the year of 50’s - grabbed me.

So I grabbed a few  commentaries on First Corinthians to see what they say about lawsuits and the first part of today’s first reading. [1]

It was interesting on what William Barclay said. He usually gives details I don’t know about - or have forgotten. I often wonder where he had the time and the energy to pull together all the information he has gathered.

A FEW COMMENTS ON LAWSUITS

So a few comments from commentaries on lawsuits.

Paul has a Jewish background - but he was also from Tarsus - a Greek town in Cilicia  - but it was also a Roman town - which made him a Roman Citizen - so he would have various scenarios in his mindset.

For starters, Paul would know what the Jewish communities did when there was a disagreement about money, property and personal injury.  Often you would try to settle the situation by talking to each other. If that didn’t work, you’d go to the village rabbi - and try to settle it that way.

Well, here in Corinth, Paul found out that the Greeks were really off on lawsuits - a lot more than his Jewish counterparts.

Barclay doesn’t have enough ancient writings about what precisely was going on in Corinth, but he found literature on lawsuits in Athens at the same time, so he bases his commentary on that.

Instead of going to the elders, the Greeks ended up going to court a lot more.

First step with the Greeks when it came to a possible lawsuit. Go to private arbitrators. Each side would get an arbitrator and a third was chosen - whom both sides would accept. Then both sides with their arbitrators would appear before a judge.

If that didn’t work in a Greek lawsuit, you would go to a court called the Forty. Then they referred the matter to a public arbitrator.  These arbitrators would be all local citizens in their 60^th year - at least this is what they did in Athens. I’m sure human nature and people being people - some would and could get out of this civic duty. 

If this didn’t work, then big cases had to be settled by juries - that might consist of 1000 to 6000 citizens - all of whom had to be 30 years or over.

That’s what Barclay said was done in Athens. Sounds rare and too complicated for me.

Moreover I began wondering what they would do in small towns - but what  I just mentioned from Barclay was very interesting.

There were no TV’s - and therefore no Judge Judy - so big cases must have been the talk of the town.

We know that Paul took his case to Rome - when he was charged for being a rabble rouser and a Christian.

Reading this stuff was helpful, because now that is one more issue - lawsuits - or how folks settle money or property or physical hurt issues in ancient times - and I’ll wonder about from all times down through the ages.

BACK TO JESUS

Stepping back, I said to myself, “Of course there were court cases in the time of Jesus.”

In the gospel we hear about brothers coming to Jesus to have him settle a money dispute. Jesus said settle your problems yourselves before going to court over something and you cost yourself a fortune. Jesus at times talked about Judges. Jesus was arrested and put on trial and the crowd made the decision, “Crucify him!”

So it struck me: expect this in every human situation. There are always going to be money or property fights.

ST. ALPHONSUS

Of course…. Right before us is a statue of St. Alphonsus who was a lawyer - back in the early 1700’s - who lost a law suit over a property deal. We were taught he made a mistake in reading a key detail. Now some of our historians say that he lost the case because of a well-placed bribe - and not from his side.

What to do, get a good lawyer.What to do, talk to others.

What to do, pray. In today’s gospel Jesus went into the mountains to pray before making his big decision on whom to call by name. 

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NOTES

[1] William Barclay, The Letters to the Corinthians, Revised Edition, pp. 48-51; The Navarre Bible, Corinthians, pp. 77-79;