Bearing Fruit Begins with Roots

 June 19 2022

1 Peter 1:1-21

When I take my dog for walks in the woods beside our house I notice that the blackberry bushes are already loaded with tiny unripe fruit. For me, seeing that picking blackberries is just around the corner, I can’t help but think about when I was a kid and my Dad would load our family up to go black berry picking. To a young kid, such an adventure was always approached with a sense of dread. I mean, there you are, on a hot and humid evening, sweating profusely, the mosquitoes swarming all over you and you are told to go in the middle of a large briar patch full of thorns that scratch at you every time you turn around. You have been given a cleaned out plastic gallon milk jug which the top has been cut off with a piece of twine strung through the handle so that it can be tied around your waist. What was implied was that we could all go home when the jug was full of berries; ugh! I mean, to a young kid trying to fill that jug in the midst of the sweltering heat and the scratchy thorns seemed to take forever. You would pick and pick and look down at the bucket to find that you had barely enough berries to cover the bottom of the jug. Yet you knew that you had to keep on picking because you didn’t want to hear the call to go home and find that everyone else had jugs brimming to the top with nice luscious berries and you barely had your jug half full. No matter how miserable you were what could only make matters worse is the long drive home knowing that you had not pulled your weight!

What also brought this experience to mind this week was something that is written in this first letter that Peter wrote. There at the end of the first chapter of his letter, Peter tells us that we, meaning those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, have been ransomed from the empty way of life of our forefathers. The word translated here as “empty” is also translated as being futile as it was written in our scripture for today. This word actually comes from the experience one had when they went out with a basket to pick some fruit but they ended up going home empty. I believe that this conveys more of what Peter is attempting to say to us here. You see, the forefathers Peter is referring to is the nation of Israel of which Peter was a member of. They prided themselves on being known as the people of God. The one true living God is the one who had rescued them out of slavery  and had led them to Mt. Sinai where Moses received the law from God. God through Moses led the people through the wilderness all the way to the land which God had promised to Abraham, their descendant. Yet in spite of all that God had done on their behalf, there before the people of Israel entered the Promised Land, God still warned his people that they eventually would end up in exile, thrown out of this paradise God had provided for them. They would end up being under the rule of other nations because their hearts would go after the idols of those nations. In the end, God tells his people, as recorded at the end of the twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy, that among the nations they would find no respite, no resting place for the sole of their foot , but instead the Lord would give them a trembling heart, failing eyes and a languishing soul. Your life, God continues, will hang in doubt before you. To understand what Peter means when he says that his forefathers came up empty, that what God had started with them had ended up being an exercise in futility, this is what he is referring to.

Now, the point of beginning here in order to grasp what Peter is writing about is so that we understand that this empty life, this is what Jesus has ransomed us from with his blood. We as the people that God has created, we were not brought to life just so that after all is said and done that we end up being people who come up empty handed. We were never meant to be people who are unsettled, unsatisfied, anxious people whose hearts tremble, people whose lives are uninspired. We were never meant to be people whose lives are plagued by doubt and uncertainty. You see, once we figure out that this is what Peter is speaking to us about then we realize that even though this letter is centuries old it still has something to say to us today.

This idea that Peter holds out the good news that instead of coming up empty we can be fruit bearing people, is also, I believe the hidden message that simmers underneath this first chapter. In the sixth verse of this first chapter, Peter writes, that in the salvation provided for us through the mercy of Jesus, this is the source of his audiences joy. Now, to use the word “joy” here for the Greek word that Peter uses is a real understatement. The word used here is not the usual word that we translate as being joy but rather it is a word which means much jumping and leaping. In other words, when these people were born from above, given a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus, knowing that they had an inheritance that was waiting for them, they couldn’t help but leaping and shouting praises to God for such wondrous grace. Sometimes, I wonder if we are a little too reserved in our response to Jesus.

While Peter loves to hear of their jumping and shouting on account of the Lord, what concerns him is just what will these exuberant believers do when they experience sorrow and suffering on account of their faith. They are going to have to go from the most wondrous mountain top experience to the very pits of hurt and pain and Peter is rightly concerned. When we hear of this situation where those who rejoice at the good news of Jesus but are nonetheless called on to suffer for their faith, I believe that this should bring to mind a parable that Jesus had taught not only to Peter but the rest of the disciples as well. This parable is the parable of the sower and we find it in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew. This parable is a story that Jesus told that spoke to just why the good news doesn’t always seem to have the same result on those who hear it.  On the face of it, the story Jesus told is just about a farmer who went out to sow some seed, and some fell along the path and the birds came and ate the seed. Some of the seed fell on rocky ground and immediately the seeds sprang up since there was not much soil but when the sun beat down on the seedlings they were scorched. Other seeds fell among the thorns and the thorns choked out the seed. Yet, all was not lost because some seed did fall on good soil and produced grain. Now, the scenario that concerns us at the moment is the one where the seed fell upon the rocky ground. Jesus explains that this is an image of the person who hears the word and immediately receives that word with joy. Does this sound familiar? Well, Jesus continues, this person has no root in themselves, so they do endure for a while but when tribulation and persecution arises on account of the word, these people immediately get tripped up. Are you beginning to understand the concern of Peter. These people have been ransomed from a life barren of fruit, an empty life yet if their life has no root, no anchor for when the storms come then they also will be people whose lives come up empty.

So, we are left wondering just what is this root, this anchor that is needed in order for these believers and ourselves that can enable us to withstand the heat when it comes? When we think about a root we know that it is a part of the plant which goes out from the plant itself to go to where water and nutrients are and then become a way for those necessary elements of life to be taken up by the plant. If the plant cannot or will not reach out to where the water is then it is going to die. In much the same way, we need to reach out to a source of life beyond ourselves, to anchor our life in the very faithfulness of God. This is the life from above that we are born into, this living hope, that we have been given through the resurrection of Jesus. This hope is a life that is ours in the world to come, the new creation, that the resurrection of Jesus is but the first fruit. This is the inheritance the Peter speaks of that is imperishable, undefined and unfading. Now, what makes our hope certain is this, that all that we are hoping in is being guarded by the power of God, it is his faithfulness that is keeping our salvation ready to be revealed to us on the last day. It is the faithfulness of God which secures what we hope in and out of this hope comes our faith which makes what we hope in a reality for us.

So, everything about our faith depends entirely upon the faithfulness of God. Now, here is where the problem lies; the faithfulness of God is not determined by our circumstances. In our joy, it is easy to know and experience the faithfulness of God. There on the mountain top the distance between heaven and earth is close, we can feel the very presence of God and we serve before the face of God which shines on us. But what do we do when we tumble down the mountain, when we find ourselves in the valley, far from God it would seem, hurting and suffering, on account of the very message which assured us of the faithfulness of God? Here is when we like the Psalmist cry out, “God, why have you forsaken me? We wonder just where is God when we hurt, when life is hard and painful, when opposition is at every turn? We like the people of Israel when faced with seems like the end of the road begin to wonder is God with us or not? This is when we, like a plant in rocky soil, have a hard time getting our roots to reach out to God, our anchor, our sure and steady source of life.

You see, our circumstances are the worst possible way for us to be certain of the faithfulness of God. This is why Peter begins his letter by stating that his audience, those who found themselves as second class citizens in this world, people who were looking forward to going home, these were people who were right where they were supposed to be because of the foreknowledge of God. What Peter is saying here is that God has a plan, he has always had a plan, and the plan is working itself out just as it is supposed to be because God is faithful. As Peter states in the tenth verse of this first chapter, the prophets who had the Spirit of Christ within them prophesied of the grace that is ours today. They sought out and searched diligently, Peter says, to find out just when the moment would be when God’s anointed one would come and suffer and then go onto glory. This prophesy was revealed to them by God, he is the one who spoke to them of his plan and it is this prophesy that was the good news that was preached to those who believed. So, God had a plan, and he revealed this plan to the prophets who spoke of this plan and then just as the plan laid it out, God’s anointed one appeared. His name was Jesus and he did suffer just as the plan said that he would. God is faithful. Jesus not only suffered but he shed his blood for us upon the cross. This is what Peter writes at the beginning of his letter that these refugees, were God’s chosen people according to the foreknowledge, the plan of God, being set apart from the rest of the world by the holy making Spirit and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, which is grace and peace in overflowing measure. This sprinkling of the blood of Christ sounds like a strange way of speaking of the sacrifice of Jesus but what Peter is referring to here is something that happened when the people of Israel ratified the covenant that they made with God at the foot of Mt. Sinai. In the twenty-fourth chapter of Exodus, we read of how Moses offered up burnt offerings to God, then he read the Covenant which the people had made with God. The people responded by saying that “all that the Lord had spoken they would do; we will be obedient.” Then Moses took the blood from the burnt offerings and half of it he poured upon the altar and the other half he sprinkled upon the people telling them, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with these words.” So, the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus is Peter’s way of speaking of the new covenant that God has made with all people.  The pouring out of the blood is the pouring out of the life of God for us; this is how far the faithfulness of God is willing to go on our behalf. Now, because of this new covenant, the very presence of God, his Spirit, is faithfully and forever with us, making us holy, making us obedient. The plan that God has always known, the plan that was revealed to the prophets, the plan which is the good news that we have heard, the plan of God’s anointed Son suffering, bleeding and dying for us to enact a new covenant between us and God, this plan is now a reality in us. This is how we know God is faithful. Beyond our circumstances there is a cross. There on the cross is one who knew the faithfulness of his Father, who knew the power of the Spirit even in his suffering, even in his pain. It is this faithfulness of God, the Father, which would not let his servant see corruption. This is the very hope of the resurrection.

So, yes, as Peter says, we right now do not see Jesus but nonetheless we love him. We do not see Jesus but nonetheless we still place our faith in him because we know that what we have placed our hope in is being guarded by the very faithfulness of God. This is why we rejoice with a joy that is beyond words, a joy full of glory and out of this world because when Jesus returns we will be rewarded for our reliance upon the faithfulness of God. This is our living hope. This hope is the welcome of Jesus when he returns. Peter tells us that this is what we have to focus our minds, our thoughts on. You see, it takes effort to take our minds, all of our thoughts, and to not be caught up in what’s going on in the world but instead to be caught up with what life will be like in the world to come. Peter insists that we are to gird up the loins of our minds. To gird means that those who wore the long robes as they did in Peter’s day, would reach down and take their garment and tuck it in their belt, so that they could go to work. To us a better phrase might be to say that we need to roll up our sleeves and get to work. In any case, the point is that once we are settled in the hope that is ours, the hope which is surely guarded by the faithfulness of God, then we need to get on doing our part of the plan of God. No longer are we to be people who are driven by our desires, living for the moment as if there was nothing more to live for. No, we are to be holy in our conduct because the one who has called us is holy. God’s holiness is what sets him apart, makes him utterly different from us, and this otherness is, of course his steadfast love and faithfulness. So, as God’s faithfulness has made us faithful, anchoring our lives in the hope which awaits us this then sets us free to love others with the steadfast love of God. As people experience the love of God flowing from our lives they too will want to know the source of this love and so they too will come to know the God who is faithful, a God who has a living hope for them as well, which is theirs through the resurrection of Jesus. As they discover a life anchored in the faithfulness of God then they too will be set free to love others with the steadfast love of God. This is what it means to bear fruit, to live a life which has eternal consequences. This fruit bearing life is the life we have been created to live. This is why our Father redeemed us from the slavery of an empty life, not with gold or silver but with the precious blood of Jesus. We are God’s chosen people only because first, before the foundations of the world, Christ was chosen so that through him we might know the faithfulness of God and come to place our faith in God, the God who raised Christ from the dead and glorified him. This was God’s plan, faithfully executed, all so that we might be faithful, so that we might have a living hope. Amen.

Keeping our future in mind

 June 12 2022

Philippians 4:4-9

This past week I have been thinking about Disney World, of all things, because it was seventeen years ago, in 2005, that my in-laws took our family there to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. They had a motor home to travel in which was fun but since it only slept five people that meant that two people had to sleep in a tent. So, yes, Jennifer and I had a wonderful time spending a week in what could only be called a sweat lodge because as any one who has been to Orlando can attest, June can be a hot and humid time of the year. I mean, after you have stood for close to an hour on hot pavement to hop on a ride that lasts not much more than a few minutes you can understand why Disney world is called the most magical place in the world. Needless to say, I haven’t been back since. But, this week, I did think about one of the attractions that we visited there which was the Carousel of Progress. This was a ride which displayed the progress that technology has made in our lives, starting at the turn of the century and then showing the changes in the twenties and the forties and finally ending in the present day. Back in 2005 they thought we would have virtual reality games and a home where everything would be voice activated; I guess they messed up on that, didn’t they? What I also remembered was the theme song that was continually playing which was “It’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”. This song helped convey the overall ideal of the Carousel of Progress, that through technology the world is just going to get better and better, each tomorrow will be better than today. I’d say that’s a rather optimistic view, don’t you?

I was thinking about this great big beautiful tomorrow because this is exactly what Paul writes about as he wraps up his letter to the church at Philippi. Now, Paul doesn’t come right out and talk about tomorrow but we know that this is on his mind because he tells his audience to not be anxious. Anxiety, like worry is a condition of the heart which comes about because of the uncertainty of our tomorrows. There is a very important reason why Paul addresses this issue of anxiety here, as he closes his letter, and that is that it is anxiety which is where the life of a Jesus follower begins to unravel. The Greek word Paul uses here for anxiety is a word which means to be divided or to go to pieces, which is exactly what worry and anxiety do to us. It is anxiety and worry about our future that causes us to believe that we need to set aside a portion of what we have today just in case something goes off the rails tomorrow. We can’t help but think of the phrase, “to squirrel something away”, because this is what we really are acting like, busy squirrels who are burying some of the nuts that they find so that someday in the future they might find them and be thankful that they had the foresight to be prepared. Yet, what those squirrels also know is that very often when they go back to find their buried treasure what they find is that those nuts have begun to rot, or some other animal has found them and found them very delicious. In a very same way, when we try and store up treasures for tomorrow, what we find is that it is very difficult to keep our treasure safe so that what happens is that we actually become more anxious because now, instead of worrying about tomorrow we instead are worried about the treasure that we hope will give us some peace about tomorrow. So, our treasures become our focus, so much so, that when faced with the needs of those around us we find that we treasure our treasures above another person who stands in need of what we treasure. Instead of forgiving what others owe us, but can not pay back, we instead seek to wring out of them the very last coin that is ours because the treasure is to be treasured above all else. This is the lie of Satan who seeks to kill, steal and destroy and he does so by causing us to believe that it is alright to not love another when we have the means to do so even though Jesus teaches us that to hate someone else is the same thing as murder. Satan also whispers in our ear that it is okay to withhold from those who need it even though to do so is taking what is rightfully theirs in the eyes of God. So, what happens is that because of our treasuring our treasures we tear apart, we destroy the unity that God is at work to bring in to reality. So, even though we may speak of our love and devotion to God in reality when we mistreat people on account of our obsession with our treasures we actually are going against the God we state that we love. Are you beginning to see why anxiety means to be divided because we end up divided in our loyalty to God and his purposes. Not only that but we also become people who are focused on self-preservation instead of being people who overflow with God’s self-giving love which is the ultimate tragedy because then we no longer bear the image of God out into the world.

So, what’s the big deal about anxiety, well, in a word, everything. This is why Paul is addressing it here before he signs off.  The good news, as Paul tells us is that the Lord is near, he is at hand. Take a look at your hand and know that the God who searches hearts, the one who knows of our concerns before we speak them, our God is this close to you. This is the God with whom we can cry out to with our wishes, with our needs knowing that we can do so because of the good grace of God. It is the faithfulness of God, this is the source of this peace which is from above that Paul writes about, this peace which Paul states will guard our hearts and our minds. Yet, even so Paul understands that it is not enough to tell us that all we need is to don’t worry, be happy because God is faithful.  Sure, God is near to us in the here and now but what about tomorrow? Our minds are seized by all of the things that we might have to face in our future and you know, Paul is aware of this. This is why he insists that we instead focus our minds on a reality that he outlines in a string of words. Now, I do not believe that Paul just strung together some very powerful words randomly. No, I believe that what Paul is describing here is that great, big, beautiful tomorrow that God is bringing about that through the Holy Spirit we can live in here today. Paul could relate to what the writer of Hebrews says in the second chapter of his letter, where he tells us that “…now in putting everything in subjection to Jesus, God, the Father, has left nothing outside of the control of Jesus. At present, though, we do not see everything in subjection to the reign and rule of Jesus. As we look around our world today we can say emphatically, “Amen”, to what the writer of Hebrews is saying. Even so, a great, big, beautiful tomorrow is coming because even though we might not see everything under the rule and reign of Jesus nonetheless, he is in control and the future that he has for us is a certainty. How can we state this with such faith? We can have faith that at the end of all things, there is going to be a wonderful tomorrow because that tomorrow is to be lived in the here and now, right here in the church through the working of the Holy Spirit who brings that future into our present through his presence.

As we ponder on just what that future day will be like when at last Jesus will put everything in subjection to his will, what words pop into your head? How might you describe this ultimate future that God is preparing for us to live in? Just what will it be like when at last heaven and earth are one? Well, we do not have to speculate on the matter because heaven and earth were one in the life of Jesus. This is why I believe Paul begins by telling us to think on that which is true. Now, I don’t believe that Paul is telling us to think on various truths that we might know but rather as we look at the way that this word is defined in the Greek we discover that what the word means is a reality that can not be hidden, something that is undeniable, a fact. This is how the early followers spoke of their experience with Jesus. There, as they walked and talked with Jesus these first disciples began to be aware that here in this very earthly man was the undeniable reality of heaven. Jesus was not some great teacher; no, he is God and not only God the Son but he also is one with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. This is what was revealed upon the cross for there Jesus the Son was offered up as the perfect sacrifice of love to his Heavenly Father through the power of the Holy Spirit. This reality of Jesus was confirmed when three days later when through the power of the Holy Spirit by the will of his Heavenly Father, Jesus arose from the dead. Jesus is this reality of heaven united with earth that cannot be denied. So, if we wonder about the reality of heaven and earth being united at the end of days, we just have to look to Jesus to see that, yes, this is a reality already, a reality that we experience when the Holy Spirit is present with us speaking to us the words of Jesus who does the will of his Heavenly Father. This is the truth we can live in, a truth that is undeniable.

Paul also states that we are to think about that which is honorable. Many translators miss the mark by translating the Greek in this manner. The word used here by Paul means to revere, to be in awe, to behold the majesty of God, to worship him. This fits much better with the understanding that Paul is having us focus our minds on that great, big, beautiful, tomorrow which is on its way. What will we be doing when Jesus returns? The answer is that we will worship the Lamb, the one we are in awe of, the one whose glory will overwhelm us. This is what John saw in his vision of heaven, as found in the fifth chapter of the book of Revelation where he writes that he looked around  and there before the throne were the “living creatures and the elders and the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads, thousands upon thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power, and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” Can you imagine such a glorious day when we will join in the vast assembly before the throne of our king in worship of our him? This is what Paul tells us that should fill our minds with wonder.

Paul also goes on to speak of justice. This is a clue that what Paul is speaking about is that day when heaven is united with earth because it is on that day, as the prophet Amos foretold, justice will roll down like waters and righteousness will be an ever flowing stream. There will be justice because all will have to stand before the righteous judge and those who have refused to offer mercy and grace to the least of these will find themselves unable to enter the new reality that is coming. On that day it will be discovered that when we fed those who were hungry, and clothed those who needed it and cared for the sick and in prison, that we had done so to Jesus. So, yes, there are many who live as if their evil has no consequence but Paul tells us not to focus on the injustices of this world but rather hold fast to the truth that justice is coming and be certain that we who know this live as if this knowledge makes all the difference.

The difference that is to mark are lives is what is often translated as being pure but the word is also variously translated as being holy. This is what Paul spoke about in the third chapter of his letter to the Philippians. There he spoke of the importance of being disciplined by our Heavenly Father so that we might share in his holiness. This holiness of God is his steadfast love and faithfulness. As we wait for the justice of God to be revealed we know that in these times of injustice we may be called on to suffer for the gospel. In these moments we must remember that this is when God is disciplining us, bringing us to maturity so that we might more fully reflect his steadfast love and faithfulness in our witness. This holiness is as the writer of Hebrews also tells us in the twelfth chapter of his letter, what we must be if we are to see the Lord, to be a part of that glorious day of his return.

So, on the day that heaven and earth are at last fully united then Paul tells us the world will be a place of affectionate caring for one another, intimate friendship will abound as we will all live out what it means to be a part of the family of God. Think about what the world will be like when each person is known to be someone worthy of the greatest expression of love?

This understanding that our future is going to be one of great love and affection for every person leads quite naturally to Paul’s next thought which is that we are to have our minds focused on what is commendable. When you dissect the Greek word that is used here, what you find is that it means to bring the good to light. When we find this out then it is not hard for us to hear what Paul wrote in the fifth chapter of Ephesians where he writes that the church of Ephesus was once darkness but now they were light in the Lord. Therefore because they were the light they were to walk as children of the light for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Can we comprehend what our world will be like when what is spoken is only good, only righteous, and only the truth? As hard as it may be for us to wrap our minds around it, this is exactly what Paul tells us we must consider and think about because that day is soon approaching.

Lastly, Paul writes that we are to have our minds set upon what is excellent. This means that we are to think about that which is the highest form of virtue, that which is the most praise worthy of what we can set our mind upon. In other words, just as Paul began his list with Jesus, here is he is ending his list with Jesus. As Paul taught in the third chapter of this letter, we are to pursue the life of Jesus as a hunter goes after their prey. We are to seek after Jesus and his life because he and he alone is worthy of the price of our life. His life is the life of heavenly virtue that we are to make a reality in our life.

Now, as great as our imaginations are, it is still difficult for us to fully able to behold the wonder, the splendor, the richness of that day when heaven and earth are finally united, the new creation at last eclipsing the old. Yet, I believe that Paul also understood this because Paul also understood that the church, in a very limited way, was to be the place where the last day is lived out today. You see, in the midst of the church there is to be the truth the undeniable reality of heaven. Here, in the presence of God’s people is to be known the very presence of God himself, earth and heaven here as one. Here, as the people of God gather together, there is awe and reverence for the Lamb who was slain, he alone is worthy to receive our power and our wealth and our wisdom and our honor and our glory and our blessing not just then but here and now. Here, among us is justice to be found. We do not judge because we know the mercy of our righteous judge and because of his being merciful to us upon the cross we extend mercy, grace and forgiveness to all. Here, among us, the people of God, is a holiness unto the Lord. We are people who are being disciplined by our Heavenly Father so that as his children his holiness might be seen in us, his steadfast love and faithfulness might mark our life. Here is where the world can see people who sincerely care for one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Here, we who were once darkness, now live as the light bringing everything to light through how we live and speak. Here, we live as people who hold as our one pursuit to be a little more like Jesus today than we were yesterday, to strive to follow his upward call. You see, when Paul says that we are to think on these things what he is really telling us is that we are to live with an awareness of who we are as the church, the place where our great, big, beautiful tomorrow is being lived today. When we focus our minds on who we are as a church this is when we experience the peace that is from above, a peace that our minds cannot fully comprehend. You see, when we experience what will be our inheritance in just a small way in the here and now, we can rest our hearts because we know that the best is yet to come. As we live out this future God has for us in the here and now, this gives us the assurance that if God is bringing about the most wonderful and glorious future in ever greater measure then he most certainly can handle whatever tomorrow can bring. Think on these things! To the glory of God!Amen!

Pressing Matters

 June 5 2022

Philippians 3:10-21

As I have come to the end of the required classes that were necessary for my ordination, I find myself reminiscing about the teachers that I have spent hours with, learning from them not just what was required but so very much more. The teacher I had in my last series of classes, Ryan, was twenty years younger than me and lived in Wisconsin. To say that Zoom, (the video sharing app) is a game changer is an understatement. He is a very scholarly person and has had several of his works published. He was always suggesting this or that book for us to look into which let me know that we both enjoyed a good read. The teacher I had before Ryan, was Walt, who resides in Zanesville. Now, he was also a very learned man but because he was closer in age to myself he seemed to lead with what he had learned through his many years in pastoral ministry. One thing that he repeated often that has stuck with me is that most of the problems in our churches today are the result of a breakdown in discipleship. His theory is that when the church fails to work at discipling those who have placed their faith in Christ then the church will inevitably run into problems.  For some reason, what he said just seems to make so much sense. I guess it is a lot like raising children in that if you don’t take time to discipline your children then, yes, there will be problems down the road. This same analogy is used in the book of Hebrews, the twelfth chapter where the writer of this letter tells his audience that “it is for discipline that they have to endure. God is treating you as his sons and daughters. For what child is there that doesn’t have a Father who disciplines them?” Further, in this section about discipline, the writer goes on to conclude that “God, our Father, disciplines us for our good, that we may share the very holiness of God. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather, than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” So, I guess the point of this is that  our suffering on account of our belief in Jesus is the means that God uses to train us in order that we can take on the very characteristic of God, his holiness. Not only that, we are also told that it produces as the writer states, the “peaceful fruit of righteousness”.  To be righteous means that we are one of God’s people, and so the peace we have is that, in time, as we endure, we come to know that it is with God that we belong, it is his way of life, this being holy, this life, we can say, is our life too. So, I guess it makes sense that if people aren’t being discipled in the church then it just figures that the way of following Jesus becomes hard then people are going to wonder just what went wrong and act out against this difficulty instead of understanding that this is a situation that God is using to bring certainty into their life that they are indeed united with God.

This being united with God, what we know in the Greek as being koininia, this common life that we have with God and each other, this appears again and again in Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi. Paul wrote in the first chapter of this letter, that he thanked God for this little church at Philippi, for their koininia, the partnership, the fellowship, this common life they had with him in the good news of Jesus Christ. Then, in the second chapter, Paul again writes that what is certain to be found in this church at Philippi, is koininia, in the Spirit. This is a life that they were living together, a life bound in unity by the very Spirit of God. And here in the third chapter, in the verses that precede the ones that were read in todays reading, Paul again speaks of koininia, stating that because he now understands that he is one of God’s people because of the faith he has in Christ, Paul now desires to know Jesus, to know the power of the resurrection of Jesus, to know the koininia, the fellowship, the common life of the suffering of Jesus so that he might take on the same form of Jesus in his death. This reference to the form of Jesus is a reminder to what Paul wrote in the second chapter of this letter, where he wrote about Jesus taking on the form of a servant, willing to serve us even unto death. Paul knows that only by his being united with Jesus as a servant, only as he holds to this way of life all the way to the end of life will he at last be able to come face to face with Jesus, who is our resurrection and our life.

So, for Paul, this koininia, is a way of speaking of life, together, with each other and with God. Koininia, is this unity that binds them all together, they are one because of the message of good news of Jesus Christ that they have heard and believed in; they are one in the Spirit of God that Jesus has baptized them with; they are one in serving and suffering, taking on the same form of Jesus, knowing that beyond this momentary affliction they will come face-to-face with Jesus, their resurrection. This at least is what Paul knows about himself and his hope is that those he writes to will also understand that this is where they should be as well. 

As we read this third chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, it is quite apparent that Paul is speaking to the issue of discipleship within the life of the church. In the eleventh verse of this chapter, Paul speaks about being mature, as being people who have reached the goal, who have become people who, as we heard in the book of Hebrews, have become people who have been transformed because they have seized ahold of, and have made the very characteristic of God, his holiness, their very own. This holiness of God, this unchanging nature of God is his steadfast love and faithfulness. This steadfast love and faithfulness, this holiness of God, this is embodied in the life of Jesus. To know Jesus is to know what the very holiness of God is all about. In Jesus, we come face-to-face with the steadfast love of God, and with the faithfulness of God. The faithfulness of God is the very power of the resurrection, that God in his faithfulness would not allow his servant to see the corruption of death. The steadfast love of God formed the life of Jesus so that being a servant is the only life he could come and live among us. Jesus loved us with the very steadfast love, faithful all the way to the cross on which he died. Paul wanted to know Jesus so that he could live a life that showed that he knew Jesus, that showed that the faithfulness of God, and the steadfast love of God were visibly present in his life.

Now, Paul was honest to admit that he had not yet fully obtained such a life. In the Greek, the way Paul speaks of it is that he has not yet actively fully laid ahold of this life of Jesus. This knowing Jesus by living the life of Jesus, this Paul says is the goal which he desired to reach more than anything else, this is why he goes on to say that he pressed on to make such a life his own. A better way of putting what Paul is saying here is to say that he is pursuing the life of Jesus like a hunter going after their prey. This for me is a better way of thinking about what Paul is trying to get across than to just state that we are to make the life of Jesus a pressing matter. No, we are to go after this life of Jesus in the same way that my dog, Mazy, goes after whatever animal is on her radar at the moment.  This means that if what you are hunting is in a hollow log than you contort your body and crawl in there after it. If that possum needs eliminated than you just go down the hole in the ground after them even if it means that you end up underground yourself. If said possum comes across your path late at night then you just stay with them even if it means staying up to 2 in the morning. This, I think, conveys more of the meaning of how Paul believes we should pursue the life of Jesus, with reckless abandon. The reason we should be so driven to take hold of this life of Jesus according to Paul is this: Jesus first pursued us with reckless abandon and has seized ahold of us. Jesus has grabbed ahold of us and has let us know that we are his possession. He has given everything in order that he might call us his very own. This is why Paul goes on to say that he is going to have total amnesia about his past, he no longer is focusing on the woulda, coulda, shoulda’s of life instead Paul is focused on laying hold of Jesus just as Jesus had first laid hold of him. Paul, again, writes, that he is in hot pursuit of the life of Jesus. In very interesting terms, Paul states that this is a life that he can see, using the Greek word from which we get our word for scope. A scope is used to see a distant object and this is what Paul is implying that we need to keep our eyes upon Jesus. Then Paul emphasizes that Jesus is something physical, real, that we can take hold of when he uses the Greek word for prize or trophy. Then Paul leads us to understand that Jesus is the one we can hear, the one whose voice is speaking to us, calling out to us from above. What Paul has written here, is similar to what John wrote at the beginning of his first letter, where he said of Jesus that he “is the one who was from the beginning, the one which we have heard, the one we have seen with our eyes, the one we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-the life which was made real to us”.  You see, if we are pursuing the life of Jesus, then we just need to keep our eyes on Jesus, we need to reach out and keep in touch with Jesus, we need to attune our ears so that we can hear the voice of Jesus speaking to us above the noise of this world.

Pursuing after Jesus, pressing on to take hold of the life of the one who has already taken hold of us, this is the way Paul says that we become children of God who have been seized by the holiness of God, his steadfast love and faithfulness and have found that this same steadfast love and faithfulness are now living in us. This, Paul teaches us is to be our frame of mind, the way we have now re-oriented the way we think about the world. We are to think differently, Paul tells us, than the rest of the world and the reason why we are to be people who don’t conform to the rest of the world’s mindset is that now our life is to be ordered by what has already been given to us by God. We are left wondering for the moment just what Paul is referring to when he states that we are to be a different kind of people all because now we are ordering our lives around something that God has already given to us. The answer is given to us after Paul first takes us aside and warns us to not live, in his terms, as enemies of the cross. For people who oppose the cross of Jesus, their goal is their very destruction, their focus of their worship is their gut and they find their glory in their shameful behavior. And what is the source of such a life? Where such a downward spiraling life begins is with a frame of mind set on earthly matters. In our everyday language, these are people whose minds really are in the gutter. Now, what must be remembered when we read of these who are living a life as adversary’s of the cross is that these were people that Paul knew personally, people who at one time had been good Jesus loving folk not people who had never known or had never placed their faith in Jesus. This is why we must pause and consider just how people who had once said, yes, to Jesus could now be found be people who are going to be eventually far from him. The answer is found in what Jesus promises us, this hope of heaven. The problem is that what people want is the glory and goodness that awaits us as our reward to be given to them in the here and now. These are people who are unwilling to wait, to endure, but like children who have been brought up without discipline want what they want and they want it now.  The tragedy is that what they desire is what God gives instead of desiring the God who does the giving. When people become fixated on what’s in it for them, what God can give them here and now, their lives become so inward turned that they are indeed, polar opposite of the life which demonstrated self-giving love upon the cross. Such a life will face destruction because it is a life which has never known the faithfulness of God which is the power of the resurrection. Theirs is a life that will miss out on the glory that awaits those who pursued the life of Jesus instead of pursuing now what is promised for us later. What is wanted by those whose minds are set on earthly things is not a life that kneels in the dirt to wash the feet of others, a life whose love is steadfast and faithful to loving others even unto death. These are people who simply can not comprehend that there is no crown apart from the cross. This is why Paul wept for those he knew who would not pursue the life of Jesus and instead pursued the life they expected Jesus to give to them in exchange for their faith.

So, understanding how misguided people can be when Paul speaks about us having a frame of mind situated in heaven, just what does it mean for us to have as he puts it, to understand that our citizenship is in heaven? Paul here is telling us that our life is safe because it is securely held in the faithfulness of God who dwells in heaven. The importance for us to know that our lives our secure in heaven is not so that we can experience the wonder and splendor of heaven in the here and now but rather so that we are at last able to love with the self-giving love of Jesus. Only as we know that it is the faithfulness of God that preserves our life and not anything we might do to try and keep ourselves safe, only then will we be able to take on the form of Jesus, to have his life live in us, to give ourselves to others without reserve. You see, only as we understand that heaven is our hometown, that there is where our heart, indeed our very life is, only then can we really know Jesus, really know his love because we at last can love as he loved. Only as we rely upon the faithfulness of God which is the power of the resurrection can we share in the common life, the koininia of the suffering of Jesus, becoming like him in his death. This is the utter importance of our faith that heaven is ours not so that we can somehow believe that the goodness and glory that wait us can somehow be ours to revel in right now but rather when heaven is ours this is when we can witness to the world that we know Jesus because his life and his love are seen in us.

You see, Paul kind of turns how we normally think about heaven on its head because he tells us to consider that our life is already at home in heaven, right now. We are already home, Paul insists, so go and live like it. This is what he means when he tells us to order our lives according to what we have already been given. So, if we know that our future is already set then doesn’t it make sense that this understanding is going to change the way we live in the present? The faithfulness of God who anchors our life will cause that same faithfulness to be in us. Our suffering on account of Jesus then will witness to the world that we do think differently than the world. Life is not just about self-protection and self-glorification but it is rather about pursuing the life of Jesus, a life of steadfast self-giving love and faithfulness even unto death. When we take on the form of Jesus, the form of a servant, when his love has become our life then one day we shall be face-to face with Jesus, who is our resurrection because he is our very life. This is when we are told that our lowly bodies will then take the form of the glorious body of Jesus. It is the power of the resurrection, the utter faithfulness of God which assures us that this will be our reality and not only that but through that same power, through the faithfulness of God, one day all things will come under the rule and reign of God. This is what we hope for; this is what we wait for, knowing that right now this life is not yet ours. Instead we have more pressing matters, we must be on the hunt, actively pursuing the life of Jesus. Are your eyes focused on him? Can you feel the prize that will be yours? Are you listening for the upward call of Jesus who is ever leading us ever homeward? Then by all means, press on!Amen.

Working Out Our Salvation

 May 29 2022

Philippians 2:1-18

Well, here we are at the end of May celebrating yet another Memorial Day. This is when we, as a country, take time to honor those who have given their lives in the service of our nation. Memorial Day began in 1868 to remember those who had fought and died in the Civil War and has been observed ever since. The sacrifices of those who died are tragic and important yet what becomes so apparent is that while the victories of the wars that were fought can be celebrated, the root cause of those wars still remains very much alive. We can’t help but think of the Civil War which was fought to abolish slavery but the root cause that necessitated this war, that some do not feel that all people are created equal still rears its ugly head as we just recently witnessed in Buffalo, New York. The two world wars were fought because of the disrespect of international boundaries of nations and still today we are witnessing this again with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. So, yes we do honor those who gave their lives but we must also remember that wars such as the ones that have been fought are never the final answer as to establishing an honest peace because peace will never prevail until the war within each individuals heart has at last been settled. In that war, the war that rages within all of us, there is only two deaths which matter, the death of Christ and the death of ourselves so that the risen Christ might live in us. Only as Christ lives, by faith in us, can we experience something far greater to live for and if need be, die for, than any earthly cause which is the glory that is to come. While this is Paul’s concern as we come to the second chapter of his letter to the Philippians we might be a little surprised that he also speaks about having to work out our faith, which seems to be holding two opposite ideas together because we often hear that either one is saved by faith or they believe that they can be saved by their works. So, we are left wondering just how is it that Paul can speak of working out our faith.

We begin our search into just what Paul is getting at right at the beginning of the second chapter of Philippians where we find that we must first deal with the very first word of this chapter which is often translated, “so”, but is, perhaps, better translated, “therefore”. I prefer “therefore”, because when I read this word it begs the question just what is the, “therefore”, there for? We have to know what Paul is referring to in order to make sense of what he is about to write in the rest of the second chapter of Philippians. So, when we look back at the first chapter of Philippians we find that what Paul is concerned about is that the members of this little church are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, not being frightened by their opponents. This, Paul writes, is a clear sign of their salvation. Now, when we think of salvation we may think of it being just a simple prayer we once made where we accepted Jesus into our hearts, but for Paul, salvation is being able to remain faithful and loyal to Jesus, even if doing so requires suffering. In fact, at the end of this first chapter, Paul goes on to say that the members of this church had not only been granted or given faith to believe in Jesus for the sake of Christ but they also had been granted or given to suffer for his sake as well. How often would any of us consider that our suffering for Jesus is a gift that has been given to us by him? As strange as this might sound to our ears, this is exactly what Paul is insinuating here. You see, one of the most difficult aspects of Paul’s letter to the Philippians is that for them suffering was not only expected but it was also understood as a badge of honor that they would be called on to do so. For us, living in the land of the free, we seem to be exempt from suffering at all for the cause of Christ so much so that I suppose that if we were called to suffer for Christ we would most likely be shocked. For Paul though, suffering for Christ was extremely important because his suffering was a message to a watching world that his relationship with Christ was worth the loss of everything, all worldly comforts, all rights and privileges, even the loss of his very life; this is how much Paul treasured Jesus the Savior who treasured him. Yet, even so, what Paul was concerned about was that the members of this little church at Philippi would be able to hold on to their faith clear to the end, and so be assured of their salvation. This is what Paul is going to address here in the second chapter of his letter to them.

Paul, knowing that as believers in Christ they must stand firm together, begins by stating those things that these Christ followers knew to be certain of no matter what. They knew that Christ was their parakletes, their Advocate, the one who walked along side of them through the Holy Spirit, and spoke on their behalf. Paul knew that Satan is the accuser, the one who speaks lies and deceit into the ears of the believers causing them to question their belief in Jesus. Yet, Paul also knew that Christ was right there with them speaking against the lies of Satan, speaking the truth, countering the false claims that threatened them; this was a rock solid certainty that they could count on.

Paul also knew that they could be certain of the love that bound them together as a church, a love that had a heavenly quality, a love which sought the good for others over the good for oneself, the love which was displayed upon the cross. Out of this love, each member could be counted on to walk alongside each other, speaking words of encouragement and comfort. This is what the writer of Hebrews also wrote of to his church when he told them in the third chapter of his letter that they were to encourage one another every day so that none of them might be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

So, as we begin to see the image that Paul is describing for us, that as they went about their life together, there was Jesus walking and speaking to them and their they were, each believer listening and speaking encouraging words to each other as well, that it is not a stretch to follow that Paul next speaks of the certainty of their one life together in the Spirit. Here again, just like he did in the first chapter, Paul uses the word, koininia, which is often translated fellowship but perhaps is better understood as the common life that is shared by all of the believers, a common life that is a life that is drawn into the life of love held by the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit. This is the very certain experience of eternal life that is shared together today by believers in Christ.

Out of this experience of union with the Father and the Son through the Spirit then it is not difficult to understand that Paul also writes that the believers can also be certain of an affection for one another that is deep and abiding, a compassion that not only rejoices with those who rejoice but also weeps with those who weep. The words Paul uses here are words that describe great passion, feelings which arise from the gut-level. This is what Paul insists that these believers he writes to can be certain of, that those around them would not just deal with them on a superficial level but instead they would feel for each other in a powerful and meaningful manner.

This life that Paul has described here, one where Jesus and the members of this church walk alongside each other, sharing a common life with one another in deep affection and compassion for each other, this is the result of Paul planting the word of the gospel within their hearts. Now, Paul exclaims, he wants to see this gospel word grow and bear fruit so that he might be full of joy from the resulting harvest. This harvest in a word was unity. They were to be people who thought with one mind, people who loved with one love, the very love of God, people who had one soul, one life together, people who had one frame of mind, or understanding about life. This frame of mind that they had among themselves was to be one of great humility. This frame of mind is important to hang on to because this is the basis of how this little hometown of heaven will maintain some semblance of order. As in any society, there has to be an order to how things get done and Paul uses a word here in the third verse of the second chapter which refers to leadership or governance.  So, what Paul is implying is that the way that one leads in this heavenly city is that they do so by putting another’s needs ahead of their own, to consider that those one encounters are of more importance than they are. Now, this teaching of Paul sounds very counter-intuitive to us I suppose, but what Paul is saying here is exactly the teaching of Jesus who in the ninth chapter of Mark tells his disciples, “If anyone would be first, if anyone wants to lead, they must be last of all and the servant of all.” Jesus, of course, would teach this because this is the very essence of the love of God, this agape love which seeks to care for another no matter what the cost. Yet, if they were to have this mindset among them they had to make sure that they did nothing for one’s personal gain or for one’s personal honor. To do so would be to tear apart the unity that Christ through the Holy Spirit was bringing to fruition among them. Paul states, that it is Christ, this is who the church is supposed to look to to figure out just what their frame of mind is supposed to be when we interact with each other.

For the people that Paul writes to, the church at Philippi and us as well, to grasp the very frame of mind of Christ, Paul sets forth what is most likely a poem or a song of the early church. There is much evidence that this poem is an adaptation of the song of the Suffering Servant found in the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. Just as Paul writes about the form of Jesus, that at one time he has the very form of God,  Isaiah also spoke of the Servant but he states that the he was one who had no form, no beauty, there was nothing noble about him. This contrast of having once had the form of God to having no form, no beauty or nobility about him, happened because of the work that Jesus, the Servant, felt compelled to accomplish. This work began when, as Paul writes, Jesus did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. There are many ways that this has been interpreted over the years however the best that I have come across is that Jesus did not want to claim this life of unity with his Heavenly Father for his very own, to seize a hold of this life so that it would be his alone. No, Jesus desired that we might experience this life, the life that he had experienced in heaven for all eternity, here on earth. The way that he accomplished this is to give himself over completely to our need, the need we have for someone to come and take upon themselves our sickness and our sin as is written of in Isaiah because this is a burden all of us are unable to bear. Jesus came to give us not what we deserve but instead he came to give us what we desired, which is mercy, grace and forgiveness. This is exactly what Jesus did. Jesus came as a servant being born in the likeness of men. When Jesus came in our likeness, this is when the truth of Isaiah becomes apparent for when Jesus put on our human flesh this then is when Jesus had no beauty or nobility that set him apart. He did not come to be set apart from us but rather he came to be united with us, to be one with our dishonor, our suffering and our affliction. Jesus came as a servant and he did so that we might be free. Now, that seems like an odd understanding doesn’t it, but in the days in which Paul wrote his letter the people of his day would have understood this statement. You see, people acquired slaves to do the menial chores that took up their time so that they might be free to pursue leisure activities. In like fashion, Jesus, as our servant, took upon himself, our sickness and our sin and carried them all the way to death forever, setting us free from us having to forever bear them within us. As Paul writes in the fifth chapter of Romans, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. So, yes, we have been set free from our sins so that we might at last be able to rule but then we must ask just how is it that we are to rule? The answer is that we rule, we lead, by being a servant. Jesus, who came as a servant on our behalf, lifted from us our burden of sin so that we are freed at last, no longer having to be focused on bearing that which weighted us down. Now, because of Jesus, our hands no longer carry the heavy load of our sin so that now we are at last freed up to be able to bear the burdens of others. As we take the lead and serve others bearing up their burdens then they are set free to go and bear someone else’s burdens. In this way the very life of heaven comes upon the earth when we in our freedom follow Jesus and give to people not what they deserve but rather when we give others what they desire, mercy, grace and forgiveness.This is the way of God, this is the life found in the life of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the life that Jesus could not keep to himself. No, he came as one of us so that we might be like him, freed at last to serve and so set others free to serve. This is why Paul writes that God the Father has highly exalted Jesus and bestowed upon Jesus the name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth. Here, Paul quotes from another passage from Isaiah, this time from the forty-fifth chapter where Isaiah writes, “Turn to me and be saved all the ends of the earth! For I am God and there is no other. By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness, a word that shall not return: To me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear allegiance.” So, what Paul is getting at is that our allegiance to Christ, our allegiance to his way of life, this is our salvation. When we bow our knees in service to others, this is when we bow our knees before Jesus our king who rules by serving even unto death. When our life reflects the life of Christ doing to others as Christ has done so to us, this is when the name, the fundamental character of Christ, that of being a servant is exalted and glorified.

It is only when we understand that Jesus has come from heaven as a servant so that we might be set free to be servants, that this is the eternal life of heaven, only when we understand this can we at last figure out just what he means that we are to continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Our salvation all depends on our being able to hold fast to our faith all the way of our life here on earth even if this means suffering on account of the gospel. The question Paul is attempting to answer is just how we can continue to strengthen our faith  even in the midst of adversity? The answer he gives is that we are to follow the lead of Jesus and live the life of a humble servant of others, bearing their burdens, forgetting about ourselves. You see, for Paul, faith means having a deep love for the servant life that Jesus has set us free to live. Faith is being so caught up in serving others, so focused upon giving to others the mercy, grace and forgiveness that they desire that any other way of life becomes unimaginable. Faith then is when we might say, that this life of Jesus has come to possess us deep within ourselves. What we find is that the more that we do the work of serving others, the more joy we receive as we, good and faithful servants, enter and live in the joy of our master. This is a foretaste of our eternal glory which tempers our momentary afflictions. When we come before the presence of our master with awe and trembling we do so because his love overwhelms us. This love is the presence of the Holy Spirit, the God who pours out upon us the very love of heaven which motivates us to do the will of our Heavenly Father here on earth as it is in heaven, doing the work of a servant to all that we meet because this is what our faith in Christ is all about. When we do the good works which bring glory to our Heavenly Father, this is when we are the light of the world, this is when we, as Paul exclaims that we shine like stars in a dark world. So, are you ready to shine? Do you, like Jesus, desire to show the world the life of service that sets people free? Are you ready to follow Jesus and enter into the joy of your master and hear him say to you, well done, good and faithful servant? Amen!