12th October 2008 (Trinity 21)
Philippians 4:1-9
When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, life was not exactly easy for him. True, he had just received some sort of help from them, perhaps financial help with his expenses since he wasn’t earning anything. But he wasn’t able to earn anything because he was in prison, on trial for his life. On top of that, he had heard that the church he had founded at such cost in Philippi (see Acts 16) was in danger of falling apart due to factions centred around two leading women (v.2). It is in this context that he tells them to rejoice.
Some translations treat the exhortation to rejoice as a simple ‘farewell’, for the word was the usual way of greeting either when meeting or when parting. However, in its context the literal meaning is more appropriate. Paul wants the Philippians to be full of love and joy and peace.
Euodias and Syntyche (the quarrelling women, v.2) were both members of the body of Christ. Jesus was their Lord, and they were both equally special to him. Whatever their differences (and Paul does not deign to spell them out), they were not sufficient to separate those whom God had joined together in Christ. Their love for Christ had to bear fruit in love for one another, and that meant doing all they could to agree together. They did not have to become identical; but they did need to work out how to appreciate each other and how to use their differences creatively to build up and unify the church. (Paul did not speak so kindly about the circumcision party in chapter 3, for their beliefs were contrary to the gospel and would have wrecked the church.)
When we focus on Jesus, love and peace come so much more easily. So does joy. Paul tells the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord always! That involves remembering just what Jesus is like, and what he has done and is doing, even when circumstances are difficult. They are also to be openly ‘gentle’ (the word includes kindliness, forbearance, thoughtful consideration) – Christians are not to be ‘hard’, even in hard times, even in their disagreements! Especially since the Lord is near – he might return at any time, and by his Spirit he is closer to us than the clothes we wear, even now.
Peace is promised to those who actively do something about their anxieties. Paul’s instructions are practical: Work out what is bothering you, and then bother God with it – but do so with thanksgiving for all the blessings you have already received from your loving heavenly Father. The result: peace from God, inexplicable peace, forming a protective shield around your heart and your mind.
The final point Paul makes in these verses is about the need to focus on the positives. God is true, noble, right, pure, lovely; when our thinking and acting are on those lines, we are much more likely to experience his presence and his peace.
Questions:
1) What is God saying to us in today’s circumstances? How might we have to change our thinking? and/or our behaving?
2) How can we always rejoice?