A, Post-Pentecost 19 Proper 22 - Philippians 3:4b-11 "Effluence to Exhaltation"

In Philippians chapter two, Paul tells the church in Philippi that Jesus allowed Himself to be made nothing, emptying Himself by taking the form of a servant. He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.

In the Old Testament, we are told, “If a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God.” (Deuteronomy 21:22–23a ESV)

On that cross, Jesus served by becoming cursed by God for our sin. Jesus never went into the Holy of Holies or the Holy Place in the temple. In fact, He was the only One who could have gone in there without fulfilling all the cleansing rituals needed to survive standing before the face of God in the holiest of places on earth.

Instead, Jesus only ever ventured into the outer courts of the temple where the Gentiles could go, and outside Jerusalem, teaching all who were interested and confronting the scorn of the priestly leaders and Pharisees for doing so. In His service to humanity, Jesus was eventually humiliated on the cross outside Jerusalem, the earthly city of God. We hear in Hebrews chapter thirteen, “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.” (Hebrews 13:12 ESV)

We have been made holy not by Jesus going into the Holy of Holies, but by His being the servant sacrifice for us, cursed outside the camp, so that we are made holy and welcome before God.

Because Jesus did this for us without sin, Paul tells us in Philippians chapter two, “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11 ESV)

After relating the heights of God’s exaltation of His Son, Jesus Christ, in Philippians chapter two, Paul now calls the church in Philippi to avoid the dogs, the mutilators of the flesh. These are those who seek to destroy the holiness that God has won for us through the blood of Jesus. He also calls the church not to mutilate their own flesh by describing the reality of his own perceived lofty status in chapter three of his letter to the Philippians.

Paul explains to the Philippians that he could regard himself with the same grandeur as the dogs who seek to mutilate the flesh. Yet, where God has exalted Jesus Christ, Paul regards himself and his greatness in the extreme opposite, remaining humble by bowing to Jesus Christ as his Lord.

To the church in Rome, he says, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” (Romans 12:3 ESV)

What he says to the church in Rome is rather low-key compared with what he says to the Philippians. Although he says the same thing, here Paul’s measure of faith allows him to go all out in his sober judgement of himself before the Philippians.

He says, “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:4b–11 ESV)

Paul seemingly builds himself up to demonstrate the futility of doing so: circumcised, a Benjamite, a Hebrew, a Pharisee under the law and zealous beyond compare. But then hear him strip it all down! Three times, he calls it all loss. His gain is loss for the sake of Christ! Yes, indeed, Paul counts not just some of it, but everything as loss! To burn the point into the hearers’ minds, he says a third time that, for the sake of Jesus, whom God has exalted, Paul suffers the loss of all things and counts them as rubbish.

In English, it all sounds rather sanitised, but this is anything but wholesome language. Paul relates to the Philippians the pathetic reality of his person and deeds compared with Jesus, who was treated as the excrement of Israel and is now exalted above all at the right hand of God the Father.

Paul sees himself and his works as a Pharisee as even less than the dogs, the mutilators of the flesh. He warms the hearers up with his threefold loss of prestige, person and passion, then shocks their ears by saying that he counts it all as dog poo or excrement and rejects it as filth. Our translations say rubbish, but in reality, in all its vulgarity, Paul says what he regarded as his greatness is really “dog shit!” (My apology for using this word but this is the vulgarity of regarding the self, higher than one ought.) Dogs are unclean animals under Jewish law. How much more unclean is their dung? 

Paul makes his point, and it reminds me of a few times on the farm when chaos abounded! It had nothing to do with dogs or their dung. Rather, these are a couple of stories about pigs and their poo. I can tell you that intensively farmed pigs make a lot of poo.

The first story is about one of our stud Angora goats getting out of her pen and trying to escape across the piggery effluent pond. The pond looked like solid ground but looks can be deceiving! The doe rushed out onto the crust of poo, only to crash through it into the epitome of filth. Her white locks of mohair were stained and stinking after she was pulled out with a crook, saving her from drowning in a mire of mess, pig piddle and poo.

The next incident happened some years later, when the slats in the grower shed rotted over time and a half-grown pig fell through them into the waste pit below. Thankfully, the pit was not full and the porker was alive. But how could we rescue it from the stench and filth of ten centimetres of pig pee and poo?

Let me say that the pig was not a willing participant in its rescue as Dad descended into the darkness to grab the greasy grunter from the poo. Kicking and squealing, it was raised back into the pen above. Dad and the pig both emerged covered in poo and wee. Pigs and dogs are considered unclean animals by the Jews; after Dad emerged from the pit covered in pig poo, we did not consider him all that clean either!

On reflection, what happened to the white doe in the pig pond and the porker in the poo pit stimulates our imagination and our senses, helping us understand what Paul is getting at when he compares his pride to poo. By contrast, Jesus, who was cursed on the cross and found outside Jerusalem like vile rubbish, then was highly exalted by God.

You and I are not all that different from that white doe when we try to elevate ourselves to glory at the expense of God’s glory in His Son, Jesus Christ. The holiness freely given to us through the death and resurrection of Christ becomes stinking and stained like the goat’s white fleece. Our elevation and affluence in our own eyes might seem to be an ascent, but really, it is a descent and a return to the poverty and effluence of our humanity. Without God’s help, we would drown in our filth like the goat in the pig pond.

Secondly, how much are we like immature pigs, not wanting to be rescued from the poo pit of our effluent lives, as God continually sends us the Holy Spirit to rescue us from ourselves and our darkness? Like my father, Jesus descended into humanity and became the lowest of the low to serve us and save us from the stench of our sin. Jesus became covered in the effluent of our sin to save us from sin.  Now He sends the Holy Spirit to remind us of this in His Word, so we put off our effluent affluence and allow ourselves to be covered with his robes of righteous exaltation.

Like Paul, the Holy Spirit now gives us faith to know ourselves and also to know Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection, so that, like Paul, we might count all as loss—even dog dung—and become like Him in His death. What is that? It is innocent and blameless!

So let us press on through the poo that life flings at us! Let us press on to make it our own because, despite our effluence, Christ wore our crap to make us His own.

Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, You sent Jesus to wear the stain of our humanity, and He was cast out onto the cross to bear the curse and filth of our humanity. Help us, like Paul, to go to Christ outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured, trusting that, in His exaltation, we too will be raised out of ourselves, our effluence, into the holiness He won for us on the cross. Amen.

Sermon Summary

Drawing on Philippians 3:4b–11, the sermon contrasts human pride and self-made righteousness with the humility, suffering and exaltation of Jesus Christ. Paul lists every reason he might have trusted in his religious pedigree and achievements, then counts them all as loss—even as refuse—because knowing Christ is worth infinitely more. The farm stories of the goat in the effluent pond and the pig in the waste pit picture how self-exaltation traps and stains us, while Christ descends into the depth of human sin to rescue us. Through His cross and resurrection, Jesus gives us a righteousness that is received by faith rather than earned by status or works. The Holy Spirit therefore calls us to relinquish pride, share in Christ’s death and resurrection, and press on in the holiness Christ has won for us.

Reflection Questions

1. What achievements, identities or forms of status are you most tempted to rely on for your worth before God and others as a Christian?
2. Why does Paul count his impressive religious credentials as loss compared with knowing Christ?
3. How do the images of the goat in the effluent pond and the pig in the waste pit deepen your understanding of pride, sin and rescue?
4. What does it mean to receive righteousness through faith in Christ rather than through your own effort?
5. Where might self-exaltation currently be drawing you away from giving glory to Christ?
6. In what ways may the Holy Spirit be calling you to let go of something that keeps you trapped in pride or self-reliance?
7. What might sharing in Christ’s sufferings and becoming like Him in His death look like in your daily life?
8. How does the power of Christ’s resurrection give you hope when life feels stained, humiliating or overwhelming?
9. What practical step can you take this week to “press on” toward knowing Christ more deeply?

A, Post-Pentecost 18 Proper 21 - Matthew 21:23-32 Philippians 2:4 "Authority to Repent"

Philippians 2:4 (ESV) “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Matthew 21:23–27, 32 (ESV) “And when He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?’ Jesus answered them, ‘I also will ask you one question, and if you tell Me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?’ And they discussed it among themselves, saying, ‘If we say, “From heaven,” He will say to us, “Why then did you not believe him?” But if we say, “From man,” we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.’ So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And He said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’ ‘For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.’”

Authority is nearly a dirty word these days! It seems that those invested in retaining authority can be labelled authoritarian. Some may be wrongly accused of this when honestly seeking to fulfil their office of authority. But these accusations usually arise because of the few who abuse their office and rule in favour of their own interests.

The chief priests and elders were angry about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and His overturning of the tables in the temple shortly thereafter. The next day, they interrogated Jesus about whose authority He was teaching under and by what authority He taught. Seeing the crowds venerate Jesus as He entered Jerusalem on a donkey, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Matthew 21:15 ESV), had made them indignant.

King David was a man under God’s authority. This is what makes David arguably the greatest human king, despite his terrible sins of coveting, adultery, deception and murder. Instead of defending himself when challenged by God’s prophet Nathan, King David repented. Thereafter, King David repentantly wrestled with his sinful nature openly before God. This is well recorded throughout the Psalms.

The Psalms, however, were not merely written and commissioned by David. They were given to him by the Holy Spirit in his faithfulness as he struggled with his human nature. The Psalms are the Word of God, given to David to voice his reality before God.

Jesus Christ, the Son of David, was the Author of these words before He was incarnate in the flesh to be the “Word made flesh”. Together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ Word is the Word of God. Therefore, in the Psalms, we not only get a window into David’s heart, but we also gain a full sense of Jesus’ faithfulness, servanthood and authority in His incarnation, ministry and faithful struggle to be the Son of Man on behalf of humanity as He walked to the cross and death.

Jesus’ struggle was ultimately for the priests and elders too. God had long struggled with Israel, sending prophets such as Ezekiel and others to call His chosen people to repent of their sins and live. Jesus wanted that for all in Israel—the people, as well as the priests and elders who led them. They did not understand that He had the authority to take the place of all Israel and, through repentance, to give them life through His death and resurrection, which were only days away.

When they asked Jesus by whose authority He taught and what authority He possessed, Jesus understood that they were asking whether He worked on God’s behalf or on man’s behalf. Authority is the freedom, ability or power to act. They sought to test Jesus, but He turned the test back on them, showing that they had the freedom and ability to repent but were choosing not to do so.

Considering not His own interests but theirs, He directed them back to John the Baptist’s baptism of repentance and asked whether it came from God or man. They did not believe that John spoke with God’s authority, yet they were unwilling to say that he spoke merely with human authority. By answering that they did not know, the priests and elders exposed the uncertainty of their own position and their refusal to acknowledge the authority behind John’s baptism.

In refusing to tell them by what authority He taught, Jesus asked what they thought about a man whose two sons responded differently to their father’s command to work in his vineyard. The first refused but then changed his mind—or repented—and went to work. The second agreed to go but never did. Although neither son responded perfectly, only the first ultimately obeyed his father.

Jesus then says, “For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.” (Matthew 21:32 ESV)

Unlike either of the sons, Jesus pointed out that there was neither acceptance of John’s message nor subsequent repentance. Unlike the two sons, who were partially disobedient with a yes/no and a no/yes willingness to work for their father, the priests and elders gave a no/no rejection of belief and repentance in response to John’s baptism.

You and I are still confronted with the question of authority today. Do you work under your own authority, which “does not know”, as did the Jewish elders and priests, or do you abide under the authority of Jesus Christ, trusting that He looks not to His own interests but to those of others—namely, yours and mine, our eternal interests?

There is a saying that pride comes before a fall. It is God’s will that the fall should lead to repentance. This was first taught by John as he baptised at the Jordan, continued in Jesus’ teaching throughout His ministry, authorised in Jesus’ death and resurrection, and empowered when the Holy Spirit comes to us in Holy Baptism, giving us the authority to repent with an Amen and Amen, a yes/yes: to confess that we are sinners, but also to believe that we are sinners who are being forgiven in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

God does not want your pride to be your eternal downfall. He wants each of us to take ownership of our sinful nature, hand it over to Him and allow Him to dispose of it at the cross. He does not look kindly on anyone who seeks to justify themselves by laying blame elsewhere—to say that our teeth are set on edge because our fathers ate sour grapes!

No more blaming or sour grapes! Rather, God says, “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” (Ezekiel 18:30–32 ESV)

God has made you a new heart and a new spirit. In baptism, you have the new heart of Jesus and the new heart of the Holy Spirit. The house of Israel is now governed by Jesus Christ, and judgement has fallen on Him for those who allow Him the authority to deal with their sin.

Rather than saying no/no like the elders and priests, and rather than living a no/no life as the elder and priest of your own heart, you are authorised to say yes/yes in repentance and forgiveness. This is a God-willed authority, power, freedom and ability to repent through the work of Jesus Christ at the cross. The sour grapes stopped with Jesus! The sponge of sour wine was lifted to Jesus’ lips. First refusing wine mixed with gall to deaden the pain of crucifixion, Jesus went on to drink the sour wine and give up His spirit on the cross for you and me.  At the cross, there are no more sour grapes! Jesus now sponges up all sour grapes of sin in His death.

Jesus’ authority was, and continues to be, an authority that did not look to His own interests but to the interests of others—namely, you and me!

The proof is in the pudding! Jesus passed through death and hell and has been raised in righteousness, victorious over sin and death. You therefore have the authority to believe and repent, to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13 ESV)

Let us pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, continue to send me the Holy Spirit to show me that I have been given the authority to say yes/yes: yes, I am a sinner, and yes, I repent of my sin. When I say no to You through my desires, words and deeds—in what I have done or failed to do—soften my heart with Your Holy Word of Law and Gospel so that I turn back to You, repent and believe in Your forgiveness. Through Jesus’ yes/yes—His willingness to live as the servant Son of Man and to die bearing the ugliness of my sin—bind my spirit to Your Spirit through the Holy Spirit and raise me with Jesus Christ to eternal life with You, now and forever. Yes and yes! Amen and amen!

Sermon Summary

Jesus’ confrontation with the chief priests and elders reveals that true authority belongs to God and is exercised for the good of others. Although the religious leaders refused to recognise the authority behind John the Baptist’s call to repentance, Jesus exposed their unwillingness to turn and believe. Through the parable of the two sons, He showed that genuine obedience is not found merely in saying the right words, but in repentance that leads to faithfulness. Jesus, the faithful Son, placed Himself under the Father’s authority and took the place of sinners through His death and resurrection. In Holy Baptism, the Holy Spirit gives us a new heart and the freedom to say yes to God: to confess our sin, receive Christ’s forgiveness and live under His gracious authority. Because Jesus used His authority not for His own interests but for ours, we can repent, believe and live in the hope of eternal life.

Reflection Questions

1. Where are you most tempted to rely on your own authority rather than trusting the authority of Jesus Christ?
2. What does the response of the two sons teach you about the difference between words, repentance and obedience?
3. Why do you think the chief priests and elders found it difficult to acknowledge the authority behind John the Baptist’s message?
4. How does Jesus use His authority for your good through His death and resurrection?
5. What might saying “yes/yes” to God look like in your life this week?
6. How does Holy Baptism assure you that the Holy Spirit is at work, giving you a new heart and leading you to repentance?
7. Is there any sin, pride or blame that you need to hand over to God and receive His forgiveness for today?
8. How can you use the authority, freedom or responsibility entrusted to you for the interests of others? 

A, Post-Pentecost 17 Proper 20 - Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30 Acts 16:11-40 "To Live Is Christ"

Philippians 1:12–14, 19–30  (ESV) I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.   …for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honoured in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Paul writes to the church in Philippi.  This town was a Roman colony populated by Roman soldiers, and it ranked above all the other towns in the region and was given privileges equal to Rome.  It was a likely place of retired soldiers who had faithfully served Caesar. The area was abundant with wealth due to gold mines located nearby.

Philippi is a town of ruins that today is in modern-day Greece. In Paul’s day it was in Macedonia, so Philippi is the first European location in which Paul preached the gospel.

When Paul first went to Philippi, there was no Jewish synagogue in the town, so he sought out a likely place of prayer outside the town at the local river where Jews might meet. There he met Lydia. She was a trader in purple fabric, which, because of the dye used, was an expensive fabric. Lydia was not a local, but was from a town in Asia Minor, Thyatira. We can assume that she travelled there along the Egnatian Way, the major road that connected the east to the west, Asia to Europe, around the top of the Aegean Sea between Constantinople and Rome.

The Holy Spirit opened the heart of Lydia, a worshipper of God. She was baptised with her family and encouraged Paul and his fellow workers to stay with her and her family.

Each day Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke went to the river, the place of prayer, but Paul and Silas were arrested after Paul became tired of a fortune-teller proclaiming Paul and his companions as servants of the Most High God.

What she proclaimed was true, but this was not of the Holy Spirit, but rather another spirit, which Paul cast out. We might assume that he did this because this fortune-teller was grandstanding and using the truth of what Paul, Silas, and the others were doing for God to make a profit for her owner. Because Paul ended her fortune-telling ability when he cast out the spirit, her owner had him and Silas arrested, and they were subsequently jailed overnight.

It was at midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, that the Holy Spirit shook the place with an earthquake, opening the gates of the prison and releasing their shackles. It is through this event that Paul baptised the jailer and his family after saving him from killing himself, assuming that the prisoners had escaped.

The jailer knew it was his life for the life of any escaped prisoners, but the extraordinary event and the lack of escapees led him to fall at Silas and Paul’s feet and plead, “‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptised at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.” (Acts 16:30–34 ESV)

When the magistrates of the town called for their release, they found out that Paul and his companions were Roman citizens. The authorities feared that they had unlawfully held them captive and politely asked Paul and his companions to leave Philippi.

It is folk like the jailer and his family that Paul fondly held dear to his heart and now wrote to in Philippi. His letter to the Philippians was a letter to his fellow Romans, and he addressed suffering, citizenship, imprisonment as an ambassador in chains, and referred to Epaphroditus as a fellow soldier in Christ. Paul, who once was imprisoned in Philippi, wrote from prison in Rome to the church in Philippi. He signed off his letter to the congregation of expat Romans at Philippi, saying, “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.” (Philippians 4:22 ESV)

Paul and Silas’ singing of hymns and seismic release from their chains likely left an indelible mark on the memories of those in Philippi, especially the household of the jailer who became Paul’s first Roman converts after his near-suicidal death. Since Philippi was a Roman town held in high esteem by Rome and a place of privilege for retired soldiers from Caesar’s guard, it’s possible that Roman converts like the jailer had connections with some in the imperial guard or with some who had retired to Philippi. Through the jailer and his contemporaries, it is possible that those of the imperial guard in Rome would have heard favourable news about Paul from those at Philippi.

This is what the greeting from Caesar’s house seems to imply, but more so the sense of duty to which Paul appealed as he suffered for Christ in the advancement of the gospel. This sense of duty was not lost on at least one at Philippi: the jailer, who was within a whisker of taking his own life through his sense of failed duty if prisoners had indeed escaped after the Holy Spirit-induced earthquake.

Paul’s call for the Philippians to live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ is encouragement for these Romans and others, like Lydia from Thyatira in Asia Minor, to focus not so much on whether they have Roman citizenship or not, but on the citizenship they have in heaven through Jesus Christ’s suffering and death, who makes them one to suffer for the gospel, as they saw Paul suffer when jailed in Philippi and are encouraged as he is once again imprisoned in Rome for the sake of Jesus Christ and the gospel.

This is also encouragement for you, as many of you too have been through suffering, and you have witnessed your pastors go through various trials in recent times, especially those who have taken their stand and have been dishonoured for the sake of the gospel.

Like Paul and the apostles, we do not know if we will be placed in a situation where we will be called to die for the sake of the gospel, or whether we will be called to carry on living as suffering servants, to carry on the duty of, calling some to Christ, or calling some to return to Christ, at the eleventh hour.

What we see is not as God sees.  Where we see suffering, ruins, and an end, through the history of salvation He constantly shows that things are allowed to die beyond human repair so He alone might breathe new life into them, not by the will of man, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Rather than seeing the writing on the wall, so to speak, we’re called to hear the Word of God, His writing on the page! We’re called to see His power despite the weakness within in which we live and the power without in which we live.

Rather than focusing on the fracturing of Christianity that seems to be occurring around us today, through the humiliation of the church and the growth of human ideologies and idolatries that are increasingly forced on us and which we’re deceived into accepting, we’re called to a sense of duty that sees our citizenship in heaven and that to live is Christ and to die is gain. This especially means putting to death within us the idolatries and ideologies that make us deaf to what Jesus forewarns about the increased persecution of the true one hidden church, now and continuing till eternity is finally revealed.

We’re called to be emboldened like the apostles who after being flogged and told not to preach in the name of Jesus Christ, left “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name.” (Acts 5:41 ESV)

Today we hear the first of four readings from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. It would be fruitful labour for you to read Paul’s brief letter to the Philippians and its context from Acts 16:11-40, and ponder your citizenship in heaven: what you are called to suffer for the sake of the gospel!  Be it what you’re called to endure from others or what you’re called to suffer by sacrificing things within that might be tempting you away from the duty and works that God has set for you in advance.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, renew me with Your Holy Spirit so I believe that I shall look upon Your goodness in the land of the living, to dwell with You, both now and eternally. In my weakness, help me wait on You as Jesus waited on You; to be strong only in Your strength, and to let my heart take courage as I wait for Your kingdom to come, as You dismantle my kingdoms of death. Amen.

Sermon Summary
Paul’s letter to the Philippians speaks from prison into a congregation shaped by suffering, duty, citizenship, and the power of the gospel. Philippi, a proud Roman colony, was also the place where the Holy Spirit opened Lydia’s heart, shook open the prison doors, and brought the jailer and his household to faith in Jesus Christ. These beginnings help us hear Paul’s encouragement: the gospel advances even through suffering, imprisonment, humiliation, and apparent weakness.

Paul calls the Philippians, and us, to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Our highest citizenship is not earthly but heavenly, won through Jesus Christ’s suffering and death. Therefore, Christians are called not to fear opposition or be distracted by the fracturing and humiliation of the church, but to stand firm in one spirit, trusting that God brings life where human eyes see only decline, ruins, and death.

You are invited to take courage in suffering, to put to death the idolatries and ideologies that draw you away from Christ, and to be emboldened by the Holy Spirit to confess the gospel. For to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Reflection Questions

1. Where do I see weakness, ruin, or decline in the church or in my own life, and how might God be calling me to trust His power there?
2. What does it mean for me to live as a citizen of heaven rather than being defined primarily by earthly identity, status, or security?
3. How does Paul’s imprisonment help me understand suffering not as failure, but as a place where the gospel may still advance?
4. What idolatries or ideologies might be making me deaf to the Word of God and hesitant to confess Christ?
5. In what ways am I being called to stand firm with other Christians in one spirit and one mind for the faith of the gospel?
6. How does the witness of Lydia, the jailer, Paul, and Silas encourage me to pray, suffer, serve, and speak without fear? 

A, Post-Pentecost 16 Proper 19 - Matthew 18:21-35 "What Lies Between"

These days we hear a lot about interest rates. There is much interest in them because of the debt a person has to repay. Have you ever wondered why they are called “interest rates”? It is not simply because we are interested in or concerned about the rates and how much one might owe.

In Latin interest means “what lies between”.  Perhaps we are interested in what lies between us and someone else when we owe a debt or if a debt is owed to us.

Peter asks Jesus how many times he should forgive someone. He uses seven times as the lowest common denominator. Was Peter looking for a figure at which the straw might break the camel’s back, allowing him to avenge the debt lying between him and his debtor? It is as if he wants to get forgiveness out of the way quickly: I forgive you, I forgive you, forgive you, forgive you, forgive you, forgive you, forgive you … Now that you haven’t changed, you’re going to get what’s coming!

Payback seems sweet until Jesus turns everything on its head by telling a simple parable about a king who mercifully forgives a debtor. But the debtor, unable to pay forward the mercy shown to him when he was freed from his debt, goes and chokes his fellow servant, demanding that the much smaller debt lying between them be repaid. As Jesus shows in the parable, payback is not so great when we consider our eternal debt towards God, our heavenly Father!

Anyone who hears this parable joins in with the fellow servants at the injustice of the forgiven servant who’s unwilling to do likewise and forgive his fellow servant.  Jesus tells this parable in response to Peter’s query, how many times one should forgive.  It shows Peter and us all, that “what lies between” God and us is far greater than any debt owed to us by our earthly neighbours.

Jesus had just spoken to the disciples about who was greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  He said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3–4 ESV)

Peter’s question, “How often should I forgive?” is a “how long?” question. This is not a question born of humility in Peter’s secret heart. Yet it captures the essence of our deepest human frustration when debt lies between two people and a relationship is put under the strain of an unjust balance, whether the imbalance is perceived or genuine.

However, what lies at the root of Peter’s question and our frustration with other people’s sin is brought to light in the fear within the hearts of Joseph’s brothers when their father, Jacob, dies. They thought Joseph was going to play God in what lay between them, since they had sinned grievously by playing God when they sold Joseph into slavery and pretended to Jacob that a wild beast had killed him.

We learn from the parable that our hearts and the justice we seek are somewhat different from God’s heart and the way He mercifully seeks the justice He deserves. Our justice is governed by what we deem good, but it is usually a good for us that has consequences for others. Jesus understands Peter’s heart and our hearts better than any of us understands ourselves. Just like Peter, we might forgive seven times or for the period we prescribe, then mete out our justice to our fellow human beings, as did the servant in Jesus’ parable.

But Joseph’s actions towards his brothers after the death of his father, Jacob, point forward to the saving acts of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Joseph said to his brothers, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” (Genesis 50:19–21a ESV)

Jesus humbled Himself like a child and is now the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. His terms of forgiveness are God’s terms of forgiveness. He therefore put aside the power of being the Son of God and took on the humility and weakness of humanity to be the Son of Man, bearing the evil of humanity in His death and bringing about the good of God by giving life through His resurrection from the dead.

In our human weakness, we want to forgive on our terms and then, at our appointed time, become gods of the situation and mete out acts of justice. We forget what lies between us and God and make ourselves gods over each other. But this is not godliness like that of God; it is the same “godliness”, or rather “godlessness”, that caused Adam and Eve to be thrown out of the Garden of Eden.

Just as Joseph’s brothers were weak and failed in their responsibility to look after Joseph, we too are weak in our ability to do the good that God requires. We fail to see the big picture as He sees it. We need to recognise our base humanity as inherent ungodliness: if God, in His justice, gave us what we deserved, we would be condemned for not being merciful as God is to us.

Yet we hear, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6 ESV)

Our self-appointed godliness and the timing we assign to it amount to ungodliness, weakness and sinfully bad timing. But at the right time—God’s time—He made atonement for our debt. Like the king in Jesus’ parable, God passes over our debt, and at the right time He had that debt placed on His Son, Jesus Christ.

Therefore, now is the right time to forgive.  While we live this side of the grave, now is always the right time to forgive. Despite the old Adam within wanting to terminate forgiveness and serve up its sinful impatient justice, now is always the right time to forgive!

St Paul tells us, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8 ESV)

But how do we love someone with whom we are in conflict when emotions are high and our rights seem to have been violated? Within us, there is a timer ticking down to a point where frustration wants to burst forth and choke the neighbour with whom we are in conflict; such is our weakness!

God calls us to remember our ungodliness and weakness, which have been corrected by the cross. He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us see our neighbour as God sees us, so that rather than seeking revenge and retribution, we love them as Christ loved us.

The Holy Spirit helps us to bear our cross for Christ’s sake. He wills you daily to drown the old Adam in your baptism because your old Adam is always working to resurrect himself in you. Otherwise, you seek justice according to your knowledge of good and evil instead of Jesus’ knowledge of good and evil. In his humanity, Jesus always set the will of our heavenly Father first, which led Him to take on our human weakness, live the perfect human life despite bearing human flesh, and then endure the cross and scorn its shame for the joy set before Him, despite being without sin.

Jesus’ exchange of our sin for His perfection at the cross should awaken “a rate of interest” in those who truly understand the depths of their human nature and the sinful deeds that continually ooze from it! If not, perhaps you should revisit the Ten Commandments in the Small Catechism and relearn who you are in God’s eyes.

However, it’s God’s will in heaven to forgive you your sin; it’s also His will for you on earth to forgive each other for the sins you commit against each other.  You and I will have to give an account of ourselves before God on His judgement seat.  It’s in everyone’s best interest for mercy to lie between God and us, and therefore that same mercy to lie between us and our neighbours as we wait for our resurrection into God’s eternal presence. 

Let us pray. Dear heavenly Father, You have forgiven me my sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You have sent the Holy Spirit into my heart through my baptism. Therefore, work Your will in me so that I forgive as You have forgiven and love as You patiently love me. Help me not to seek payback but to pass over the sins of others, so that what they intended for evil against me might be passed onto Jesus’ death and made good in his victory over sin, so we forgive as we are forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Sermon Summary

Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant exposes the sharp contrast between God’s immeasurable mercy and our instinct to limit forgiveness. The debt that lies between us and God is greater than any debt our neighbour could owe us, yet through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has forgiven what we could never repay. Joseph’s mercy towards his brothers points forward to this saving work: rather than take God’s place in judgement, he trusted God to bring good from evil and responded with reassurance and provision. Because Christ died for us while we were weak and ungodly, now is always the right time to forgive. The Holy Spirit turns our hearts away from revenge, renews us in our baptism and enables us to love our neighbours as Christ has loved us. Forgiveness is therefore not a limited transaction but the merciful fruit of living under the grace of God.

Reflection Questions

1. What does Peter’s question about forgiving seven times reveal about the human desire to place limits on mercy?
2. How does the enormous debt forgiven by the king reshape the way you view the wrongs others have committed against you?
3. Where are you tempted to take God’s place by judging, controlling or seeking payback?
4. What can Joseph’s response to his brothers teach you about entrusting justice to God and responding with practical mercy?
5. How does Christ’s death for the weak and ungodly change both your understanding of forgiveness and your willingness to forgive?
6. Is there a relationship in which “now is the right time to forgive”? What faithful first step could you take?
7. How can remembering your baptism and relying on the Holy Spirit help you resist resentment and love your neighbour?
8. What would it look like for God’s mercy to lie between you and another person this week?