Philippians 2:9-13

“Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;” vs. 12

Much has been made of the phrase, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” and theologians have had a field day trying to figure out just what this means. Is Paul tossing out grace and telling the good folks at Philippi that salvation depends on their works? Probably not! From the context it appears he’s simply letting them know that the road ahead is not going to be easy, particularly since he’s not going to be around as an on-site leader. There’ll be challenges aplenty and lots of decisions to be made…there might even be persecution. And even though he will be absent, he knows that they’ll work things out, albeit with plenty of fear and trembling. That’s how it is on the journey of grace…and that’s how it continues to be. On our own we shake in our boots at prospect of obstacles, pitfalls, and detours…and we worry about our family and friends…and faith is elusive. Many times the loneliness is overwhelming…and we wish we had someone we trusted who could tell us what to do. The good news is that we’re aren’t alone or abandoned. As Paul assures the Philippians, God is at work in us and by grace salvation comes.

Thought for the Day: Times I’ve felt fear and trembling.

Philippians 2:1-8

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,” vs. 5

Paul’s deepest desire is that the faith community in Philippi be of one mind and in full accord…but even more than that, he wants their one mind to be the mind of Christ Jesus. It’s an amazing vision…and one that we struggle to live up to. But just imagine what it would be like if that aspiration became a reality! It would mean that every congregation would seek only to serve and humility would become the highest virtue. Nothing would be done from selfish conceit or ambition and each of us would look to the needs of others before our own. There are some who are quick to dismiss such thinking as hopeless idealism…they maintain that sinful humans are incapable of living selflessly and that every human institution, including the church, is fraught with various lusts for power and prestige. But those objections just aren’t true! There are countless faith communities around the world in which followers of Jesus live exactly as Paul envisioned, and blessed are those who have experienced the commitment to service and unconditional loving that is the heart of their life together. These little groups of Christians have an influence far beyond their numbers and have succeeded in keeping the humble spirit of Jesus alive in our broken world. In them Christ Jesus lives on and through them the kingdom of God continues to come near.

Thought for the Day: How does my faith community show the mind of Christ?

Psalm 25:1-9

“Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!” vs. 7

Like the psalmist, most of us can remember youthful escapades that we would just as soon forget. It’s a time when we’re breaking away from parental constraints and perhaps experimenting with alternative lifestyles. As the song, Borning Cry, puts it, “we wander off to see where demons dwell.” Later on, as middle age settles in, we can’t help but look back with a sense of wonder, perhaps even grateful that we have survived. There may even be things for which we feel shame…words and deeds that have been hurtful to others and to ourselves. The psalmist prays that even God would forget those days and that we would be remembered in a loving way. And that is, of course, the way things work with a God who is known for steadfast love and unconditional mercy. Even though we ourselves have a tough time expunging those memories from their storage place in our brains, God’s forgiveness wipes the slate clean. And perhaps it’s a good thing that we can’t forget everything. Those remembrances of past indiscretions serve to wipe away our smugness and can make us more empathetic to those who struggle with goodness during the days of their youth. We’re much more inclined to give mercy when we have been shown mercy…at least that’s supposed to be the way it works! God help us if it doesn’t!

Thought for the Day: The thing I’d most like to forget.

Ezekiel 18:25-32

“When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die.” vs. 26

There is a compelling logic to Ezekiel’s argument as he debates with the leaders of Judah about the reasons for the destruction of their country. God is not to blame for their captivity…it’s their own fault! When the righteous sin, they will die for it…they don’t wear a cloak of immunity. Conversely when the wicked do right, they will live. Consequences in life are perfectly in line with deeds! Words like this stand in stark contrast to the message of cheap grace that has plagued Christianity from the beginning. Somehow we’ve gotten the notion that being baptized into Christ gives us license to do whatever we please…and if we go astray it’ll be okay because we live under grace. Paul battled against that bizarre notion in his letters but the idea persists. Again and again we see people who have been given the white robe of righteousness deliberately act in their own self-interest and not for the interests of others. While we can understand the power of temptation we should never believe that eternal values and truths can be ignored or rationalized. Sin has consequences! Oh we might not get struck down by a lightning bolt from the sky…that’s not how God operates…but we can count on punishment! Our only hope is repentance!

Thought for the Day: How have my sins been punished?

Ezekiel 18:1-4

“Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.” vs. 4

Within the pages of our scripture there is an underlying debate about whether children are punished for the sins of their parents. Verses can be found to support either position: Exodus says that God is jealous and punishes children to the third and fourth generation for the sins of their fathers. Ezekiel in this passage says that’s not the case…it is only the person who sins that shall die. In the face of such conflicting evidence believers have sought some sort of harmonizing position, something we often do with scripture. The problem is that in this instance the truth lies in the extremes…and not in the middle…so both perspectives are true! Obviously, children do have to endure the pain and the consequences of their parents’ sinful behavior. We see that all the time all around us…and it’s painful to watch. The lives of so many innocents have been ruined by what they’ve experienced in their homes. And at the same time we must also affirm that each of us have personal responsibility for the trajectory of our lives…and we can’t always blame our parents for our misery. Ezekiel is right…the lives of both parents and children belong to God…and with a few exceptions, in spite of past circumstances, we can live in a way that brings glory to God.

Thought for the Day: To what extent have my parents damaged my life?

Matthew 20:11-16

“‘Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” vss. 15-16

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard seems designed to provoke lifelong believers. The story Jesus tells is, by our standards, profoundly unfair. It undercuts all of our convictions about equal pay for equal work and would be bound to destroy morale in the workforce if an employer actually put it into practice. In our world that owner would have pickets marching in front of his vineyard the next day. So what gives? Obviously, Jesus isn’t telling us how to run our businesses, so what’s his point? It could be that he wants to make a point with the religious establishment, namely that Gentile believers have a home in God’s kingdom, even though they’ve always been outsiders. Or it could be that Jesus wants to hammer home a point about the radical nature of grace, that a gracious and merciful God extends steadfast love to all, whether they deserve it or not. If that is the case, then the blessings of kingdom living are not a reward but a gift…and they are freely given to all who will receive them, regardless of status or standing. Those of us who take pride in our goodness may be offended by that, but that’s our problem, not God’s. And God’s word to us is plain, “Live with it!!!”

Thought for the Day: What offends me about grace?

Matthew 20:1-10

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.” vs. 1

The parables of Jesus are a fertile source of information about kingdom living. It’s not that they’re straightforward or easy to understand…many of them have twists that seem designed to obscure…at the very least they are cause for debate and conversation. The one about the laborers in the vineyard is certainly one of those. It begins by affirming a basic premise about our call to serve as followers of Jesus. There’s work to be done in the world and we are the ones who have been “hired” to do it. With the job, or vocation, there is an accompanying understanding, namely that we are not in charge. We have a master or lord who has called us for a particular mission and purpose. Obviously we won’t be all doing the same thing…we have varying gifts and talents…but overall our task is to ensure that good fruit is produced in the vineyard. There is also an expectation on our part…we believe that there will be blessings for what we do in the kingdom. For many of us the wage is connected to the crown of life, the new life that awaits when life in this world is done. It’s a simple contract…one easily understood…and it undergirds everything we do as the presence of Christ. Our faithfulness will be rewarded…and that’s the truth!

Thought for the Day: How will my faithfulness be rewarded?

Philippians 1:27-30

“Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel,” vs. 27

Paul wants the community in Philippi to know that bearing the name of Christ carries with it a certain amount of responsibility. Accordingly he reminds them that they are to live their lives in a manner worthy of the gospel, standing firm in one spirit and with one mind as a witness to the world. To put it briefly, unity is essential! We’ve heard this before from Paul and certainly we’ve heard it from Jesus. Nothing destroys the witness of the Church faster than squabbling and bickering over matters of faith! Conversely, nothing is more impressive than seeing believers united in love and witness, standing shoulder to shoulder and willing to endure oppression and suffering for the sake of the good news. So often we forget the communal aspect of the faith and think that it’s what we do as individuals that makes us faithful witnesses. Of course our individual words and deeds are important, but it’s what we do together that can change the world. Would that each of us could find our identity in a community of faith where we can learn and grow and love, and also be united in a common mission that gives glory to God.

Thought for the Day:  What is the common mission of my faith community?

Philippians 1:21-26

“For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” vs. 21

Whatever we might think of Paul’s theological writings, there is no doubt that his personal faith testimony in passages like this one from his letter to the Philippians continue to bring comfort and hope to millions. Here in just a few words he introduces a “can’t lose” attitude that perfectly reflects the serenity of life in Christ. As followers of Jesus we know that the future is secure…no matter what happens we are going to be okay. This is especially good news when we come to those crisis points in life, times when our health is diminished or our bodies seem particularly fragile. Anxiety is the norm in those moments…we can’t help it…and we wonder if life will ever be the same. We know that organs and joints wear out, that ultimately “something” is going to get us…that however long we delay the aging process, one day there will be an end. The uncertainty can drive us wild…unless we adopt the mindset of Paul. As he puts it, if we continue to live, good for us…we’ll have more time to serve and love. If we don’t, well, that’s just fine…because the new life beyond death is where we will find perfect peace. As one person struggling with the uncertainty of cancer put it, “Don’t worry about me! Either way I win!” And that really is the truth!

Thought for the Day: How do I feel about my mortality?

Psalm 145:1-8

“On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.” vs. 5

Some people have an amazing ability to capture the beauty and the majesty of creation with their cameras. They have an eye for lighting and perspective and their photographs, whether of plants, animals, or landscapes, are breathtaking. And it’s more than having skill with a camera or knowing the proper speeds and settings. The artists who produce such pictures will have a deep love for nature and an appreciation for the wondrous works of God. Their photographs are awesome and invite reflection and meditation, and certainly deserve more than a glance. The psalmist would have said that they are a tribute to the glorious splendor of God’s majesty. Of course we really don’t need photographs to experience the wonder of creation. All we really have to do is take a walk outside, perhaps a meander through the neighborhood at sunset or sunrise, and allow our senses to soak in the beauty. We don’t have to go to Yellowstone or travel the fjords of Norway…God’s wonders are everywhere…all the time. But it takes intentionality to see them! And we definitely have to slow down and adopt a meditative mood. And in those reflective moments our eyes will be opened…and the glory of the Lord will shine round us!

Thought for the Day: The most beautiful place in my neighborhood.