Reflection on Matthew 22:34-46

 

Love always comes first; it is the most important thing.

I mean it, and so does Jesus.  Love always comes first; it is most important thing.

Oh, people will try to convince you otherwise.  People will try to convince you that having a good life requires that you do something first.  People will try to convince you that gaining God’s good favor requires that you do something first.  “God helps those who help themselves” is a phrase that is not in the Bible, but tons of people wish that is was.  It is a phrase that tries to convince you that effort on your part will make all the difference.  It says, “Stop being sinful and I will love you.”  “Fix yourself, and I will care.”  “Make yourself a better person, and I will consider spending time with you.”  These all sound like really rotten lines coming out of the mouths of really bad boyfriends.  “Work on yourself and maybe I will give you attention.”

But, for Jesus, love always comes first; it is the most important thing.

This reminds me of a story from the gospel of John.  It goes like this: 

While Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

(John 8:1-11).

Certainly you know this story very well.  It is a much loved story from the Bible.  But, have you ever noticed that nothing is required of the woman caught in adultery in order for Jesus to care about her and save her from a fate of rocky blows?  Jesus has not even spoken to the woman.  Yet, Jesus loves her first.  Jesus cares about and saves her first.  Loving first is the most important thing for Jesus.  Only after Jesus shows her love does he instruct the woman to not sin again.  Instruction is important, but never forget that, for Jesus, love always comes first; it is the most important thing.

In fact, when asked by lawyer what the most important commandment is out of all that Moses instructed, Jesus’ answer is love.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

For Jesus, love always comes first; it is the most important thing.

I do not know why this is such a hard idea to get through our heads, but as you read through the gospels you will see that Jesus was constantly challenged on this idea.  Earlier in Matthew’s gospel we learn that Jesus 

…entered [a] synagogue; a man was there with a withered hand, and [some Pharisees] asked him, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other. 

But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

(Matthew 12:9-14)

For Jesus, love always comes first.  Just as you would love an animal and save it from a pit no matter if it is the Sabbath day or not, so too is it right to show love on the Sabbath to someone who needs healing.  Love always comes first.  The rules always come second and they never get to overshadow or overtake the importance of love first.

There is another story in the scriptures.  It is a story about some guys who really loved their friend who could not walk.  These friends heard about Jesus.  Trusting that Jesus would be able to do something for their friend, they brought the paralyzed man laying on a bed.  We pick up the story as given by the Bible: 

When Jesus saw [the friend’s] faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” —he then said to the paralytic—’stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.

(Matthew 9:2-8)

There is a lot going on in this story, but what I want you to notice is that the paralyzed man did nothing to earn the attention of Jesus.  He did not walk there, obviously.  He did not ask to be healed.  He did not ask that his sins be forgiven.  He had done nothing to earn any sort of favor from Jesus.  But, he did not have to.  For Jesus, love always comes first; it is the most important thing.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Jesus states that these are the most important instructions given by God.

Do you know what I love about the story of that paralyzed man?  I love the fact that the paralyzed man’s friends were doing the very thing that Jesus teaches.  They loved their friend.  They showed love to their neighbor, who needed healing.  They were literally carrying him to Jesus.  Wow.  If only we could be carried to Jesus whenever we were unable to get up and go.  If only we had such love-filled friends, who would have faith and carry us whenever we just cannot make it happen ourselves.

As you might have already noticed, in the Bible, love is more than just a good, warm feeling that we get, making us feel all toasty inside.  Love is always an action.  Love is these men carrying someone in desperate need to Jesus for healing. 

Their love is the same as God’s love which also does something.  God’s love creates good out of chaos in the beginning of creation; it frees people from bondage in Egypt; it heals the blind; and it forgives those who are not worthy of being forgiven.  Jesus’ love climbs up onto a cross so that the world might be saved and be brought to new life through his love.  Love is an action, and love always comes first.  It is the most important thing.

And, so we hold it up as the most important thing.  We put our trust in the Lord who has made loving us his top priority.  And, because we are his top priority, he is our top priority. 

Being grasped by the love of Jesus changes you.  It really does.  It makes us look at the world with eyes of love rather than eyes of expectation.  It makes us look with eyes that love the Lord our God with all our heart, and soul, and mind, and eyes that love our neighbors.  It makes us a people with the heart, hands, and feet of love.

And there is nothing wrong with that because, for Jesus, love always comes first; it is the most important thing.

Reflection on Matthew 22:15-22

 

They have a coin, and Jesus does not.

I know this seems like a trivial detail in this bigger story of religious leaders trying to trap Jesus into giving an answer that would cause the people to turn against him, but the detail is not trivial.

They have a coin, and Jesus does not.

The religious leaders tell their disciples (who do not like Rome) to go to Jesus, bringing along some Herodians (who do like Rome) in order to ask Jesus if people should pay the oppressive Roman tax.  It is a trap.  If Jesus answers, “No, we support God only,” then the Herodians (those who like Rome) will be able to bring charges against Jesus as a Caesar hating separatist.  If Jesus answers, “Yes, we pay our taxes,” he will undoubtedly lose favor with those who look to him as a possible Messiah who will deliver the people from the evils of Rome.

You see, the religious leaders have Jesus trapped.  Either way that Jesus chooses to answer, he loses.

But, remember, they have a coin, and Jesus does not.

What am I talking about?  I am talking about Jesus’ response to this no win scenario.  The Bible reads, “Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites?  Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.” 

They have a coin, and Jesus does not.

Those who would try to trap Jesus, readily pull out a Roman coin used to pay taxes, in the middle of the temple, with the image of Caesar’s face emblazoned upon it.  You might be wondering, “Why is this a big deal, Pastor Jira, I have change in the bottom of my pocket right now?” 

It is a big deal because there is this little commandment from God the Father that goes like this: “You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (NRSV, Exodus 20:4).

The Israelites were not supposed to have graven images, especially not ones that have the face of someone who claims to be God, Caesar.  They were especially not to carry one into the temple.  That is the whole reason that the temple has money changers in the first place, so that ordinary people can come in, exchange their idolatrous money for coins free of graven images, and give to the work of the temple by paying the temple tax.  There are to be none of these Roman coins in the temple.

But, one of the disciples of these religious leaders is holding a coin in his hand, in the temple, and Jesus is not.  They are hypocrites, just as Jesus says.  They walk around, carrying this money without even a single thought about it.  They walk around, collecting this money from hard working people, and they spend it however they see fit without even a single thought about it.  In short, they do not give any sort of deep thought about their money.

They have a coin, and Jesus does not.

I am not certain that I am much better than these religious leaders.

How many times have I seen someone in need, and thought to myself, “That is sad, someone should really do something about that” while forgetting about the money in my own wallet?  It is not that I do not care.  I thought about them.  I maybe even quickly prayed for them.  Thoughts and prayers.  Thoughts and prayers.  But, thoughts and prayers do not feed hungry bellies.  Thoughts and prayers do not right wrongs. 

But, I did not even think about the proverbial coin in my pocket.  I did not even consider that it might be there to be put to good use for someone else.  It is mine, so I do not even think about it.  But, maybe I should, because if I did, maybe I would question, “But, is it really mine?”

Jesus looks at the coin that these guys absent mindedly pull out in front of God and everyone in the middle of the temple and he asks, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” The men answer, “The emperor’s.” Then Jesus says to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:20-21).

Before, we dig into Jesus’ answer and what that means for our own lives, I just want to point out another little detail.  When we read here that Jesus “says” something to these disciples of the religious leaders, the word that is used here means more than “says.”  It also means “teaches.”  And, I just want to point out that these men want to destroy Jesus with their words, but Jesus wants to teach them with his own.

Can a person be more grace-filled than that?  They want to destroy him, and he wants them to change their lives.  They want him dead, and Jesus wants them to learn. 

Jesus wants more than anything for them to learn.  Jesus wants them to stop living a life with minds set on destroying and with hearts lacking love and self-perception.  Jesus does not dismiss or condemn them.  Jesus “teaches” them. 

Will these particular people turn from their ways?  We do not know.  But, what I do know is that Jesus does not simply give up on them, nor does he fail to care about their lost ways.  Just as Jesus loves the sinner and dies for the sinner on the cross, Jesus takes the time here to “teach” and turn around the lives of these lost people.

And, if I am completely honest with myself, so often I am lost too.  Maybe, I too should pay attention to Jesus’ answer. 

Jesus says to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).

This answer is so curious.  Some look at this answer and say, “Look, Jesus says to pay your taxes,” but Jesus does not actually say that.  Others look at this and say, “Jesus says to give it all to God, so we do not need to pay our taxes,” but Jesus does not actually say that either.  What Jesus says is to give back to Caesar whatever belongs to Caesar and give back to God whatever belongs to God.

And, Jesus’ answer has the effect of making us stop and think.  The guys who would casually carry a Roman coin into the temple have to stop and think.  The pastor who would casually walk past someone in need, not even considering what is in his own pockets has to stop and think.  And, I think that is Jesus’ whole point.

We go through this life, just trying to get by from day to day, not even stopping and thinking, just doing, just worrying and just reacting.  What bill needs to be paid next?  What event to I have to get to now?  What chore needs to get done?  What assignment needs to get finished?  What task do I need to start doing now?  The things of life just keep piling on and on and on, and Jesus gives us an answer that invites us to stop…and consider if what we are up to has anything to do with God.

Give back to Caesar whatever belongs to Caesar, and back to God whatever belongs to God.  We wonder what this means?  We wonder what could possibly belong to Caesar that does not first belong to God?  After-all, God created it all.  And, those questions cause us to finally do what Jesus has wanted us to do all along, think about God, consider God, and get closer to God.

Do we blindly pay our taxes, or do we consider how they are or are not working towards God’s concerns in the world?  Jesus does not answer that for us, but Jesus is happy that we have stopped, noticed the coin, and started thinking about it.

During a confirmation class once, after sitting for way too long staring at a book, the students were invited to get up and go on a walk.  During their walk, they were invited to look around and ask, “How does this belong to God?”

This tree, how does this belong to God?  “Well, God provides the tree as a home for birds and squirrels” one youth answered.  Another chimed in, “It can be used to build us a home if we need one.” 

“This car, how does it belong to God?”  “It can get people to work so that they can feed and raise their children.”  “It can be used to get people to the doctor.”  “My grandma uses hers to deliver food to really old people,” one youth piped up.

After a number of serious questions and serious answers, the kids started getting a little funny.  “This fly, how does it belong to God?”  “This hair, how does it belong to God?”  Their answers were funny, but they were still thinking about God.  They were still thinking about all that God cares about.  They were still engaged with God and not simply going through life in a mindless fog of one darn thing after another.

Then one teen pointed at a girl in the group and asked laughing, “How does this belong to God?”  It was meant to be funny, but it was also eye opening.  They slowly realized that we too belong to God and we too have a divine purpose.

And, then the kids came up with a question that I had never before really considered: “How does my presence here belong to God?”

This caused us stop walking and sit for a moment because one of the teens quipped quietly, “I’m pretty sure I do not belong to God.  Nobody wants me.”

Whenever people start talking about “kids these days” and how terrible they are, I always feel a need to stop them right in my gut.  I do that because of things like what happened next.

The other teens responded: “You are God’s child.”  “God put you here for a reason.”  And, one teen in particular responded, “You were the only one who said “Hi” to me and ate with me when I moved here.  You were Jesus to me.  Of course, you belong to God.”

So, whenever I start to get into that daily routine of just doing and not considering or praying or thinking about God, I try to remember that day.  I try to remember those teen’s question, “How does my presence here belong to God?”  I look around at my surroundings, wherever I am, at work, or school, or at home, or in the store and I ask, “How does my presence here belong to God?  How am I being the heart, hands, and feet of Jesus right here, right now?”

After-all, we all belong to God.  Everything and everyone belongs to God.  It is only when we start to forget that basic fact that evil and injustice and hard-heartedness is allowed to take hold. 

Never forget: Jesus did not have a coin.  Jesus does not hold onto things, Jesus holds onto people; raising us from the dead on the third day, and bringing us to a new life in him.  Jesus truly believes that all we have and all we are belongs to him.  Your life belongs to Jesus Christ our Lord.  Your life belongs to his love.  Carry that around in your pocket as a reminder and ask yourself, “How does my presence here belong to God?  How am I being the heart, hands, and feet of Jesus right here, right now?”

Reflection on Philippians 4:1-9

Christ Jesus has chosen you.  Christ Jesus has made you his own.

Sometimes, I need this reminder.  Sometimes, when the world becomes dark and the waters of chaos seem to splash at my feet, I need to be reminded that I have been chosen by the one who will reach out and save me when the stormy seas finally are able to overtake me.

Christ Jesus has chosen you.  Christ Jesus has made you his own.

I remember the day that I stared into a box of small puppies, deciding which one I would take home.  The farmer had offered a puppy as part of my payment for a summer of work.  The rest of the puppies would be sold, but I got to choose one to take home. 

And, as I stared at that squirming mass of tiny canine, pushing and shoving one another, biting each other’s ears in acts of dominance my eyes locked onto the little puppy who was in the corner.  She was the smallest one, and she was just staring at me.  Her eyes seemed to have no hope that she would be the one chosen to get attention.  She was not the biggest.  She was not the strongest.  She did not even try to break through to the front of the line. 

I knew right then that she was mine.  I had chosen her because she seemed to be the one who needed the most love. 

And, from the moment I picked her up, Sparky was mine.  I named her Sparky because her eyelids boasted bright orange sparks which I loved.  She was mine.  She went wherever I wanted to go.  She played whatever I wanted to play.  And, if given a choice of laps, mine was the one she trusted.  And, I know this might all seem a little sappy and hallmark card-ish, but it is absolutely true that because I chose her, she had a huge desire to be mine. 

Her little puppy attitude was the attitude of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:12 in which he says, “Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”

As Paul sits in jail, he is reminded of the one who chose him: Jesus Christ.  And because, Jesus chose him, Paul is willing to continue to follow that one wherever he goes, even into the darkness of jails, or into unknown futures.  It is not that he has reached the goal of being like Jesus, but he strives to follow Jesus at all times because Christ Jesus looked into the box, picked Paul, and made Paul his own, as imperfect and destructive as he was.  Just as Sparky was happy to follow me and do whatever I did, Paul desires to be Jesus’ very own, doing what Jesus does, because Jesus has already chosen him.

And, it is this perspective that Paul brings into everything.  Paul is continually telling people to be of the same mind in Christ.  Strive toward of the goal of being like Christ.  When facing hard decisions, think with the mind of Christ, follow the ways of Christ, because he has chosen you to follow.

Paul says it again toward the end of the letter to the Philippians.  As he wraps up his thoughts and sends his love to these very special people, he reminds Euodia and Syntyche to “be of the same mind in the Lord.” 

Evidentially, these two very important leaders within the church were not in agreement.  The letter does not state what the dispute between the two women was all about, but it was important enough for Paul to address it. 

What is fascinating is that Paul seemed to take no side in the disagreement, whatever that disagreement was.  Wisely, he knew that adding his own opinion was not going to help anything.  Rather, he reminded them both, as well as the other leaders surrounding the women, to focus on the one who chose them.  He trusts that if they found their unity in Christ, and both focused on all that Christ cares about, then their dispute would work itself out with the Spirit’s help. 

Be of the same mind in Christ Jesus.  Just look to Jesus.

“Look at me” the band director said to the two of us holding our French horns.  You see, we were both beginners to the French horn, still learning the intricacies of the instrument, and we were bickering about how to play an Eb.  For the life of me, I cannot remember which argument I was trying to make, but one of us was certain that an Eb was played pushing down the second valve.  The other of us was certain that it was played pushing down the first valve.  And, this had become a disruptive point of contention between the two of us because we both wanted everything to sound good. 

There was just one problem, while we were squabbling about how to sound good, we were neglecting to make a sound with our horns in the first place.

“Look at me” the band director broke in.  “Listen to me.  You have a single French horn, so you press down the second valve.  You have a double French horn, so you press the trigger and press down the first valve.  You are both right.  Now can we all please focus up here and start playing some music?”

Do you know what would have saved a lot of bickering and disagreement?  Looking to the band director for guidance.  And, I think that a lot of bickering and disagreement in the church could similarly be resolved if we would stop digging in our heels, stubbornly thinking that we are right and, instead, look to Jesus and all that Jesus cares about.  After-all, it is Jesus who chose us.  Jesus is our band director.  It is Jesus whom we follow.

I think that this is especially important in times when the world seems to be chaotic, without clear answers to some of the hardest questions we face together.  It is all too easy to divide ourselves into factions with “right” and “wrong” answers.  It is all too easy to divide into tribes who consider everything out of the mouth of our neighbors as being evil and our own words righteous.  But, the truth is that we are not two factions.  It just is not true.  We are one people, chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ, bought with his blood, our names written in ink in the book of life, chosen to be his body in the world.  We are one chosen people in Christ Jesus.

And, as one chosen people in Christ Jesus, Paul would remind us even today to “be of the same mind in Christ Jesus.”  He would remind us to look to the one who chose us. 

Look to Jesus.  Look at all about which Jesus cares.  Focus on that.  Together, focus on Jesus.

Toward that end, Paul would certainly give us the same advice that he gave the Philippians as they faced the divisive dangers of their time.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice,” Paul invites; because, we cannot possibly be of the same mind if our hearts are not pointed in the same direction.  All of the music that we do together in worship is not done simply because it sounds pretty, nor is it done only so that our own souls can feel good.  We rejoice together with song because it is a very real way for all of us who have lives scattered a million directions during the week to focus our divided attentions in one direction; toward the one who matters most, Jesus Christ our Lord.

And, we very intentionally do this rejoicing together every single week because rejoicing in the Lord and focusing on the Lord just does not seem to come naturally.  How many of you wake up in the morning and say to yourself, “Today is a great new opportunity to be a child of God.”?  Or how many of your souls in the morning reflect the very audible grumblings and moanings of my children in the morning, “Do I really have to get up?  I need more sleep!”

“Rejoice in the Lord always.”

Paul continues, “Let your gentleness be known to everyone.”  This is so important because I am very certain that none of us are at our very best right now.  The world is just too fractured.  So, with that reality in mind, be gentle to everyone.  Do not be quick to assume, do not be quick to anger, and do not allow your love to fade.  Jesus’ love lasted to his very last breath, even as people spat on him with contempt while he hung, saving those very people’s souls on the cross. 

“Let your gentleness be known to everyone.”

Then Paul reminds us, “The Lord is near.”  And, it is true.  The Lord is near.  The Lord is present.  The Lord has claimed us and made us his own forever.  The Lord is near.  We cannot be reminded of this enough.  We cannot possibly remind each other of this truth too many times.  A love deeper than we can even imagine is always holding us tight.

“The Lord is near.”

Paul seems to anticipate the question that comes up right away after hearing that the Lord is near: “What if it does not feel like the Lord is near?  What if it feels like darkness is winning?”  That is a very real question.  It should not be taken lightly.  It should not be shoved away into a corner.  It deserves an honest answer.  “What if it does not feel like the Lord is near?”

Paul answers, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” 

When you feel lost and on your own, not able to find the right music, look up at the band director.  Prayer is looking at the band director whenever you are lost or find yourself in disagreement.  Another way that you could say it is that prayer is happily barking at the one who chose you out of the box and looking to see which direction that one is traveling and tagging along.  Prayer is handing over the pain and desperation that lurks deep in the soul; trusting in the one who promises to love us to the end.

“Let your requests be made known to God.”

And, as you follow Jesus through the darkest valleys, his rod and staff comforting you, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

One day while Sparky and I were walking together around the farm, we came across a tomcat.  The tomcat was searching for the cute little kittens that were just born.  We had been trying for a couple of days to protect the kittens from this cat who wanted to destroy them and claim the farm as his own. 

I started shouting at the cat, throwing rocks his way to get him to leave.  Sparky looked up at me briefly and then joined in with loud barks, chasing the evil little feline and nipping at his heels. 

Here is the thing.  Sparky was a tiny little dog.  That tomcat could have easily taken my little dog and defeated her in battle.  But, Sparky was with the one who chose her.  Whatever I did, she was going to do.  Whatever I cared about, that little dog cared about.

And, Paul has this vision that we too will do “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing,” and “whatever is commendable.”   We are Christ’s people.  We are his chosen ones.  We will love those Jesus loved and care about those who Jesus cared about.  And, we will “think about these things.  Keep on doing [these] things”

After-all, Christ Jesus has chosen us.  Christ Jesus has made us his own.  Sometimes, we just need this little reminder as we get out of bed and face the new day.

Reflection on Philippians 3:4b-14

 

Christ Emptied Himself (Sung)

Christ emptied himself

Becoming a slave

To save humankind

 

God lifted his name

So we shall sing

That Jesus is Lord

I needed to start us with song, because an important song hums its tune behind every word that Paul speaks throughout his letter to the Philippians.

Paul is smart to allow this beloved, ancient song to sing within his letter because music has a way of speaking to your soul in a way that sermons and speeches just really fail. 

Music can express the pain of heartbreak, or cry out the agony of unrequited love.  I am certain that my parents were sick of hearing the song, “There’s Me” from the amazing, roller skating musical theatre spectacle, Starlight Express.  The show was lots of people pretending to be train cars on roller skates on a high theatrical stage.  What could possibly go wrong?  But, the song, “There’s Me,” was about the pain experienced by my own unrequited love stricken teenaged heart.

Here are some of the lyrics:

“I may not be

The one you want to see
But if you need someone who's kind
Then look behind
And then you'll find
There's me”

The show is about a train car who is literally behind the one he loves, who does not even see him, because she is a train car in front.  Oh the heartache!  As ridiculous as that seems, the song spoke to my teenage soul and expressed feeling that I could not quite express through the primal grunts of teenage boy.

In only mention this because we have hymns that work in the exact same way.  I had a pastor when I was very young who loved “Amazing Grace.”  I know that loving Amazing Grace is not a rare thing, but having the power to force people to sing it every single Sunday was.  

“Amazing Grace” just does not quite have the same power the 123^rd time of singing it as it does the first or second time.  But, it was that pastor’s “There’s Me” song.  It spoke deeply to his broken soul and how Jesus put him back together, a personal story that we heard many, many times.

The pastor was crazy about the thing though because songs have that sort of deep power over us.  And, in his letter to the Philippians, Paul captures and uses the deep power of song to make his point.  He uses a well loved, ancient song that goes like this:

5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

6who, though he was in the form of God, 

did not regard equality with God  

as something to be exploited,  

7but emptied himself, 

taking the form of a slave,  

being born in human likeness.  

And being found in human form, 

8he humbled himself  

and became obedient to the point of death—  

even death on a cross.  

9Therefore God also highly exalted him 

and gave him the name  

that is above every name,  

10so that at the name of Jesus 

every knee should bend,  

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  

11and every tongue should confess 

that Jesus Christ is Lord,  

to the glory of God the Father.  

Now, we do not know the tune, that is long lost to history, but we do know the words. 

The words speak of a man who was powerful enough to do anything in the world that he wanted for himself, but instead of doing that, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave, and in this humbled state died on a cross to save others.  He is the king who jumps in front of the arrow to save the servant who was just washing his feet.  He is the military general who jumps on the grenade to save the life of the private.  He is the star football player who goes to the dance with the awkward nobody.  He is God’s Son, deciding to use his almighty power to love the sinner in a self-sacrificing way rather than wielding it to condemn that same sinner.

And, this is all in the form of an ancient song that the community loved, which touched their souls.  I have taken the ideas of this ancient song and set them to a simple tune so that they can touch your soul too.

 

Christ Emptied Himself (Sung)

Christ emptied himself

Becoming a slave

To save humankind

 

God lifted his name

So we shall sing

That Jesus is Lord

This song of Jesus’ humility and self-giving love is still ringing through the listeners ears as Paul encourages his people in Philippi to not allow their Jewish-ness to get in the way of those who seem to be hearing the call to follow the Lord; even those who are not Jewish.  The words of the beloved song echo in his people’s minds, reminding them that Jesus emptied himself rather than seeing himself as better than others.

In fact, Paul says that more than anyone, he could claim to be better than them all!  He says to his people that he was “circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:4b-6).

He is like a candidate on television, standing in front of the flag with his wife and 2.5 children, barn shovel in hand, cuffs rolled up, and the red, white, and blue tie protruding from his not too formal dress shirt.  Only, he is like the candidate who takes that picture from the screen and rips it all up, revealing a humiliated looking man with a shirt bearing the very real stains of Jesus’ blood.

Paul says, “whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.  More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:7-8).

None of those things that we think are so important in life really matter.  The success does not matter.  The accomplishments, as wonderful as they are, do not matter.  The carefully cultivated image of the in-control and well put together person does not matter.  None of it matters! 

“I regard them as utter trash,” Paul continues “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 one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith” (Philippians 3:8-9).

The point of life is not that I am great.  The point of life is that Christ is great.  Jesus, our Lord, is great.  We have faith in him.  We trust in him.  It is in him that we find life.  It is in him that the whole world finds life.

It is in him that the smelly, unkempt woman who wandered into the back of the church will find true life.  We do not hold her back from finding Jesus.  It is in him that the secretly addicted man will find true life.  We invite him forward to reveal himself and find Jesus.  It is in him that you, as frail and imperfect as you are, will find true life.  And, we pray that no one who thinks too much of themselves stands in the way getting to know the way, the truth, and the life, Jesus Christ our Lord.

So that we do not forget, we sing the ancient song.  We allow the ancient song of Christ’s humility to penetrate our soul over and over again until we truly believe it.  Until we truly believe that losing life means finding it.  That crosses and dying for the unworthy is able to make everything new.  Until we remember to keep our eyes always on the humble Jesus. 

After-all, he is the one who was worthy to have every knee bend to him and every tongue confess that he is Lord.  Sometimes, songs help with things like that.

 

Christ Emptied Himself (Sung)

Christ emptied himself

Becoming a slave

To save humankind

 

God lifted his name

So we shall sing

That Jesus is Lord