Time to Rejoice - Lectionary Reflection for Advent 3C (Philippians 4:4-9)
Philippians 4:4-7 (8-9) New Revised Standard Version
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
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The
four Sundays of Advent are driven by four themes—hope, peace, joy, and love. We
light candles to highlight each of these four themes. The candles might be blue
or purple, depending on the color scheme we choose. On the third Sunday, this
Sunday, however, we light a pink candle. Why do we light a pink candle on this
particular Sunday? What does pink have to do with the day we light the candle
of joy? Well, here’s the reason. The purple (or blue) is seen as a more somber
color that signifies repentance, which is part of the path of preparation for
welcoming the birth of the Christ child. The choice of pink here softens the
image as a way of acknowledging that joy is breaking through the more somber
days of Advent. Since we light the candle of joy, what better scripture text to
hear on a day like this than the passage from Philippians 4.
Whatever
is happening around us, Paul calls for us to “rejoice in the Lord, always.”
Yes, rejoice always, not just when we feel in a happy mood. Indeed, joy is not
the same as happiness. Remember that Paul writes this letter not from a beach
in Hawaii, but a jail cell in some undisclosed location. When Paul writes here
about joy, he’s not suggesting that joy depends on our circumstances in life.
Joy is rooted in relationships with God and with the community of followers of
Jesus.
While Paul
seems to have a deep and abiding friendship with the people in Philippi, which
is the cause of his joy, it’s not as if this is a perfect congregation without
problems or concerns. It might not be the Corinthian or Galatian congregations,
but it’s not a perfect place (as if such a thing exists). Consider the word given
to the congregation to encourage his former co-workers, Euodia and Syntyche, to
get along. That will occur if they are of one mind in the Lord. The reason he
wants to encourage the healing of the relationship is that these two women have
been important partners in his ministry (Phil. 4:2-3). How often in churches do
we find key members, who have had an important ministry, get cross-ways
undermining their message. Thus, Paul wants them to reconcile so they can focus
their attention on the ministry of the congregation.
Ultimately
it is because the Lord is near that he has reason to be joyful. While that word
has eschatological implications, it could also speak to Paul’s sense that God
is present with him by the Spirit. This relationship with God, therefore, makes
it possible to rejoice always. In fact, he tells the Philippians in this
paragraph of the letter not to be anxious about anything. That’s, of course,
easier to say than to do. Many of us live anxiety-filled lives. We worry about
our health, the health of our family members, the situation in our nation and
our communities. There is so much stuff going on in our lives that it’s
difficult not to feel a bit anxious. You’d have to be a Vulcan not to feel
anxiety in this day and age. So, how can Paul say to us don’t worry, be happy?
Well, he doesn’t say that exactly. He simply says, don’t be anxious. Instead,
pray. Again, it’s important to remember that Paul is writing this letter from a
jail cell, so we can’t really dismiss this word as little more than pious
claptrap. He knows what it means to live his life amid difficult circumstances.
Nevertheless, he believes it’s possible for those who are people of God to
experience joy, no matter the circumstances. That suggests that joy is
something that is rooted in God’s presence in our lives.
I’m
going to pick up on a word here that can be read in different ways. Paul writes
to them, noting that “the Lord is near.” That can be read apocalyptically. We
can think here in terms of Paul’s expectation that Jesus’ return in glory was
near at hand. That is a message we find throughout Paul’s letters. He’s not,
necessarily, a millennialist. That is, he doesn’t have a position on whether
Jesus will return at some point to reign on earth for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4-6). That’s
not part of his message. He does, however, believe that the last day, the day
of the Lord, was near at hand. So, we can read it in this way. For our
purposes, however, I’d like to read it in a more spiritual manner, in a way
that someone like Origen or maybe St. Augustine would appreciate.
If we
read it in a more spiritual manner, we can embrace the idea that no matter
where we are or situation in life, the “Lord is near.” That is, we’re not alone
as we take this journey of life. That is why we can live through difficult
times without anxiety. It is the relationship that we experience with God, that
sustains us, and brings us joy. It’s this relationship that is embodied by his
connection with the congregation that sustains him. This suggests that the
community is important to the life of faith.
People
will ask whether one can be a Christian without being part of a church. Now
there is a theology that suggests there is no salvation outside the church. The
point of that message is a sacramental one. It is in the church that one receives
the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. I believe that these
sacramental moments are important contributors to the Christian life and that
they are made available in the context of the church, but that’s not what I
have in mind here. It is the
relationship that exists when we are in community that provides a space where
God draws near to us. As Jesus said, "when two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them" (Matt 18:20). This is the key
to our ability to live lives of joy.
Now, the
reading designated by the Revised Common Lectionary for the third Sunday of
Advent is centered on verses 4-7 of Philippians 4. I’ve chosen to include in
this reflection verses eight and nine. They seem to belong to what Paul writes
in verses 4-7. These verses help focus our attention on what it means to live a
joy-filled life. The key here is keeping our minds focused on the right things.
That is, things that are noble and pure, lovely and admirable. Yes, keep your
minds focused on praise-worthy things. When we keep focused on the things of
God then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding can guard our
hearts and mind. That comes through Christ Jesus.
Since the
Advent season has an eschatological dimension, we should keep our eyes on that
word about Christ drawing near. That word reminds us that the day of the Lord
is out there ahead of us. But there is no need to fear if one keeps one’s eyes
on the prize. And, as we see here in this letter, Paul is committed to making
sure this congregation is ready for that day. This message fits well with the message
we find in the reading for today from the Gospel of Luke. In the reading from Luke
3, John the Baptist preaches a message of repentance and offers a baptism that
will prepare the people to receive the coming Messiah. John is not the Messiah.
He is only the one who prepares the way (Luke 3:7-18). Paul is not the Messiah,
but he also is called upon by God to prepare the way for others to encounter
the peace of God that comes to us through Christ. The final word of this
reading, which is found in verse 9, is simply a word of encouragement. “Keep on
doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me,
and the God of peace will be with you.” Follow the way of Jesus, which involves
love overflowing so we might know what is best so that on the day of the Lord
we’ll be ready with a harvest of righteousness (Phil. 1:9-11). Then, we will break out in joyful song, singing "Joy to the world, the Lord is Come! Let earth receive her King!; let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing!" Yes,"Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!"
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