Sermon 27th September 2020
Text: Philippians 2:1-13 – Strength through humility
How are you feeling after 8 weeks of stage 4 lockdowns? How
are you feeling after 6 months of restrictions on what some call basic human
liberties and rights? Do you feel like fighting back? Do you feel like
sometimes joining the protesters and fighting the system? Can you imagine how
many times Jesus was tempted to fight back and didn’t?
In Paul’s letter to the Phillipians St Paul says that even
though Jesus had every right to fight back against the injustices that were
done to him, he didn’t. He says -though he was in the form of God, Jesus did
not regard equality with God as something to be exploited. Jesus could have
demanded his rights – in fact at one stage it seemed like he might do that but
responded – your will be done – not mine. Jesus was tempted to exert his rights
– you’re hungry – turn these rocks into bread – if you’re the Son of God. If
you are the son of God – come down from the cross.
It is easy, when we feel our human rights are being infringed
upon, to fight back and often what happens is that the problem then escalates
and gets worse. Instead, as Christians, even when we might feel infringed upon
– even if we truly feel we need to respond – we need to remember, again,
Christ’s qualities: That he - emptied himself - he humbled himself and became
obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross.
What Paul is trying to teach us is NOT to be weak and like
doormats for people to wipe their feet on.
No, humility is God’s hidden strength in us. Rather he is
trying to show us a different strength where we actually use another person’s
energy to defeat themselves.
I remember many years ago in my youth when learning martial
arts my teacher said that the real skill is to use the other person’s strength
against themselves. Paul sort of gave us an example a couple weeks ago when he
said in Romans 12 - Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is
right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you,
live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge but leave room for God’s
wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
20On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him
something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” So
rather than fighting back, aim for peace and reconciliation and allow their
conscience to do its work.
Jesus also gives us an example today in our Gospel reading
when he uses the strength of his accusers against themselves: When Jesus
entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him
as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things,
and who gave you this authority?”
Now, Jesus could have fought back, argued against them –
what’s this to do with you – but he let them do that to themselves: Jesus said
to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I
will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John
come from heaven, or was it of human origin? And what happened – their fighting
against Jesus was turned in on themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will
say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human
origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” Now
Jesus doesn’t need to exert his own strength but neutralised their strength by
themselves: And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I
am doing these things. And even against our greatest adversary – the devil –
James says - humble yourself before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you. Don’t fight against him – resist him – and he will flee.
Stand and fight and you enter his territory.
Humility is the secret weapon that God has given to us. It
doesn’t mean weakness, but has James says – it is handing over to God. And so,
Jesus, instead of fighting back, like Peter did when he cut off the ear of one
of Jesus’ attackers in the Garden of Gethsemane, humbles himself to God even to
the point of death on the cross.
Most of us don’t like the way things are. We want our
liberties back – we want our church gatherings back – but how do we express
ourselves in the best way? By humility and obedience – as Jesus did.
Maybe some of the restrictions are unfair or over the top. Maybe
the cure has become worse than the disease – but we need to be careful, as Paul
says in Ephesians – in your anger do not sin. As Christians we trust in God to
whom all must submit. If there is injustice in this then God is the one who
judges, as Paul says - at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. And that’s where we turn for
justice rather than taking justice into our own hands which we are always
tempted to do as human beings.
The pandemic has turned our lives upside-down. We have been struggling to deal with the
situation physically, mentally, spiritually, and economically. In times of difficulty and chaos, it is very
easy to despair and fear and take matter into our own hands. And when that
happens it causes more disharmony.
We can see it in the Israelites when they were led out of
slavery from the Egyptians and were facing difficulty and challenge in the
desert. They questioned and quarreled with Moses. They lost faith and sight of God’s presence,
they would rather be back in slavery in Egypt. And that’s what happens when we
fall back on our own defence rather than humbling ourselves before God and
allowing God to take control. That’s what was behind Satan’s temptation of
Jesus which on the surface didn’t seem that bad – you’re hungry – turn these
rocks into bread. But this was about humility and trusting God. About letting
God take control and not taking control himself. Christ humbled himself and God
exalted him.
Just like the Israelites, when we lose sight of God’s control,
all we can focus on is going back to the previous “normal” life. The truth is that there may be no “normal”
life we once had. Things may be
different. And we can either trust God
or use all our energy to fight and demand our human rights back again. And so
Paul encourages us that when we trust God then he brings about his glory: And
he reminds us in the closing of our reading - God is at work in you, enabling
you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
It’s not easy to forgo our own rights but Paul urges us - Do
nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as
better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to
the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
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