Sermon 4th October 2026 – 19th Sunday after Pentecost
Text: Philippians 3:4b-14 –
Greatness received, not taken.
In our bible reading last
week St Paul spoke extensively about the humility of Jesus. He spoke about
Jesus giving up his heavenly glory to take on human flesh. He said – Christ
emptied himself. He spoke of the continual humility of Jesus life that
eventually led to his death on a cross. He became obedient unto death – even
death on a cross. But, mysteriously, that humility and what seemed to be
defeat, became the foundation of his greatness. God gave to Jesus the name that
is above all names. God exalted him to the highest place where every knee would
bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
This is so different to his
appearance at his trial and what he experienced just prior to his death where
he was mocked – spat on – beaten – and humiliated to the point where people
shook their heads at his disgusting appearance – just as Isaiah had prophesied:
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance
that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of
suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
One could argue that Isaiah
is not just talking about Jesus’ pre death appearance but also his appearance
and the appearance of the church today in the world. Jesus is not desired by
most of humanity – people are not attracted to him – he is despised and
rejected by most of humankind. The mocking continues. As Matthew says when
people saw Jesus on the cross -tThose who walked by shook their heads and
laughed at Him. Paul would become no stranger to this experience as his life
drastically changes when he becomes a Christian after he experiences the risen
Christ on the road to Damascus.
He speaks about what his
life was like before meeting Christ in our bible reading: A life of opulence –
a life of respect by people. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the
flesh, I have more: 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.
But Paul loses everything on
that day when he arrives at the house of Ananias and is baptised into the
family of Jesus Christ. He loses everything but gains more. And that’s what
Baptism does. It places us on a trajectory towards Christ and against Satan –
as we confess when we are Baptised. I renounce the devil and all his works and
all his ways. Even Jesus, after he was Baptised, was led into the front line
into a battle with Satan but overcame the 3 temptations – unlike Adam and Eve. But
Paul has no regrets. In fact, to Paul, it is like a badge of honour: 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. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and
I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
Paul reveals a mystery
hidden deep in Christ – that greatness is not found in earthly measures but by
what God bestows on us. Blessings are found, as Paul discovers, by knowing
Christ and the power of his resurrection AND the sharing of his sufferings by
becoming like him in his death, That’s not a message that we hear from the
world and sadly it’s not always a message which the church lives by. Where we
measure ourselves on earthly measures – our finances – our attendance – our
demographics. The church needs to measure itself, as Jesus did, on faithfulness
to God’s call. Jesus didn’t earn the name above all names – no, he was given
the name that is above all names by God his Father. Jesus had to teach his
disciple who didn’t understand humility.
James and John, the sons of
Zebedee wanted to claim that greatness for themselves rather than receive it. They
came to Jeus and said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you
want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your
right and the other at your left in your glory.” Jesus replies: whoever wants
to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first
must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Which is exactly what St
Paul says in our bible reading: Christ made himself nothing by taking the very
nature of a servant, Though he was still God he did not claim his equality to
God for his own benefit.
Humility is not easy to do. It
is human nature to want to be better than others. Sometimes we might even hope
failure on others so we feel better. This is what we call pride. It was pride
that saw Satan’s downfall from the most glorious of God’s angels – a leading
Cherubim to utter disgrace and doom as Ezekiel writes “You were the seal of
perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden
of God; You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were
blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found
in you. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted
your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth;
Remember what Jesus said
when the disciples came back bragging about their successes – I saw Satan fall
like lightning to the earth. Don’t boast about your successes but that your
name is written in heaven. It was by this same pride that Satan led Adam and
Eve away from God promising that if they disobey God then they would be like
God. It was this same pride by which Satan unsuccessfully tempted Jesus – bow
down and worship me and I will give you all the kingdoms of the earth.
It is the same pride by
which we are constantly tempted to put our faith in ourselves particularly when
we are facing times of trial.
Paul had so much to boast
about but in the end could only boast about knowing Christ and his crucifixion
for his salvation.
It is human nature to look
to our own strength – like the man coming to Jesus seek the secrets of eternal
life: “Teacher, what good thing must I
do to get eternal life?” Jesus replied If you want to enter life, keep the
commandments.” The man replied: All these I have kept,” the young man said.
“What do I still lack?” Jesus answered,
“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and
you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away
sad, because he had great wealth. It wasn’t his wealth that was the error by
trusting in them above Jesus.
Jesus says – seek first the
kingdom of God and everything else will be added unto you. Now this speaks not
only to our personal relationship with God but the church’s relationship with
God. As the church we are not to measure ourselves by earthly measures –
attendances – finances – demographics. We are to measure ourselves by our
faithfulness to God’s Word. Just look at the tenants of the vineyard in the
parable Jesus told. Their pride meant they weren’t happy until they were in
control. Humility is the means by which God bestows blessing on us – as he did
with Jesus when he exalted him to the highest place – not because he earned it
but because he was ready to receive it.
Are you ready to receive
God’s blessings? Then we need to empty ourselves and cast aside anything which
we are putting our faith and trust in other than Christ. We need to consider
them as rubbish in order to gain Christ. And that may mean sharing in Christ’s
suffering in order that we may receive his glory as Paul proclaimed. But as we
share in Christ’s suffering we also share in his glory and the resurrection. So,
as Paul says – forget what’s behind us – forget what Satan has thrown at you –
keep your eye focused on the future – the prize of eternal life in heaven. That’s
all we need to be concerned about.
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