The Sacrifice of Faith
Philippians 1:21-30
For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again. 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, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well— since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
_____
“To be, or not to be, that is the question.” The opening to Prince Hamlet’s famous soliloquy could be a stand-in for Paul's letter to the church in Philippi. Of course, Paul wasn’t in a Shakespearean play, he was in fact in prison, facing some pretty difficult times. As Hamlet weighs the benefits and consequences of death, Paul ponders the same question, "Is it better to struggle in this present age or join Christ in the heavenly realm?" Our life and faith require a sacrifice. And if you're like Paul or Hamlet, it won't feel fair, and you'll maybe want to throw in the towel. However, that is the meaning of the sacrifice of faith, it is an ongoing story of struggle and with hope waiting to break through.
This sacrifice of faith, this story of struggle and hope, is perhaps no more apparent than in the ancient Israelites wandering in the desert. They are meandering after having fled from their captivity, and they complain to Moses and Aaron, saying that their lives were better in Egypt. Isn't that crazy! As we wrestle with these choices that life throws at us, it's easy to find ourselves in a position where we think that the only thing we can do is complain. Okay, maybe complaining is too specific, but I think we can certainly relate to the struggles that the ancient Israelites were dealing with at the time. I'm sure there are things now that you're wrestling with, whether it be work-related, relationships, health, etc. The critical thing to note is that in those times, the majority of us have a choice with how we deal with those struggles.
There are, of course, a disturbing number of people who do not have a choice with how they deal with the struggles of life. We know of people who confront this reality because we deny them dignity based solely on the color of their skin or identity. We know there are people who have had the breath of life cut forcibly from them. We know of people who are in positions of service and protection who are wrestling with how they can bolster truth and transparency while continuing to place themselves on the line. Too many lack the ability to choose. Too many in our communities do not have access to the type of choices that Paul is talking about this morning because their lives are always at risk. So what can we do? What can you and I sacrifice for the sake of others?
That is something for us to think about this week: “What are the tangible ways that you and I can stand in solidarity and love with one another?”
In case you got lost in the vortex of time like I have, Japan was supposed to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. Unfortunately, the games won't take place till next summer, so I went back to watch some past recordings of my favorite events. I've always found fencing to be exhilarating, each fencer planning strategically, while on guard to react with lightning fast reflexes. But there's another event that I've come to appreciate, which is rowing. It's a group sport that takes coordination and teamwork. Yet it's also an event that requires that the individual members of the team make a sacrifice. There's something given up on behalf of the individual for the faith that the cooperation of each person will lead to victory.
You could probably spend all-day researching a sport like rowing, but you discover that if an athlete is trying to "stand out," they actually will make the boat move slower. Of course, the same is true for the athlete who kicks it back a little and tries to let the others do the work. It doesn't work if you have people try to outperform or underperform. We all have to dip our paddle in the water with one another to make progress in our communities and our church. Some have dipped their oars in the water far too often. Maybe not because they want to "stand out," it could have been out of a sense of necessity. And some haven't done their fair share of the work and expected others to do it for them. No matter how you parse it, at the end of the day, a sacrifice from one benefits the whole.
Paul knows this as he tells the church in Philippi to embrace the privilege of believing in Christ and suffering for Christ as well. To choose to be with Jesus in heaven is the easy way out, a path that doesn't honor the desire God has for our lives. The only way to bring honor and glory to God is to continue in our present time of suffering, suffering for one another in our shared community. No one wants to suffer; no one wants to sacrifice something meaningful to them, right? Christ asks us to give up something, though, for the bettering of people Christ came to serve. And don't just jump to financial sacrifices, considering Jesus desires we offer our entire selves. So it could be the way we lift our voices, raise our concerns for one another, and the ways that we are willing to let discomfort enter our lives knowing that many others have had to be uncomfortable much longer than us.
I know that we've all given something up, and we've all sacrificed something these past six or seven months. Nevertheless, it's in our continued perseverance and sharing in the struggles of our neighbors where we truly appreciate the cost of belonging to the body of Christ. To be a citizen in the Kingdom of God means living a life that is worthy of the gospel of Christ. That means taking the good news out into the streets for people to hear. It means that we are to go out and be a living witness! Our prayers are not enough, though they are certainly needed. Our current climate will require people like you and me to be a presence this season. We need to be people who care about one another, who share in the burdens of our neighbors because we know and believe Christ carried ours to the cross. And isn’t that good news enough to inspire us to do the same for others?
"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 another." (Philippians 1:27) Beautiful words from Paul and a vision of hope for the future. How can we change our hearts this season to embody the sacrificial love of Christ? If we can answer that question, I believe that we would be setting ourselves in the right direction. Let's dig a little deeper. Let's put our oar into the water, again and again, in sync with people we haven't been helping. The sacrifice of faith is a disruptive experience. Yet out of that disruption, we find hope and faith that is fuller than anything we could have imagined when shared with those we've struggled with. Let us share the love, joys, and sorrows that are made richer when we share the great sacrifice of faith with all God’s children. Amen.