Philippians 2:12-18 God is At Work In You

Observation: This text takes place right after one of my favorite texts from the whole New Testament: the Christ Hymn, which tells the story of Jesus, who was in the form of God, humbling himself and even dying on a cross so that he would be exalted in all the earth. In these next few verses, Paul gives his readers the "application." Because this amazing thing has happened in Jesus, we can "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling." This doesn't mean to "save" ourselves--Paul just laid out how Jesus did that--but to work out the meaning of the cross and resurrection in our own lives, and let it affect the way we think and act. It will look different for different people, but trust that "God is at work in you." 

Application: I guess the "fear and trembling" part makes sense, because, as Paul has laid out, we are truly free in Christ. There is no one cookie cutter way of life for every Christian: we work out the meaning of Jesus in our own lives, in our own time. Sure, Christians who are taking this seriously will all strive to love one another, and to imitate Jesus in healing, inclusion and justice. But that still provides a LOT of latitude for you and me to work this thing out in the way that makes most sense for us. It would be totally confounding for me, and I'd never know if anything I'm doing is right, except for the promise in the next verse: "God is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure." 

Prayer: Dear Holy Spirit, please work in me as I work out this life of faith. Amen. 

Isaiah 53: A Lamb Among Lambs

 

Observation: It's hard to read this text from the Hebrew Bible apart from the familiar context of Good Friday. Even though this was written centuries before the birth of Jesus in a very different historical time, Christians from the very beginning saw Jesus' own sacrifice on the cross in light of this text. Like sheep, the people have gone astray. Yet like the Passover lamb, the servant of God offers up his own life for our sake. 

Application: I believe that Jesus is the lamb of God who offers his life up for our sake. But I don't believe it is God's wrath that led him there. In my experience, what brings the most pain to God, and to God's servants, is the wrath of humankind. The lamb has more to fear from the wayward sheep than from his master. Yet it's for our benefit that he gives his life.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for giving your life for this world, and for me. Amen. 

Psalm 72 Prayers for the King

 

Observation: This is a psalm of Solomon, who is remembered as Israel's wisest and richest king. The prosperity the Kingdom of Israel enjoyed under Solomon, and the respect from other nations, was legendary. Interestingly, Psalm 72 has been the appointed psalm for Epiphany for centuries, so even though Matthew's Gospel does not say the wise men from the east are "kings," reading about the kings of three foreign lands bringing tribute on this same day put that image in our minds. 

What I love about this psalm is that right alongside prosperity and international acclaim, the psalmist places the king's care for the poor and oppressed as paramount. In fact, it's a theme that keeps coming up. Care for the poor is every bit as important as any other issue in Solomon's kingdom, and you can't get one at the expense of the other. 

Application: This is an appropriate psalm for a "return to work" in the closing days of Christmas. I dropped off my kids at school, I am getting prepped for all the meetings and appointments that had to be put off until "after the holidays", and in the news, today is the day when many elected officials in Washington are being sworn in. Whatever work we are "returning to", the priorities set by Solomon in psalm 72 are apt. It's okay to pray for prosperity, or at least the resources to make ends meet. It's fine to pray for respect and dignity from others, though that's always a two-way street. But none of those values ever comes before care for the poor and oppressed. To be a person of faith, knowing our king's care for the poor, is to use what power we have in this life to lift them up. 

Prayer: God, grant me the vision to see the people in my community who may need help with finances, or with advocacy. Help me repent of the shame our culture places on people living in poverty, and help me take their side, as you do. Amen.