I'll Take It

Posted by Craig Britton on

Proper 20: Epistle, Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30          

Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30

Are you an optimist? Glass half full? How long has it been, or have you ever considered the answer to these questions? I’ve heard the Apostle Paul characterized as amazingly optimistic. The man lived through and faced more in his lifetime, post-conversion, than most people ever entertain. He is open and honest and let’s us in on a good deal of those life experiences in his letters to the young body of Christ. But an optimist? I’m not sure I think of Paul that way.

 Paul was a follower of Jesus.  Ardent, colorful and full of thinking for the long-term. That’s how I see him. And yet this follower was also a committed leader and while passionate, there was a settledness to his intellect that kept him ever-focused, moving toward the goal. In his letter to the young Christians at Philippi, Paul wears his heart on his sleeve more than any other church communication he wrote. He loved the Philippian congregation and he knew they loved him. So his comments throughout point the disciples there to a life of embracing the whole of Christ. Christ in his glory. Christ in his suffering. Christ in his self-emptying and death. More to it-Christ in his call.

 Paul spent a good portion of his disciple-life in captivity and most likely this letter we consider today was written from a dark cell. But Paul’s perspective goes beyond optimism to unbridled confidence. As was always the case, Paul’s confidence lies miles from himself and is grounded in his sin- and death-conquering King. The opening verses of our reading find Paul reminding his readers that his captivity was not a waste. “It has served to advance the gospel … my imprisonment is for Christ” (Phil. 1:12-13). Read verses 12-14. That’s perspective.

 Paul goes on to write that to “live is Christ and to die is gain.” The only kind of person who can say that not with only a straight face, but with joy is no optimist, but rather a realist in the best sense of the world. A realist lives and speaks in the  atmosphere of how things are. How things really are. And how are they, really? Christ is the path. Christ is the goal. Christ is life. That’s where Paul lives his life and he wants the Philippians to find Him in their lives as well. With whatever comes their way, Paul encourages, receive it as from God’s hand because life saturated with the grace and mercy of Jesus will always land you where you want to go. Realists sometimes get a bad rap. But I want to be one. Just like Paul.

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