Isaiah 43: 16–21 / Psalm 126 / Philippians 3: 4b–14 / John 12: 1–8
This
is the homily given at Flohr’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in McKnightstown,
Pennsylvania on Sunday, April 6, 2025 by Fr. Gene Tucker.
“FINDING OUR TRUEST SELVES IN GOD’S UPWARD CALL”
(Homily text: Philippians 3: 4b–14)
This
morning’s epistle reading, taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians,
describes this quest, relating to us Paul’s previous life before he came into
relationship with Jesus Christ, and his life (and work) once God had called him
into that relationship.
Simply
put, Paul’s description outlines the reality of that call. Specifically, Paul
says that he came to understand that nothing he could do could bring him into
relationship with God. No, on the contrary, it was God’s call, God’s
initiative, that made such a relationship possible.
Before
we look more deeply at what Paul has to say, let’s remind ourselves about the
nature of this wonderful letter to the Philippians.
Many
biblical scholars agree that the letter to the Philippians may have been the
last letter Paul wrote. He refers to the circumstances of his writing, saying
that he is imprisoned (perhaps in Rome). Paul seems to understand that his
earthly journey is about to come to an end. And yet, this letter is, perhaps,
the most positive and joyful of his letters. It’s clear that Paul had a
wonderful relationship with those early Christians in Philippi.
Now,
let’s look at Paul’s description of his walk with God. (Note that Paul uses the
word “walk” later on in chapter three of the letter.[1])
He
begins by tracing his religious pedigree: “I am a faithful member of God’s
chosen people”, he says (in essence): Circumcised on the eighth day of life, a
member of the tribe of Benjamin, blameless under the Law of Moses, a faithful
Pharisee, a persecutor (in my life before Christ) of the Church.
But
that religious pedigree, he says, is all gone. It was worthless, it is a total
loss.
Why?
The
reason is that, he has come to realize, that all his efforts to be in proper
relationship with God were built on a faulty foundation: His own merit and his
own efforts. So, he says, that previous life is now all rubbish, garbage.
Now, he tells us of the reality of God’s power, made known through Christ, a power that has the ability to bring him (and us) into a proper relationship with God. He uses a comparison to describe this reality: “…I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”[2]
Put
another way, Paul realizes that he must “bottom out” in order for God to build
a true, lasting and enduring relationship with God, one built upon the
foundation of God’s upward call to relationship, a call that is rooted in God’s
love and God’s mercy.
If
we think about it, that’s the essential meaning of Holy Baptism, which is a
“bottoming out” passage which initiates a proper relationship with God. In
Baptism, we acknowledge God’s call to relationship, a call not built upon our
own efforts or achievements, but on God’s mercy, love, and God’s deep desire to
be in a true and intense personal relationship with each one of us.
As
we walk through life, it will be helpful for us if we keep in focus our own
inability to craft a proper relationship with God through our own efforts.
Notice how Paul remembers his previous life, and his own efforts at religious
self-promotion, as compared to the uselessness of such efforts, when compared
to God’s upward call.
The
promises of Baptism endure through this life and into eternity. (Indeed,
Baptism creates an indelible mark on our souls.) But if we’re not careful, we
might be tempted to think that we can build our own spiritual Tower of Babel,
attempting to reach toward God as we add more and more “good stuff” to support
our upward climb toward righteousness. All such attempts are useless, or – in
Paul’s words – they are rubbish, garbage.
To
be able to respond to God’s upward call, we are going to need the ongoing help
of the Holy Spirit to see ourselves as God sees us, and to open our eyes to see
whether or not the path we are walking is the one which leads to a right and
proper relationship to God through Christ.
So
come, Holy Spirit, open our eyes, shine the light on our path, and guide us,
that we may respond to God’s upward call in Christ.
AMEN.
[1] Philippians 3:17
[2] Philippians 3:8b - 9
