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Philippians 2:1a – Specks and Planks

A young boy looks up into a sky filled with planks and specks (Grok)

[Therefore] if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ…

Summary: It has been several days since we took a break from Philippians, so it might be worthwhile to review our last meditation, “Philippians 2:1-2 – Paul’s Request,” before continuing with this one. 

There is a theme that runs through Paul’s collection of claims and clauses in his sentence. Behind the workings of his finely tuned academic brain, I hear a question that seems to come from his heart. It sounds like this: 

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Matthew 5: 2 — Who is Jesus? Part V — Brother

Portrait of Jesus and his family (Grok)

… and he began to teach them.

Summary: The word “brother” carries a special meaning. A brother is different than a father. Understanding this difference helps us understand who Jesus is. 

If our relationship with our human fathers is unique, so is our relationship with our mothers and siblings. The good father provides a sense that there are boundaries to how we behave. The boundaries may vary from father to father, but all good fathers provide this context even if they are not aware that they are doing it.

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Matthew 5:2 — Who is Jesus? Part IV — Son

a picture of Jesus sitting on the ground in the wilderness. The devil stands nearby holding a steaming hot loaf of bread. (Grok)

… and he began to teach them.

Summary: Jesus’ role as a “son” defines him in an entirely different way from who he is as a God, Creator, and King. 

God, Creator, and King are three radically different roles for one person to occupy. Even with just these three aspects to consider, the implications are staggering. Yet we have only begun to explore the various roles that Jesus fills. Of those that are left to discuss, his role as “Son” is perhaps the most important.

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Matthew 5: 2 — Who is Jesus? Part II — Creator

The earth is shown floating in a round bottom flask against a background of stars.

… and he began to teach them.

Summary: Jesus is more than a man. People who meet him face-to-face are looking into the eyes of the being who made everything.

In Part I, we looked at Jesus’ divine nature and the fact that he is God. Yet, somehow, Jesus is more. Other religions lay claim to stories about how the world was made, but only one man was ever said to have created the world. Jesus’ disciple, John, describes Jesus this way:

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Matthew 5: 1-2 — Finding Jesus

Jesus teaching his disciples (Grok)

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

Summary: Learning about God is a tricky business. It is easy to fall into the trap of depending on someone else’s description of God rather than listening to God directly. 

Dear Readers: The next few days will be hectic for me at home, so we are reposting a few meditations from our series on the Lord’s Prayer. I will still be checking for comments. I hope to see you here!

Several months ago, I felt the Spirit pointing me towards the prayer in Matthew 6: 9-13. It is commonly called “The Lord’s Prayer,” and is one that I learned as a child. Being raised as a Lutheran, we said the prayer every Sunday in church. 

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Philippians 2:1-2 – Paul’s Request

A graphic representation of a building (sky scraper) made from words. (Grok)

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

Summary: Paul’s thoughts are sometimes complex. In this meditation, we take a 30,000-foot view of Paul’s thoughts in his passage in hopes of seeing the “bigger picture.”  

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you are probably shocked to see a meditation that is based on two entire verses at once. Never fear! We will, no doubt, dissect this in future meditations. However, given the complexity of Paul’s thought here, I thought it best to begin with an overview. 

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Philippians 1:29 – Suffering for Jesus

Picture of a man, hand to his forehead, outside in the rain (Pixabay)

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him…

Summary: Understanding the suffering Paul asks us to do for Christ requires that we look past our own pride and love as Christ loves. 

I don’t know about you, but the idea of suffering has never appealed to me. Of course, there are different kinds of suffering. The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32 is a good illustration of this. 

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