Following our Saviour – Philippians 3:12-4:1

Last week was the first Sunday in Lent. It marked the beginning of a 40-day period designed to help us grow in our personal and communal life as people who are in a relationship with the God revealed to us through the ministry and teaching of Jesus Christ.   Part of that growth comes from recognizing that Jesus faced what may be considered the three greatest temptations. Each of the temptations plumbed the depths of our most basic desires as humans and each temptation was answered with a strength of mind and spirit that exceeded anything we could even imagine.  The purpose of such testing was to ensure that the frailty of our humanity would no longer keep us separated from the divine heart and spirit of God as found in Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, God draws us into a relationship that can enable us to better handle the temptations of this world for ourselves and enable us to know that God’s love will never leave us, and that God will be there to support us for our lives both now and into eternity.

The Apostle Paul was well aware of the doubts and struggles of those who had been drawn to God in Christ and who had committed their lives to following the will and plan of God.  He knew full well the challenges of living as a follower of Christ, but he also knew full well the consequences of not living as a follower of Christ. He knew how important it was for people to have not only a proper understanding of their relationship to God but also a proper attitude.

Paul invited the people to imitate him. But that invitation was not one that was an empty platitude. He truly was asking the people to not just do as he said, but to do as he did. How easy is it to speak words of encouragement and then not actively encourage; to speak words of comfort but not actively comfort; to speak words of peace but not bring peace.

Paul knew that to live the life of a follower of Christ meant following the path of Christ. The kingdom we are seeking to be part of is the kingdom of God and not the kingdom of our own fabrication. As a fellowship of believers each of us need to remember that the focus of our life is not our own glory or praise but the glory and praise of God.

William Barclay in his Daily Study Guide on this passage reminds us that “our only safety against temptation [be it of body, mind, or spirit] is to be in the Lord, always to remember him, always to walk with him, always to feel his presence around us and about us…..The Church and the individual Christian can only stand fast when they stand in Christ”. (Commentary on Philippians, p. 88)

In the passage we heard today from Luke some of the Pharisees warn Jesus not to enter Jerusalem. To turn away and go back to the hill country would no doubt mean safety. Jesus could continue to preach and teach and heal.  But he was a prophet sent by God with a message that needed to be heard by those who were at the very heart of the nation.  Jesus then quotes from the Old Testament a lament of God for the people. The desire of God to gather the people and hold them safe in his arms as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. But they showed themselves unwilling to be gathered. But that would not deter Jesus or cause him to turn away from the path he knew he had been called to take. And when he entered Jerusalem on what has come to be known as Palm Sunday, the people cried out: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

Our path through life will not be the path that Christ took but we can be imitators of the path he took when we commit ourselves to listening to and following the ways and will of God. That commitment will challenge us when we are faced with those who choose not to follow.  But let us ever remember that what is required of us is not our own perfection but our desire to be led by the Spirit of the One who can ultimately bring us to perfection.

As we approach the table of the Lord, let us remember that we come to remember the sacrifice he made for us and because we seek to deepen our relationship with God in every way.  And let us ever be willing to share with all who come to this place not only the blessings of this sacrament but the blessing of living as a community of God’s people gathered to share our joys and sorrows, our hopes, and our disappointments in communion with one another as we journey in faith.