Would you like to hear some
gossip? Sure, why not? So in the church in Phillipi there was a
problem. Two church ladies, both staunch
pillars of the parish, well known and influential in the community, had a
disagreement. Now I know such an
occurrence is exceedingly rare, but this sort of thing can happen. The lady’s names were Euodia and
Syntyche. Now both were good women,
dedicated to spreading the Gospel, but they had some sort of falling out, a
difference of opinion, that was causing a problem for the church of Phillipi. In fact a big enough of a stink so as to
cause St. Paul to mention it in the verses immediately before our second
reading today from Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Paul wrote: “I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to come to a mutual understanding in
the Lord.” In other words, get over
it and move on.
Paul
goes further and also asks one of his co-workers in Philippi to act as referee. Paul wrote “Yes, and I ask you also, my true yokemate, (other
translations have “comrade”) to help them, (meaning Euodia and Syntyche) for
they have struggled at my side in promoting the gospel, along with Clement and
my other co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.” So obviously these ladies did more than serve
tea, for St. Paul states that they struggled at his side in promoting the
gospel. They were missionaries or church
leaders of some sort. And so it was
important for St. Paul that the two women get along, or at least “come to a mutual understanding in the
Lord.”
It
is immediately following his dealing with this squabble that Paul continues
with the passage we have as our second reading today: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.” And so on.
I
mention this little bit of the Phillipians’ “dirty laundry” to show that Paul’s
optimistic and enthusiastic writing in our second reading is not looking at the world through
rose-colored glasses, not some unrealistic fantasy, but is based in the
day-to-day realities of living in community.
Not
only did Paul have opposition from many of the Jews who rejected the New Way he
preached, and not only did Paul have all the dangers and inconveniences of
ancient travel, and not only did Paul have difficulties with the Roman
authorities, Paul also had all the problems,
divisions, squabbles, disagreements and arguments that every community is
subject to, and he seemed to have it in all the churches he founded, and even
with other Apostles.
There
was plenty of human reason for St Paul to be discouraged, disheartened,
disgusted and even depressed. But here
he is recommending to us: “Rejoice in the
Lord always. I shall say it again:
rejoice! Your kindness should
be known to all. The Lord is near.”
The
last sentence is the kicker. It is
Paul’s faith that the Lord is near that allows him to remain not just calm, but
buoyant, optimistic, hopeful, positive, indeed joyful. The Lord is near! And for St Paul that is all that
matters. He knows that we are never
going to find our way out of the mess that humanity has gotten itself into by
moral reform or government action or economic development or scientific
progress or academic excellence or artistic creativity or social development or
any other human endeavor. Paul knows
that the only way out of the dead end of sin and death is through the Risen
Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul knows that
the Lord is near.
That
is why St Paul confidently continues in our second reading: “Have
no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your
hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
That
is very good advice. I urge you to take
it to heart. “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all
understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
The Lord is near! AMEN.
that is very good commentary!
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