God’s grace, peace
and mercy be with you. … My sermon is entitled Holy Indifference, and my focus
is on Philippians 1:20 and Matthew 20:15.[1] Paul wrote, “Christ will
be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.” Jesus said, “’Am I not
allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my
generosity?’” Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I
rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”[2] Now that our feet are
within your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit
enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we
pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
I've got the joy,
joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart -
Down in my heart - Down in my heart
I've got the joy,
joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart -
Down in my heart to stay
"Down
In My Heart," sometimes titled "I've Got the
Joy" is a popular Christian campfire and scouting song written by a
Unitarian minister, George Cooke. Cooke’s song reminds us that no matter the
circumstances, Christians are to be joyful.
The word joy
appears over 400 times in the Bible and more than 12 times in Philippians.
Indeed, Paul had joy in his heart when he wrote this letter, but do we know
why?
We understand joy
as an emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally
good or satisfying. For example, a mother feels joy at seeing her son's success.
Joy can be a source or cause of keen pleasure or something or someone greatly
valued or appreciated. Watching Sidney Crosby play hockey is pure joy. What
were Paul’s joyful circumstances when he wrote, “Christ will be honored
in my body, whether by life or by death”?
Examining
Philippians in its entirety and Matthew in its greater context offers insight
into the joy a Christian should feel when following Jesus.
First,
Philippians. According to Acts 16:9, a vision summoned Paul to preach the
gospel in Macedonia. Unlike most cities where Paul preached, Philippi had no
significant Jewish population or synagogue. His relations with this church were
warm and affectionate, and the Philippians consistently supported his work. You
see the warm relationship they shared in Paul’s greeting. Normally, to enforce
his authority, Paul included the word apostle. In Philippians, he opened with
“Paul and Timothy, servants (or slaves) of Christ Jesus.”
Paul wrote to the
Philippians while imprisoned. He explained his reason for writing in chapter
two. Paul wrote:
“I have thought it
necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow
soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing
for you and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed, he
was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me
also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am more than eager to send him,
therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less
anxious. So, receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he
nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was
lacking in your service to me.”
In other words,
Paul reassured the Philippians who sent gifts with Epaphroditus that their
messenger, who had a brush with death, was ready to resume his apostolic work
upon return to Philippi.
In today’s
passage, Paul conveyed that while imprisonment seemed to be a disadvantage, it
served to advance the gospel. Even nonbelievers knew Paul was imprisoned for
Christ, and was not a common criminal. However, there were men who sought to
cause Paul trouble, hoping to prolong his imprisonment. Quoting Job, Paul
assuredly insisted that though he knew not whether his sentence would bring
death or life, God would vindicate him and bring him deliverance. Paul exuded
hope – the virtue that waits with eager expectation – in his desire to glorify
Christ through life or death.
Indifference to
death is difficult to understand. We associate such indifference with the
depths of despair and pain, but here it arises in a letter which, more than any
other, exudes hope and joy. This gives us a glimpse into Paul’s spirit and
motivation – that his life and identity were wrapped up in his allegiance to
Jesus. That is why he encouraged the Philippians to boast joyfully – not
because of what they could do as independent individuals apart from God but because
of what God was able to do through them.
Joyfully boast of
what God can do through you. On that thought, let us end Philippians and turn
to Matthew.
In its greater
context today’s passage comes on the heels of the rich young man who asked
Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. After assuring Jesus that he
observed the commandments, the man went away sad, because he was not up to
Jesus’ challenge to sell his possessions, give the poor the proceeds, and
follow Him.
Jesus stated how
difficult the rich find it to obey Him prompting Peter to reply, “We left
everything and followed you. What will we have?” Jesus assured his disciples
that when the Son of Man would sit on his glorious throne, they would sit on
judgment thrones, receive a hundredfold of what they left behind and inherit
eternal life. But before he told today’s parable, Jesus concluded, “Many who
are first will be last, and the last first.” This saying concludes two
successive sections in Matthew, but it does not supply the meaning of today’s
parable.
Now, for point of
information, a denarius would feed one’s family for a day; anything less would
be subsistent pay. In the parable, the master paid every worker enough to
sustain his family for a day.
The first hired
were paid last because the point of Jesus’ story depended on their seeing what
the last employees received. Contrasting the two extremes, the first and the
last, those who worked twelve hours and those who worked one, revealed that the
master was strikingly generous. Every man could feed his family.
But when the last
were paid, the first calculated how much more they would be paid. Against
conventional expectation, they also received a denarius, the agreed upon wage.
Equal payment is why the first hired grumbled about the master’s apparent
injustice, expressed in their lament, “you made them equal to us.”
Equality is what
is offensive and scandalous about Jesus’ parable. Equality is what is
counterintuitive and remarkable about the reign of God. In God’s Kingdom there
is no room for self-promotion, no occasion for competition, no basis on which
one disciple can say to another, “I have no need of you” or “I am more
important than you are.” The master treats all workers the same, and owing to
God’s grace, there is no distinction on the Last Day. Even the apostles are
simply laborers in the vineyard.
The parable was a
reminder to Christians, especially those with authority, who saw themselves and
their congregations as special, that like the first followers of Jesus, we are
all simply laborers in His vineyard.
Finally, what do
Paul and Matthew teach us today? What lessons do we learn about joy and grace?
Do we feel like singing Cooke’s campfire song? Do I have joy in my heart when
living through unfavorable circumstances? Do we recognize the difference
between generosity and grace? If imprisoned for practicing my faith, would I
acknowledge that God’s ways and thoughts are higher? When evildoers assail me
and extract a pound of my flesh, am I confident about my deliverance, my
salvation, my redemption? When God shows mercy to people who damaged my
reputation, am I joyful or resentful? If my fate lay in the hands of those who
hate me, do I prefer life, death or God’s will? In a word, am I indifferent?
By indifference I
do not mean apathy or a “who cares” or “whatever” attitude. On the contrary,
holy indifference means total openness to the will of God in one’s life. In other words, whatever God wills for me, I
will strive with all my heart, mind and soul to conform to His will. I will not
prefer health to sickness, riches to poverty, honor to dishonor, a long life to
a short one.
How did Jesus
expect His disciples to attain holy indifference? How did Paul achieve
acceptance of God’s will? How did a sentenced Paul bring glory to Christ?
Through a constant, dynamic prayer life which led them to total confidence in
God and a willingness to give themselves wholly to the Trinity.
They were
indifferent because they knew God directed them. Their love for Father, Son and
Spirit was so deep that all obstacles between God and themselves were removed
to the point that they knew how to use things properly, for example, money,
property or talent, to glorify God. They were able to do so because they
recognized that all things came from God, that all people were from God. Hence,
Paul not only withstood his enemies’ inflictions, but welcomed them if they
brought glory to Christ and His Gospel.
As laborers in the
vineyard, we have much to learn from today’s Scriptures. We have much to learn
from Paul. We can all learn from others who accept their fate and witness for
Christ.
Consider what we
can learn from Meriam Ibrahim, the Sudanese woman raised by her Ethiopian
Orthodox mother after her Muslim father abandoned them. Several years ago, her
cousins claimed Meriam committed adultery and apostasy by marrying Daniel Wani,
a Christian. The religious court in Sudan sentenced her to death.
Meriam was always
a Christian, but the prosecution claimed she should have followed the faith of
her absent father. It demanded she abandon her Christian faith and believe in
Islam. The judge gave her three days to do so, but she refused, arguing she was
a lifelong Christian, and could not abandon her genuine personal faith at the
request of a court.
Meriam’s story is
tragically dramatic because when arrested she was the mother of a young boy and
pregnant with a daughter. Since the court considered her son a Muslim, he could
not remain with his Christian father but rather lived in a bug-infested prison
cell with his “Muslim” mother. Worse, the court did not admit Meriam to a
hospital to give birth. She delivered her daughter in her cell while shackled
to the floor. Shockingly, the court ruled Meriam could live for two more years
to nurse her daughter. When weaned, Meriam was to be hanged. … International
pressure allowed the family to emigrate to New Hampshire where they lived with
Meriam's brother-in-law for two years before moving to Virginia.
Currently, Ibrahim
advocates for other victims of religious persecution and women who face gender-based
violence and domestic abuse. She admits that her time in prison wasn't easy,
but there are others who are in worse conditions in Sudan. She says, “Sadly,
this was all under the guise of the law. So instead of protecting people, the
law is harming them. … I put my life at risk for the women of Sudan and for
Christians live under difficult circumstances, persecuted and treated harshly.
There are many Meriams in Sudan and throughout the world.”
Now, imagine if a
court gave you three days to embrace Islam to save your life. It was an easy
choice for Meriam, but she refused, declaring: “I am a Christian and I will
remain a Christian.” Yes, heroic, saintly courage still exists in our world.
While we witness
demonstrations over the tragic deaths of some individuals, why is the world
silent at the barbarous slaughter of Christians in the Middle East and Africa?
And while demanding respect for people like Meriam and religious freedom for
Christians around the world, should we not welcome trials that test our faith?
Should we not pray for deliverance and holy indifference? Should we not
joyfully accept what comes as long as God is glorified? Should we not rejoice
that God extends His grace to those who have labored one hour to our twelve?
God’s activity
insults us when we shift our gaze from our Triune God to our fellow laborers.
We must pray for strength to keep our eyes fixed on God, to avoid envious eyes
and see through joyful eyes His grace at work in our world, even in the midst
of trials.
I conclude with a
meditation found on a Confederate soldier.
I asked for
health, that I might do greater things; I was given infirmity, that I might to
better things.
I asked for riches
that I might be happy; I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power
that I might have the praise of men; I was given weakness, that I might feel
the need for God.
I asked for all
things that I might enjoy life; I was given life, that I might enjoy all
things.
I got nothing I
asked for – but everything I hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken
prayers were answered. I am among all men most richly blessed.
This week,
consider how blessed you are. Thank God for your trials that you too might be
most richly blessed. And when you do, may the peace of God that surpasses all
understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
[1]
For references, please see my blog: https://cwynar.blogspot.com/2014/09/holy-indifference.html.
[2]
Psalm 122.
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