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Greetings in a letter are sometimes written conventionally, but for some cases, everything in author's mind is poured out in it. For example, letters from soldiers on the battle field to his lovers. This letter, written to Philippians is one of them. It is said Paul was in a prison when he wrote this. From the beginning of the letter, all of what he wanted to say was written, Philippians, 1:1
The senders of the letter are Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, and recipients are all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi. Here, a servant means a slave. Slaves depend their lives and deaths to their masters. They patiently serve to their master and move as if they were parts of their master's body. Saints are those who sanctified by Christ. They aren't holy at all, but sanctified by being washed with a blood of Jesus on the Cross and covered with His grace. They are different in forms, but covered with Christ's love, as if He was alive. Then, a slave and a saint has a similar meaning. This letter was from those who are in Him to those who are in Him. This was what Paul wanted to tell. And also what Paul wanted to tell is summarized in, Philippians, 1:6
When we tell something, we say, "Who does what where when." In this verse, "who" is the Lord, "when" is until the day of Christ Jesus comes, and "what" is a completion of a good work. So, this verse tells the Lord will complete a good work until the day of Christ Jesus comes. Absolutely, he who does it is the Lord. Then, what is a completion of a good work? It is explained from the Verse 9 to 11, Philippians, 1:9-11
This is the completed man, who can discern what is best, may be pure and blameless, filled with the fruit of righteousness, may reveal the glory and praise of God. These can be done only by the God. But it is possible? Of course, Paul wrote it because it is possible. Let's see the example through a experience of famous commander Naaman. 2 Kings, 5:1-5
and also, 2 Kings, 5:9-15
He was really a brave man, who couldn't lie. But he had a leprosy and it became too bad to be cured. Then a young girl taken captive from Aram told him about Elisha, he went to Israel to receive a treatment. He brought a lot of gifts, horses and chariots. I don't understand why he brought chariots to receive treatment, but we find he was so serious, he risked everything to Elisha. But the result was miserable. He thought Elisha will come out of his house with high respect, he will do some actions for treatment. But Elisha didn't come out, and what he said was like a monkey business, "Wash yourself seven times in the Jordan." He was disappointed with an attitude and words of Elisha, he started going back home with fury. Then his servants told to him, "If the prophet had told you something very difficult to do, you must have tried it." He had such a characteristics. "You get angry and go home because he just said, `Wash and be cleaned`, don't you?" Hearing this, Naaman realized. "I came down here because I myself can't do anything to cure my illness, nevertheless I'm trying to trust on myself. This is wrong. If I risk everything to Elisha, I'll do just he said." Then he went down to the Jordan, dipped himself seven times, and his flesh was restored. There're two questions. One is, "Why did Naaman hesitate to dip himself in the Jordan at first?" Another is, as for Elisha, "Why didn't he appear at the door of his house to meet Naaman, who came from so far away?" The answer to the first question is written on the Verse 1 in Chapter 3 of Genesis, Genesis, 3:1-6
The serpent whispered, "Did God really say so? Do you actually think what He said is true?" He did it to Naaman too, I think. The serpent must have guided Naaman, "Do you think dipping yourself in the Jordan will really work?" and "The river is nothing. There're better rivers in your country. It is ridiculous." He must have said, "Elisha is going to make you fool, because you are the enemy commander. They will say, `Look! The fool Naaman washes himself as much as seven times in the Jordan. Look! Look!" He persuaded Naaman that he will surely be done so. But it was his pride and common sense that made him listen to a whisper of the serpent. As a whole, Naaman thought, "It is ridiculous." We find that if we think in this way before the Holy Bible, we will never be blessed. Then why did Naaman do it? It depends on to whom he relied on. I suppose, he came down there relying on Elisha, not on the God. But, Elisha took a different attitude. He wanted Naaman to know not his ability, but the existence of live, working God, and also how important it is to rely on His words. Though you may not understand why it is, the Lord will surely reveal His glory through it, and His grace will last forever. He wanted Naaman to know it. Jesus did the same thing when He opened eyes of blind young man. The story is stored in the Chapter 9 of John. His disciples asked, "Why is he blind? Did he or his parents sin?" Then He answered, "No. This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." Then He made some mud with the saliva, put it on his eyes, then said, "Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam." We know He could open his eyes by just saying, "Your eyes open." or by just touching his eyes. But He ordered the young man to go to the pool and wash, to let us know if he obeys His words, the Lord will work on him anytime. The young man was in the same situation as Naaman. He may have thought He was just making a blind man fool. Because he didn't know Him well. He didn't approach to Jesus, He came near to him. It is a rather abnormal action to make some mud with the saliva, and put it on the eyes. Moreover, he ordered to go to the pool and wash it. There was no wonder that he may have thought, "It is ridiculous." But he obeyed His words and he could see His glory. Go back to Naaman. The way of his purifying wasn't easy at all. I think it can be divided into five steps. First, he had a leprosy. In the period, to have a leprosy means putting into a disappointment. Second, a young girl taken captive told a remedy, but it wasn't a good story for him. Because the prophet is in the enemy country. There will be a lot of troubles to get there. Moreover, he once went there to pirate. Thus he had to ask for permission to enter the country to the King of Aram. It was quite difficult, I think. Third, Elisha didn't come out of his house when Naaman visited. It made him disappointed. Next, he left Elisha. He were full of anger. Finally, he turned back to himself by his servants' words, and declared before Elisha that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Naaman wasn't Israelite, he was unbeliever. I think his five steps of progress isn't only for unbelievers, it is also for believers. Suppose, a trial occurs onto us, in Naaman's case it was a leprosy, we will be focused only on a trial itself, won't be able to move eyes away from it. Even believers, if a trial is so hard, will be captured in it. Then, even a short prayer won't come into our mind. And, if things go against our will, in Naaman's case, a remedy was to meet a prophet in enemy country, and there's no slight sign that difficult situation would be changed, we will be obsessed only onto it, be misled that all will be resolved if it goes well. If we look at only a superficial aspect other than essential cause, as Naaman met the King and persuaded to obtain a permission, our prayer will be focused only to escape from a difficult situation. The story that Elisha didn't come out and said "Go to the river and dip youself." means that God didn't respond to our prayers. Naaman got angry and left there, in our cases, we will leave our eyes from God, relying on our estimation and common sense. We clearly find that the Lord can't reveal His mighty power in this situation. His experience tells us that, when we commit our ways to Him, the Lord will reveal His glory to us. Also, we find that there are so many believers stand still on the steps one to four, through our experiences. However, we know Naaman had to experience four steps until he understands a certainty of His words. If he hadn't have a leprosy, if a prophet hadn't be in Israel, if Elisha had come out and waved his hands on Naaman, driven his illness away, Naaman would have seen a power of Elisha, couldn't have seen an existence of the God for all his life. On the Verse 6 in the Chapter 1 of Philippians, it is written that a good work has been began within us, but Naaman could by no means imagine what it was, it was nothing but disappointment. When he declared, "I know there is no God in all the world except in Israel.", I think he realized the completion of good work. He demonstrated an attitude to trust on His words, and obey them, he became one who reveals the glory and praise of God, as Paul prayed for brothers in Philippi. Regarding as revealing the glory and praise of God, the number of people who met Jesus and received His words and grace is uncountable. In other words, the Lord loves anyone in the same way. He loves each one, not as a group. But I don't think all who met Him could reveal the glory and praise of God. (Side A -> Side B) He wants to reveal the glory and praise, as described in Philippians, through each one of us. Leviticus, 10:3
He said, "I will show myself holy among those who approach me.", not by showing a mysterious sign in the sky, not among extremely excellent families. He wants to use those who approach Him, and reveal His glory through them. We have to realize it's not true that it's easy for some specially talented people. For example, it wasn't necessarily easy for the Kings. We will find it by reading Chronicles and Kings in the Old Testament. It wasn't necessarily easy for those who were raised in special circumstances. A young man in the Chapter 9 of John, who was used as an instrument to reveal His glory and praise so fruitfully, was a man who was thrown away by his parents. Actually he was mooch. Of course, a nationality has nothing to do with it. Naaman was a commander in enemy country. Anything bounds us outwardly has no relationship. In other words, anyone is permitted to approach the Lord, and He wants to reveal His glory and praise through them. It means, "Be completed. The Lord will complete it by day of Jesus Christ. If we follow Him, He will complete it." Jesus wants everyone of us to pray, "Please, reveal Your glory and praise through me." For this reason, the Lord brings us various troubles. Within them, if we are really disappointed, as Naaman was so when he heard he had a leprosy, and also Elisha didn't come out, or if we are captured within troubles themselves, we won't be used as His instruments. Resurrected Jesus asked to Peter three times, "Do you love me?" Peter answered, "The Lord, You know I love you." But we know he could do it because he denied Him three times. It is very important that if we follow Him, He will use us, even though we aren't deserved it. It's not us who complete it. Let's read Philippians again, Philippians, 1:6
All is done by the Lord. One who begins it and also completes it is the Lord. Philippians, 1:11
In all important parts, the subject is "the Lord". It's not written, "You will wear the fruit of righteousness.", but "You will be filled with the fruit of righteousness." You will be filled because there's one who fills you. I would like to introduce a testimony. I visited Ishigaki Island a month ago. There lives an old brother, who once was a mathematics teacher. He tends to speak argumentatively, and told a very complicated stories. He talked to me then, he lives in a traditional Okinawa house, he disposed the shrine altar because he made up his mind to follow Jesus. After that, very strong wind blew, and a lot of clay fell through gaps between ceiling, piled up as a hill where the shrine altar once was. First he thought, "It is a curse." But one night he had a dream. In it his father, who has passed away, told to him, "Keep the track!" He said, "I will keep the track, because my father told to me." What a splendid testimony it is! We are encouraged so much. We want to keep the track. We want to keep our way trusting only on His words, not being captured by anything around us, not listening to a whisper of Satan, "Did God really say so? How effective is the Jordan?" Thank you for listening. |