a surprising contrast

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:19-21

These verses surprise me. I'm often aggravated by the social gospel movement, where people believe that the end goal of the gospel is to make life better for people. Sorry, that's not the point. The goal is Christ and His glory. These verses show that the way to be concerned for some else's welfare is to seek Christ's interest. check it out:

v20 says that Paul is going to send Timothy to the Philippians because there's no one else like him. what's so different about Timothy? Paul says that Timothy is selfless: he is concerned for others' welfare. But look at the unexpected (to me at least) contrast in the next verse...

v21 says that...expounding on the point Paul made in v20 that Timothy is concerned for the Philippians' welfare...it says that all the other people seek after their own interests, they are selfish. then comes the contrast: Timothy, instead of seeking after his own interests, seeks those of the Philippians...at least that's what I'd expect it to say. wouldn't you?

"I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not your interests." that's what i'd expect it to say. Paul is talking about 2 different parties: Timothy and the Philippians. And he says how great Timothy is because he'll be genuinely concerned for the other party--the Philippians. But then Paul throws in a third party unexpectedly: Jesus Christ.

this is how to be truly concerned for someones welfare: we seek, pursue, strive after Christ Jesus' interests.

Do you love someone? Pursue Christ's interests. Do you care for someone? Seek Christ's interests. Do you value someone? Prove it by striving after Christ's interests.

jumper

i am: jumping on the bandwagon
i think: sometimes too much
i know: that i know that i know
i want: to know Christ
i have: a belly button (2 points to the person who knows what movie that's from)
i wish: i had a watermelon (again...2 points if you know it)
i hate: i should hate evil if i love the LORD (Ps. 97:10)
i miss: the good 'ol days
i fear: not being right
i feel: cold in my toes
i hear: my computer's fan
i smell: the microwave quiche i just ate
i crave: can't think of anything
i search: using goodshearch (i'm also a thief)
i wonder: when my $600 from the government will come
i regret: mistakes
i love: sleeping in
i ache: a day after the gym
i care: "I care" (sister, you know that one....right?)
i always: breathe (huh...except for when i hold my breath...so i guess i got that one wrong)
i am not: always right
i believe: in the Lord Jesus Christ!
i dance: wildly when no one is watching
i sing: true statement
i cry: for many different things
i don't always: breathe (ha! i got that one right!)
i fight: very rarely
i write: in my moleskine
i never: say never...oh, my sister already put that one. well, that's the song i sing "never say never whatever you do!"
i need: more time to read!!!
i am happy about: having the day off tomorrow!

strength in submission

The centurion said, "For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." Luke 7:8

So often we try to make decisions based on our own authority. Sometimes I make decisions and I feel bad about standing firm on an issue. Sometimes I waver and am inconsistent with rules and guidelines I set down.

This Roman Centurion understood how things were supposed to work. He said he was "a man set under authority." Whose authority? Ultimately this man was under the authority of Caesar. And he understood what that meant, and so did the men who were set in authority under him: "As long as he was in submission to his leaders, every command he uttered carried the authority of the Roman Emperor." (The Making of a Disciple, Keith Phillips) When he gave a command, it carried the weight of his authority. His soldiers had to obey him because of the chain of command just as much as they would have to obey the Emperor himself.

The Centurion had heard about who Jesus was (Luke 7:3), to an extent he must have understood that Jesus submitted to the authority of the Father. And, thus, he trusted that Jesus' command carried behind it the power and authority of the Father Himself. And so the Centurion had faith, he trusted that Jesus' command was enough to heal his servant. And Jesus marveled at this man's faith (v9). (I find it interesting that throughout the gospel accounts we see the people marveling and being amazed over and over again at Jesus' statements and His miracles, but here we see Jesus Himself marvel at a man. The only other place I've found Jesus marveling at people [from Nazareth of all places!] was for their unbelief [Mark 6:6].)

But I believe we can learn another lesson from this. I love that quote: "As long as [the centurion] was in submission to his leaders, every command he uttered carried the authority of the Roman Emperor." He goes on to write "...The centurion's authority was great because of whom he represented."

Just as this centurion followed the submission structure of the Roman army, and because of that had great authority when he spoke, we too can have confidence and authority when we speak if we follow God's submission structure. To me that is very comforting. As leader of Student Ministries I have to make a lot of decisions and enforce a lot of rules. Sometimes I have to tell people older than I am things they don't want to hear. That's not easy. But if I am following the leadership of those God has put in authority over me (my senior pastor and the elders), then I can be confident in the decisions I make and the rules I enforce. And if anyone has a complaint against me I can ultimately refer them to the senior pastor or the elders. That's comforting! But if come out from under their authority, if I disregard it, then I am in a dangerous place, I'm all by myself and I don't have a leg to stand on.

I'd rather submit to the authority structure that God has set up.

Whom do you represent?