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Paul says, “complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” That sounds impossible, doesn’t it? Be of the same mind, have the same love, be in full accord and of one mind? Paul expects us to agree, and come to the same conclusion, and be united in our thinking. Doesn’t that seem unrealistic, if not downright impossible? 

 I mean, there’s so much to disagree about. There are hot topic issues like masks, and social distancing, and political candidates. But then there are everyday topics like how to manage your money, or how to raise your kids, or even what kind of music to have in church. There’s so much to disagree about.  

 And these topics seem really important. They matter for life and so we need to get them right. And each of us is convinced that we know what’s right. Maybe it’s our personal experiences, or maybe it’s how we’ve been brought up by our parents, maybe it’s the education we’ve had, maybe it’s just our gut feeling or intuition. But each of us is convinced that we’re right. And it’s important—essential—that we get our way. 

 And because we’re convinced that we’re right on account of our personal experience or our education or our gut feeling, it’s hard not to take it personally when someone disagrees with us. The other person may have personal experience, or education, or gut feelings leading them to the opposite conclusion. But even to hear out the other side is to admit that you might be wrong. So rather than listen to one another and try to understand one another, we dig in our heels and won’t let the other person get a word in edgewise. 

 And so rather than even try to agree with others, we simply split into factions and rivalries, and we demonize the other side as if they’re not even worth listening to. 

 “Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” That sounds impossible doesn’t it? 

 But when Paul says “be of the same mind,” he doesn’t mean “agree on every point on every single topic.” He means despite your disagreements, think to put the needs of the other person first. “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also the interests of others.” That’s the “same mind” Paul is talking about. Rather than worrying about getting your way, worry about what your neighbor needs—your neighbor’s well-being. 

 And honestly, why do we have to worry about getting our way? We belong to Jesus Christ. This is what Paul is getting at when he says, “If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, make my joy complete by being of one mind.”  

 If there is any encouragement in Christ. If? Are you kidding! Christ has been raised from the dead victorious over sin and death. Jesus has sin and death behind him once and for all. God has started something totally new in Jesus Christ. And everyone who belongs to Jesus, everyone who is “in Christ” has something that no amount of suffering or struggle or death can take away. Everyone who is “in Christ” has something that no amount of success, or status, or accomplishments can improve on. Everyone who is in Christ has the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. This is why Paul can say, as he did earlier in Philippians, “to live is Christ, to die is gain.” Paul is in prison, where he certainly can’t get his way. And every day in a Roman prison could be his last. But whether he lives or whether he dies, he belongs to Jesus Christ who will raise the dead and make all things new. If you belong to Jesus Christ, why do you have to worry about getting your way? 

 In fact, it’s a defeat to have this good news, it’s a defeat to be baptized into Jesus Christ, and then be overcome by rivalries and factions because we think we have to get our way! It’s a defeat because when you’re overcome by rivalries and factions, you’re acting like the one thing you have going for you—Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the dead—is less important than petty arguments! “If there’s any encouragement in Christ!” What an understatement! Why do we need to worry about getting our way when we belong to Jesus Christ, who will raise the dead and make all things new? 

 Instead, count others more significant than yourselves. Look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others. Rather than worrying about getting your way, worry about what your neighbor needs—your neighbor’s well-being. 

 Consider Jesus here. Jesus was in the form of God. He had all God’s power and authority. And so he had every right to get his way. But what did Jesus do? He “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped (to be held onto), but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Jesus emptied himself, and he did it not for himself, but for you—for your well-being.  

 You can compare Jesus to the way parents empty themselves. When you have kids, you have to start giving yourself up. You may be the coolest person in the world, that everyone looks up to. But when you have kids, none of that matters anymore. You have to lay aside your hobbies, lay aside your professional advancement, lay aside your sleep and sometimes even your physical strength. You drive a van, so that you can give your children what they need. But in emptying yourself, your children become rich. You become nothing before the world, but you are life-giving to your children. Jesus though, was in the form of God, having all of God’s power and authority, and he laid it all aside so that we could live in him. He is nothing before the world, but he gives the world everything. 

 And so, as Paul says, “God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father.” 

 Now think about that for a moment. When all is said and done, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Are you going to go before Jesus, who emptied himself for you and the whole world, on the last day and say, “Hey did you see I stood my ground on that mask issue!?!” How ridiculous! No, if when all is said and done, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, why not consider others more significant than yourself and look out not only for your own interests but also the interests of others? Why not worry about the needs of your neighbor instead of worrying about getting your way? “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” 

 Having the same mind, counting others more significant than yourself, looking not only to your own interests but also the interests of others is the life to which we are called in Jesus Christ. And thank God! If anything is clear right now, it’s that the virtue of getting your own way is a dead-end. We see it everywhere we look; anger, rivalry, dissension. And I think we can all see that it can’t help but end in violence and destruction. No one wins in the end and everyone loses! That’s clearly where this world is headed. But you have been delivered from this world’s need to get your own way. You have been redeemed from the need to get your own way by your baptism into Jesus Christ. So why go back? Why go back to anger, rivalry, dissension, violence, and destruction. “If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, make my joy complete by being of one mind.”  

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen. 

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Today’s Reading…

Philippians 2.1-18

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵ that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. ¹⁷ Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.