Jesus is coming back. This has been a truth preached by the apostles and confessed by the Church since its beginning. The early Christians called the return of Jesus his “Parousia.” Parousia means “a visible, personal presence.” The early believers in Jesus were not expecting a secret, quiet return of Jesus. They were expecting a visible, personal, bodily return of Jesus at the end of the ages.
We are the culture of “supersizing.” Just think of all the things you can “supersize.” You can supersize your order at the fast food restaurant. You can supersize the fountain drink you get at the gas station. Auto makers a while back figured out they needed to “supersize” the cup holders in the vehicles they make so they could accommodate the supersize drinks people were buying. You can supersize your furniture and supersize your bed and buy an oversize pillow to go on your supersized bed. Of course, one result of oversizing all our food is the market for oversized clothes. And finally, if need be, you can purchase a supersized casket.
Embedded in every religion on the planet is the concept of “righteousness.” Whether or not the religion uses the word “righteousness,” it is there. By “righteousness” we mean a right standard of conduct or obedience that will get a person into heaven. Typically, this righteousness is sought by obedience to a prescribed set of rules. “Do this” and “don’t do that” kind of stuff.
You have likely all heard the old saying that there are two subjects to avoid when talking to strangers: religion and politics. Maybe some of you here can think back on times in your life when you learned that lesson the hard way. You made a confession of what you as a Christian believe, or you offered your political opinion, and someone said, “Them’s fighting words!”
You have likely all heard the old saying that there are two subjects to avoid when talking to strangers: religion and politics. Maybe some of you here can think back on times in your life when you learned that lesson the hard way. You made a confession of what you as a Christian believe, or you offered your political opinion, and someone said, “Them’s fighting words!”
Paul begins our text by saying, Not that I have already obtained this (v. 12). What is the “this”? Knowing the “this” Paul is referring to is key to understanding this text. If we back up just one verse before our text, Paul says that the goal of having faith in Jesus is the hope that in some way I may arrive at the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:11) That is Paul’s destination! That is Paul’s hope! That is Paul’s arrival point! The resurrection!
The father’s have eaten sour grapes and their sons’ teeth are set on edge. (v. 2) Can you picture what that means? That means that a dad bites into a sour grape and his son puckers and winces because it is so sour. It was a way of saying that children suffer for their parents’ sins.
The last will be first, and the first last. (v. 16) These are the last words of our text for this morning. So, fittingly, we are going to consider them first. The last will be first, and the first last. Just exactly what does that mean? Many people have puzzled over its meaning. Bible commentators have written much trying to explain it. But what really does it mean?
The third patriarch was gathered to his people. Jacob was dead. He had lived long enough to see his beloved Joseph in Egypt. We remember the story. Joseph’s brothers hated him. We remember the day Joseph’s brother’s had thrown Joseph into a water cistern. They cooly ate their lunch while Joseph cried and begged for help. They did finally pull Joseph out, so they could sell their brother to a traveling band of Midianites who took Joseph to Egypt.
Have any of you ever had to wear a uniform? Maybe it was a team uniform. Maybe as part of your vocation you wore, or wear, a uniform, maybe a soldier’s uniform, or medical scrubs, or a shirt with a company logo. Did you know there is a lot of psychology that lies behind the wearing of uniforms? Uniforms are to make a person simultaneously different and the same. Here’s what that means. Whenever you see a uniformed person by themselves, you immediately see them as different. Have you ever been in a grocery store and you see someone there in a military uniform? They stand out; they are different. However, a uniformed person standing with other uniformed people is “the same.”
