As we journey through Advent, last week we celebrated peace, and this week we celebrate joy. Advent allows us to reflect on the Gospel infancy narratives, including Gabriel’s annunciation to Mary in Luke 1:28–30. Most translations, translate Gabriel’s greeting, χαῖρε, as “Greetings,” however, it could just as easily be translated as “Rejoice!” as a kind of greeting. In basic Greek grammar, it’s an imperative verb, which is a command to do something. And so, it could also read, “Rejoice, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” Mary became troubled and afraid, but Gabriel reassured her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.” There is a beautiful pattern here: Rejoice! — The Lord is with you — do not be afraid (or anxious).
A comparison of Paul’s exhortations in Philippians 4:4–7 is fascinating: Rejoice in the Lord, be gentle with others for the Lord is near, and don’t be anxious; And then Paul gives us an antidote for anxiety, that is to be thankful in our prayers so that we may experience the peace of Christ. The comparison between Gabriel’s annunciation to Mother Mary and Paul’s exhortation is nothing short of stunning!
Rejoice in the Lord
The Apostle Paul is emphatic, he proclaims, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” He not only repeats the exhortation to rejoice, but he tells us to do it always. Paul writes this while he is imprisoned. He had learned to find his joy in Christ despite his circumstances. This is a lesson for all of us. What would it take for us to find deep contentment in Jesus, even in suffering when our world seems to be falling apart? You see, our joy should never be grounded in what is happening around us, instead, it must be grounded in Christ Jesus.
Joy is not an option for the Christian. Like Gabriel’s greeting to Mary, it’s an imperative. The repetition makes this a powerful command as we read, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Paul gives the same command in 1 Thessalonians 5:16, “Rejoice always.”
I don’t want us to be naïve, there’s a place for other deep emotions, like righteous anger, disappointment, sorrow, and so on. It’s not to say that we can never have other feelings, we know that Jesus expressed many emotions, for example, his anger at the injustices and hypocrisy of the religious leaders (Matthew 23:33), sadness when Jesus wept before he raised Lazarus to life (John 11:35). Paul even writes of himself in his second letter to the Corinthians, “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” (2 Corinthians 6:10a). Developing a joyous heart in the face of sorrow no doubt takes practice—it isn’t easy, but wouldn’t it be better to be rooted in joy than to drown ourselves in despair?
Be Gentle for the Lord is Near
In the next exhortation, Paul encourages us to be gentle with others (Philippians 4:5a). We can do this by active listening, being sensitive to others and their needs, being present, being patient and kind, empathizing with others, being encouraging and affirming, being gracious, and having a servant’s heart. Paul wants our gentleness to be displayed so that it’s evident to everyone. Having a posture of gentleness towards others is vital for building a healthy community, especially when we seek the best for others rather than looking out only for ourselves. This idea lends itself to how the English Standard Version (ESV) translates τὸ ἐπιεικὲς ὑμῶν γνωσθήτω πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.” While ἐπιεικὲς may certainly mean gentleness, it can just as easily mean reasonableness, kind, courteous, and even, not insisting that everything is done a certain way. Paul is exhorting all his readers, including you and I to be gentle and reasonable towards each other. Paul has in mind that we let go of our rights, and instead demonstrate the gentleness of Christ to others.
This brings us to the phrase, “The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:5b). Paul may have meant that Jesus’s Second Coming is near (time), or simply that his presence is near us (space). Both are theologically correct and can be rightly applied in the context of this verse, this is all the more reason why we should be gentle and reasonable with others.
Don’t be Anxious
Further, if Jesus is near us there is no need for us to be anxious about anything. We know that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, but we also know that he is always with us as we read at the end of Mathew’s Gospel, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b). Paul rightly exhorts us, “Do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6). Here, we have a wonderful example from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus tells us not to worry about our lives, what we will eat and what you will drink, or what you will wear. He reminds us of the birds who do not sow, reap, or store food in barns, and yet our heavenly Father feeds them. We are much more valuable than birds, Jesus says. No one can add an extra day to their life by worrying. And then Jesus reminds us about the flowers in the field which are dressed more splendidly than King Solomon. God clothes the flowers too, so why should we worry? Don’t run after these things, rather have faith, because the Father knows what you need. Let tomorrow worry about itself, and instead seek after God’s kingdom and his righteousness (Matthew 6:25–34; paraphrase).
I love the story John Wesley tells when he was on a ship headed toward America. The vessel entered a violent storm that threatened to capsize the ship. This caused utter panic for him and many other passengers on board, except for the Moravian Christians. Amongst the frightening chaos, they sat huddled together in a state of calm serenity as they sang hymns and prayed despite their impending fate. Luckily the ship arrived safely to shore, but the Moravians sparked a profound transformation in the life of John Wesley. In our life’s storms and chaos, are we able to cling to Christ and find calm and serenity? This is what Jesus, Paul, the Moravians, and John Wesley are calling us to.
Prayer and Thanksgiving Bring True Peace
The next exhortation from the Apostle Paul to the Philippian church is to be prayerful. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippines 4:6). We can either be so absorbed in the cares of the world that fill us with fear and anxiety, or we can cast them off by giving them over to God in prayer. We are encouraged to begin with a grateful attitude by thanking God for what he has given us, and then bring our prayer requests to him. This way we can be mindful of the generosity of God. But remember we always approach God in prayer reverently and respectfully.
When we were missionaries in Kenya, we would hear church microphones blaring, and people shouting to God in prayer, as if he was deaf! I was discipling older teenagers at the time, and I mentioned this to them, asking how their parents would feel if they screamed at them asking for pocket money. The next day one of my students came back and told us that after she heard her mother shouting and screaming at God in prayer, she went to her mother and in the same way asked her for a new pair of shoes. Her mother was horrified and furious at her daughter. My student responded, “But Mom, isn’t that how you ask God for things?” While the context of this anecdote is somewhat different from ours, we can still learn from it. Prayer should be respectful even though it’s a living conversation with Jesus.
Prayer never came easily to me, until I became Anglican and started doing the morning and evening prayers. I’ve found that the richer my devotion and prayer life, the deeper the peace I experience. Paul picks on this when he writes, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7). There are a few things I want you to know here:
First, this verse interrupts the natural flow of Paul’s exhortations. He starts with the conjunction, “and” which indicates the result of what happens when we pray and make our requests known to God. Second, working backward, notice that peace is the opposite of anxiety. Third, the world’s peace depends on one’s circumstances and one needs to guard that peace. Paul, however, turns this upside down, the peace of the believer is found not in one’s circumstances, but in Christ Jesus alone, and it is his peace that guards us. Philippi was a Roman colony during the time of the Apostle Paul. As you might imagine, the Philippian Christians would have been familiar with the power of the Roman garrison, a group of Roman soldiers stationed in a fortified outpost. Their primary duty was to guard the city and maintain security. Paul uses this imagery of the Roman garrison when he says that the peace of God will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Last, Paul describes this peace as that which surpasses all understanding. This is a divine peace that transcends our earthly circumstances. But this peace can only be experienced if we fix our vision on our greatest treasure, Jesus Christ, and not on those things that cause us fear and anxiety. The truth is, we become like that which we most treasure. So, we look to Jesus for his peace, not our own. He once said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27). The peace of Christ will fill those who come to God in prayerful devotion and thanksgiving, and who offer up their requests to God.
Conclusion: Rejoice! The Prince of Peace is with You
Paul offers us an exquisite progression of exhortations in Philippians 4:4–7. Are we putting these exhortations into practice? Practice these and our Christian communities will flourish, and we will become a beacon of hope to the world that desperately needs Jesus.
We saw earlier the pattern between Paul’s exhortations, and Gabriel’s annunciation to Mother Mary: Rejoice! — The Lord is with (near) you — do not be anxious/do not fear. But do you notice what’s missing? Peace? No, to the contrary, this was the whole point of Gabriel’s divine visitation, to announce that Mary would give birth to the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) so that you may know him. I invite you to rejoice in the Lord, for Jesus Christ is near, don’t be afraid for he will bring you peace that surpasses all understanding if you would come to the prince of Peace in prayer.
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