In April of last year, Bassem Mroue of the Associated Press wrote:
Palestinian fighters clashed with Islamic State militants in a heavily contested Palestinian refugee camp in the Syrian capital on Monday as a United Nations official described the situation in the embattled camp as "beyond inhumane."
The fighting in Yarmouk began Wednesday after the Islamic State group muscled into the camp, marking the extremists' deepest foray yet into Damascus. The heavy clashes that have raged since then have added yet another layer of misery for up to 18,000 Yarmouk residents who have already endured desperate conditions marked by a lack of basic food, medicine and water.
The deteriorating situation prompted the U.N. Security Council to call an emergency meeting Monday. Pierre Krahenbuhl … called the humanitarian situation in the camp "completely catastrophic."
Situations like that faced by refugees in Syria last year are real. They are not video games that can be reset. They are real life, faced by real human beings, some experience the most horrific of circumstances. One of the greatest gifts that this Church has given three individuals and their families over the past half dozen years is an escape from refugee camps, an escape from war, an escape from uncertainty and trouble, and an opportunity for a peaceful life on Canadian soil. The congregation is to be commended for stepping forward with adequate financial support for the families. The individuals who have staffed the Refugee Committees are to be commended for their tireless work in providing families with accommodations, furniture, help with English, child-care, medical and dental work; they have provided hours and hours of service in various ways to help the families adjust and settle. One family whom we supported some six years ago was in church last Sunday and looked great – a far cry from the situation they came out of in central Africa. And while the lives of refugees and immigrants is not altogether easy in Canada, they are making their way. I spoke with one of the Committee members looking after our recent family from Syria and was told that they are so very grateful for the help they’re receiving. “Overwhelmed” was the word used at the generosity of individuals and the congregation. So you, the people of Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, have given a great gift to these families.
In our passage today, as Paul is drawing his Epistle to a close when he turns his attention to a gift, probably a monetary gift, which he had received from the Church in Philippi. It wasn’t the first gift that the Philippian Christians had sent him but it had been a while, and Paul rejoiced that they were thinking of him again.
Remember that when Paul wrote to the Philippians he was in the midst of a few lengthy years in custody. There was not a lot of tolerance for alternate beliefs in the first century world and Paul had been accosted by Roman troops in Jerusalem for causing a stir simply by preaching the gospel of Christ. He was first shipped off to Caesarea where he gave an account of himself to successive Roman Prefects and then Herod Agrippa, the grandson of the fellow in our Christmas pageant. After more than two years in Caesarea, his appeal to Caesar led him to be shipped off to Rome where he languished for another lengthy period under the watchful eyes of the Praetorian Guard (Phil.1:12ff.).
Paul was awaiting trial as he wrote to the Philippians. He was concerned about a possible death penalty (1:19ff) and we might forgive him if he expressed anxiety over his plight. Somehow, however, Paul was able to write of a peculiar peace that he had, a peace that passes all understanding (4:7), a peace founded in the knowledge that whatever occurred Jesus would be with him and he would be with Jesus. He, nonetheless, had human needs for sustenance and clothing in prison and he was greatly moved by the generosity of the Philippian gift. “I rejoice greatly in the Lord,” he wrote, “that now at length you have revived your concern for me.”
How many times have you been astonished and thrilled with an act of kindness from another? Sometimes if it’s unexpected or much needed, it’s hard to know what to say. It’s just amazing.
I remember when I was studying for the ministry, there was a young man at the seminary who was really struggling to make ends meet. John had a young family and had come to Seminary hoping that he would find a part-time position to help with the high tuition fees and basic expenses. A few months in, he still had not found a job and things were tight, so tight that they decided they would have to go back home to his parents until they got back on their financial feet. At the end of a class one day, John spoke to one of our professors, Steve, and told him that he was going to have to leave. Steve was and continues to be a saintly man who taught Biblical interpretation and would later become the campus pastor. His pastoral instincts led him to take John aside and they talked about his situation and what he needed. They prayed together that somehow God would provide and give direction so that he could continue his preparation for ministry.
Now, I don’t know the details, but somehow a day or two later an envelope appeared in John’s Seminary post office box. The envelope contained a gift that was substantial enough that it kept the family going for a little while until John got a weekend ministry position at a rural church that allowed him to fund the rest of his training. I suspect that Steve had some input into finding the ministry position but I don’t think that he was responsible for the immediate gift. That gift changed John’s world. You should have seen the delight in Steve’s eyes as he told the class what had happened the following week. He was encouraged, assured that God was out there working. He was just thrilled that John could continue school. And Paul seems to have felt something similar as he wrote from his chains, “I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me (4:10).” Much needed gifts can bring great joy.
But Paul doesn’t stop there as he gives thanks for the gift, he says something else that is at first curious, “It was kind of you,” he says, “to share (συγκοινωνήσαντές) my trouble (4:14).” The Greek word there is συγκοινωνήσαντές. At its root it could mean “having community with” or “sharing together.” It’s as if the gift Paul had received revealed a union, a sharing, a partnership of sorts. Paul was not alone in Rome, his friends were with him in his suffering.
If you would allow me a personal story, I think it was five or so years ago, I had to have a little surgery. It was the first surgery I had ever had and if I mention Shouldice Hospital you’ll probably know what it involved. I went into the surgery thinking that it was pretty minor and was quite amazed that I actually received a five-inch cut in my abdomen and that they had messed around in there enough that when the local anaesthetic wore off I could barely move. Getting out of bed was an adventure, because it involved abdominal muscles that had just been horribly abused, was an extremely painful process. It actually led me to think of the total silliness of Hollywood movies that portray strong men and women taking gunshots or sword wounds and bouncing up with seemingly super-human strength to overcome opponents who are equally strong but unhurt at that point. Real life isn’t like that and significant incisions in our bodies will slow us down, cause us pain, force us to take more Tylenol than is probably good for us. For a few days I have to say that I was feeling pretty sorry for myself.
I hadn’t told too many people that I was going for the surgery but I remember my first visitors the day after surgery. Shortly before my children came to see me, Andrew and Marial came in the door to my room. “How are you doing?” asked Andrew, and as we talked, it was as if a weight lifted. It was as if something inside realized that I was not alone in this process. They had both had their own surgeries and could empathize with my pain in movement. Their presence was like a gift. There was something of a sharing in my situation, a oneness to it, and I wonder if that is what Paul was getting at when he states, “It was kind of you to share, enter into community with me &, my trouble (4:14).” A gift, even as simple a gift as visiting someone in the hospital can alter a person’s well-being and a person’s thinking. It can let them know that they are not alone. It can let them know that someone cares. There’s something of a sharing to it, a partnership, a “communing with” that encourages and can bring great benefit.
So Paul speaks of his great joy over a much needed gift. He speaks of a “communing with” or sharing between gift giver and receiver. He speaks also of a blessing that will come even to the giver of gifts. In the midst of his thanks, he indicates that he doesn’t go around requiring or seeking gifts but he likes to think about “the fruit which increases to the Philippian’s credit” when they help him. Back when he had been on his missionary journeys, they had sent him gifts that had allowed him to spend more time teaching the gospel of Christ. The fruit from that teaching, he says, was not his, but theirs, because they had made it possible. It was to their credit with God and God was going to bless them for it. Gifts not only bring good things to the recipient but also the giver.
When it comes to the nature of God’s blessing there is, here, a hint of heavenly blessing, but Paul’s thoughts are more on the temporal world and blessings in this world. He states, “and my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
That’s a verse that gets quoted often by Christians and preachers. When I was a child a popular tradition in Christian households was to have a meaningful Bible verse written out in Old English typeface and nicely framed. You might walk into someone’s living room and see one of these on the wall that would cause you to remember a biblical promise, or a proverb, or aspect of God. “The Lord is my shepherd …” was common. As was the proverb, “Raise up a child in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it. This verse from Philippians 4 was a favourite, “and my God will supply your every need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
It was useful to be reminded of God’s word, but sometimes these beautiful texts could cause a bit of misunderstanding. The problem with this particular verse was that it came to be perceived as a general promise of God. Extracted from it context it has been seen to suggest simply that God supplies people’s needs. In context, however, the promise here isn’t a general promise, it’s a promise for those who have gone out of their way to help others and give to others. It’s a promise for those who give so that someone else can carry on the Lord’s work. It’s for those who give to help someone who is in great need. First there is the gift and then “my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” The promise is for those who have the gift of giving.
When a person gives, God’s blessing can come back to them in many ways. I think, for instance of another great ministry that we have had in this Church in recent years was the Handicapable Ministry. For ten years we offered a little service every Wednesday evening for developmentally disabled adults in the community. It was amazing as people with autism, people with Downs Syndrome, people with various other developmental disabilities got together to sing a few songs, laugh together, hear a Bible story, pray, and enjoy a few snacks. I remember when I first started here, I wondered what I was getting into with Handicapable but within weeks of starting I became aware of something else going on. Within weeks, I sensed joy in the faces of the students. Within weeks I felt the love of the students as they asked how we, the leaders, were doing and gave us hugs. Within weeks I could see that this program really was making a difference in the lives of people who are often cast aside by broader society.
I remember thinking on numerous occasions that our Handicapable program was one of the purest forms of ministry we engaged in. It was a gift to a community that would never be able to give us anything back. It was a gift to people who would never be on a committee or chair a Board. It was a gift to people who would rarely if ever sit in a pew. It was a gift to people who would never contribute financially or lead a study group. It may indeed have been a pure ministry but everyone who helped lead that program over ten years would tell you that they did get something out of it. We all received much love, much joy, so many positive vibes coming from those we served. Many studies have shown how much gift giving actually improves the well-being of the gift-giver as well as the gift-receiver. Handicapable was a particular kind of blessing for us and that’s one of the things Paul may be alluding too when he says, “And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
But God’s blessing is to be understood more concretely as well. Perhaps around Christmas time you have watched the film It’s a Wonderful Life. I’ve seen that film about George Bailey four or five times over the years, the story of a young man who goes out of his way all his life to help others. In his youth, George always helped his brother. When his brother finished school, George stayed behind in the family business to help him go to college. George sacrificed his own desire to get out of little Bedford Falls so that his brother could get ahead. The family business was a small savings and loan operation that fought with big financiers for the little guy and to provide mortgages allowing ordinary people the joys of home ownership. When one of the townsfolk was going through a hard time and money was scarce, George would be generous to his neighbour rather than foreclose. He loved helping people and seeing them move forward in life.
One day, tragedy struck the Savings and Loan. A deposit was lost by George’s forgetful old uncle. The credit union operated on such a shoestring budget that the loss of a day’s deposits threatened to close down the whole operation. We won’t get into the whole plot, suffice it to say that when George was in great need. He was distraught, but when word got out, the people of Bedford Falls, the people George had helped came through. “The little guy” brought his $27.95 (think average contribution to Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign) and together they helped George make up the lost deposit. It is a great story of human goodness in a Christian culture. George helped people and when he was in need God laid it on their hearts to help him back. George made a difference in that town and when the chips were down, God supplied all his needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
What I would like you to take from being here this morning and from Paul’s words is something of the joy of giving. Giving changes lives, it changes individual circumstances, it makes this world a better place. A refugee’s life has been changed and she is overwhelmed by this congregation’s giving. My fellow seminarian, John, delighted and sensed the Lord’s blessing when a gift allowed him to continue preparing for ministry. Our professor, Steve, was thrilled and blessed himself as he told our class about God’s faithfulness to John.
You’ve heard today that a gift can even be as simple as visiting someone in hospital, encouraging them, empathizing with them, letting them know that they are not alone. We’ve thought about how gifts come back to us in forms such as the love and joy we experienced through the Handicapable Ministry. We’ve thought about how gifts may even come back to us in more concrete forms as God promises to supply all our needs in Christ Jesus. Gifts change the world, they alter circumstances, they change lives, they make the world a better place. And so what we hear from Paul today should encourage us, encourage us to find the joy of giving.
May each one of us find that joy when opportunities arise and, as we support the Lord’s work and those in need, “may God bless us, everyone.”