Thursday, June 11, 2026

Opening Scripture

For this is what the Lord says—he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited—he says: “I am the Lord, and there is no other. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength.’” All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. But all the descendants of Israel will find deliverance in the Lord and will make their boast in him. Isaiah 45 (selected)

Opening Prayer

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see You. I want to see You. To see You high and lifted up, shining in the light of Your glory. Pour out Your power in love as we sing holy, holy, holy. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Philippians 2

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. 

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.z

But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.

Reflection  

The initial occasion for this letter was to thank the Philippians for their financial support. That support was delivered to Paul by Epaphroditus, a trusted leader in the Philippian church. While Epaphroditus was in Rome comforting Paul, he became deathly ill. Now that he had recovered, Paul was sending him back to Philippi with this letter of appreciation.

In addition to expressing his gratitude, Paul took the opportunity to provide sound teaching and address several issues that the church was facing. Today’s text offers correction regarding the rivalry and personal ambition causing division in the congregation. Paul presents a powerful basis for his position and describes the proper posture. He will “name names” related to this issue (in Saturday’s reading).

Paul begins by emphasizing the importance of unity in the church using a series of “if” clauses. The Greek word “ei” generally implies something assumed to be true and can be translated “since.”

The opening paragraph could read, “since you have encouragement from being united with Christ, since you have comfort from his love, since you have common sharing in the Spirit, be like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Paul continues by using the example of Jesus to illustrate what that looks like. This passage contains what some believe to be the oldest expression of Christian theology ever put into writing. It is called the Carmen Christi or “Song of Christ” and appears to be a chorus or creed that became popular before Paul wrote this letter. Even if it is original here with Paul in this inspired correspondence, the prose beautifully and powerfully summarizes the person and work of the Lord Jesus.

Jesus’ very essence is that of God – His essential nature is divine – and yet he took on the “essence” and “nature” of a human bondservant. The two extremes could not be more shocking or polarized! Christ never lost any part of his divinity. Instead, He voluntarily set aside the privileges of His position to assume the most vulnerable of human conditions – from baby to bondservant to betrayal – ending in a humiliating and agonizing death.

At its lowest point, the song abruptly shifts and follows the Lord Jesus all the way back to glory, after He accomplished the greatest feat ever imagined. This sets up the ultimate revelation when, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Paul takes the words of Isaiah in our Opening Scripture – where Yahweh speaks about Himself – and applies that truth to Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy. He is “the Lord, and there is no other. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength.’”

Paul then uses both Timothy and Epaphroditus as current models of what it means to walk worthy of the gospel. Timothy follows Jesus’ example by constantly being concerned about the well-being of others more than himself. Epaphroditus followed Jesus’ example by risking his life trying to help Paul in his ministry. These two men are worthy of imitation. In tomorrow’s reading, Paul will use himself as an example, as well as those who lived like him. “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.”

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

Philippi was a Roman colony. The Battle of Philippi in 42 B.C. was a decisive conflict in the Roman civil war. The forces of Mark Anthony and Octavian defeated the armies of Julius Caesar’s assassins, Brutus and Cassius, resulting in the losers taking their own lives.

After the war, some Roman soldiers were ordered by Mark Anthony to take up residence in Philippi. Then, in 30 B.C., Octavian forced a number of people in Italy to give up their land and homes and settle there. These settlers were given special privileges, including the “Italic right.” This allowed emperors to grant cities outside Italy the legal status of being on Italian soil. As such, Philippians were governed by Roman laws, rights, and customs. They were Roman citizens, exempt from paying taxes.

The Philippian Christians lived in a center of Roman patriotism. “Caesar is Lord” was the dominant refrain. Yet, these followers of Jesus seemed to be subversively proclaiming another king. To declare “Jesus is Lord” would be met with mocking and ridicule at best, persecution and suffering at worst. Paul’s statement (in tomorrow’s passage) – “our citizenship is in heaven” – would have special significance for this audience.

Of course, we understand that the Kingdom of Heaven exists anywhere and everywhere King Jesus is worshipped as Lord. Our heavenly citizenship transcends our earthly nationality. God’s inaugurated eschatology is underway, expanding the reality of “on earth as it is in heaven.”

Truly, Jesus is Lord! He is our ultimate example.

In the next chapter, Paul says, “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.”

Do you have someone you look to as a pattern for following Jesus? None of us is perfect. We are all flawed, sinful people, prone to wander. Yet, those who have faithfully followed the Lord for many years and are exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit have something to teach us.

We have talked before about having “the mind of Christ,” as used in today’s passage. “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus… being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”

Are you cultivating the mind of Christ? Do you see signs of reliance on the Holy Spirit and His fruit in your life?

Ask God to show you someone who can serve as an example of what it looks like to follow Jesus.

And ask Him to help you be that for someone else.

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!