Winsome Exemplars

We come today to the last sermon in this short series from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. You will notice very familiar words in parts of today’s text because some of these verses are among the most quoted of all Paul’s writings.

You have probably noticed that when I read a text, I typically remind you of the page number in the pew Bibles and some of you read along with me. Then the text not only comes to you through your ears but also through your eyes and probably makes a deeper impression. But it was through the ears only that the original audience heard Paul’s letters.

He wrote, of course, in a preliterate time, before printing, before books as we know them, and before widespread literacy. When Paul wrote a letter, he dictated it to a scribe, a person called an amanuensis. The resulting parchment or scroll would have been sent by some manner of courier to its intended location and when it arrived, the Christians in Philippi, for example, would have gathered to hear what Paul wrote. Eventually copies of Paul’s writings were made and shared with other communities and churches. But the early audiences, and certainly the first audience, would have received this letter only by hearing it.

That’s one of the reasons why today’s text is so interesting. For in the middle of wonderful words about rejoicing and things that are true, honorable, and excellent, Paul chews out two women — by name! Can you imagine Euodia’s and Syntyche’s surprise when near the end of the letter, right before wonderful and thrilling words, Paul says in effect, “Hey, you two women, quit bickering. Be of the same mind with each other, in the Lord.”

I know there are some preachers who do that sort of thing, who call out names of those who are doing wrong things. But usually they are naming “bad people” out “there” somewhere. I can’t imagine naming people in your own congregation, though I suppose some preachers even do that. But when Paul called out Euodia and Syntyche, it wouldn’t surprise me if they got up and walked out. Now Paul was actually pretty gentle and tried to express the criticism in positive ways, hoping for change and restoration. But no one likes to be singled out, especially by name. By naming them, he was essentially saying they were bad examples of what he was trying to teach. Then at the end of the text he suggests that he was a good example. That’s what we want to think about this morning. Who are the good and not-so-good exemplars of how we should live as disciples of Jesus Christ? Let’s read it in Philippians 4.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

I want to reflect on this text by asking a single question today. What is it that endures? What lasts? What is truly worthy of praise? What endures?

In a lot of love songs the lovers promise to love each other forever. So we might think love endures. But we live in a time when half of all marriages end in divorce. So a lot of love hardly seems “forever.” Five years, maybe, ten if you’re lucky.

Of course, even if some marriages endure, it doesn’t mean that love necessarily endures. This will seem overly cynical and I am not actually cynical about marriage. But I probably have been influenced by an experience very early in my ministry. It was just my second or third funeral. I was fresh out of seminary, still trying to do everything the way they taught us. The funeral home called and asked if I could do a service for a man who died who used to be Presbyterian. I went to the home to visit with the widow and found out she and her husband had been married a long time, 35 years if I recall correctly. But then the widow said to me, “My husband was a [I won’t repeat the expletive she used]. I don’t know what you can say about him. I hated him.”

Okay. I suppose that early ministry experience has made me conscious that in many families and many marriages there is always much more and maybe much less than meets the eye.

But if human love doesn’t exactly endure forever, what does? Diamonds are common symbols of love and marriage and, as the saying goes, “A Diamond Is Forever.” I was reminded in an article I read last week that guys typically start to learn about diamonds when they think about buying an engagement ring for their girlfriends. Then you learn about the Four C’s of diamonds.

First is the Cut or shape of the diamond: round, princess, marquise, emerald, and so forth. Then you decide what Clarity and Color you want. You might think diamonds are simply clear but that is very naïve. Clarity and Color vary widely in diamonds. The final “C” is the “C” really etched into one’s memory: the size of the stone — and the bill! Size is measured in Carats.[1] Four C’s: Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat.

But one company is actively hoping to add a fifth “C” — Cremains. Cremains is the made-up word for “cremated remains” or that which is left after cremation. We speak of what remains after cremation as ashes but they are not really ash. The remains are actually the pulverized or ground up bones of the skeleton. So there is a company now called LifeGem.com that — I kid you not — can extract the carbon out of cremains and through a process of intense heat and pressure turn that carbon into real diamonds.

This article I read talked about a bride who had her diamond ring made with the diamonds from her grandmother’s ring. Whenever she received compliments on her ring, she expressed gratitude for her grandmother and honored her memory. But imagine now the possibilities with LifeGem.com. If her grandmother was deceased and had been cremated, a bride could actually have a diamond made out of her grandmother. Then, when receiving a compliment on her ring, instead of saying, “Thanks. It’s my grandmother’s diamond,” she could say, “Thanks. It’s my grandma!”

We’re trying to answer the question, what is it that endures? If we think of human love, if we think of marriage, even if we think of making diamonds out of deceased loved ones, we have to admit that human love doesn’t endure. And, depending on our mood, we can despair or become very cynical about that.

But this text expresses neither despair nor cynicism. Like heavenly diamonds, joy and light sparkle in almost every word or phrase.

This is one of the most uplifting passages in all of the Bible. And if we want to find the treasure that endures, this is it.

But where can we see such living? Who are the exemplars who live this way so we can follow them? It may seem strange to us but Paul answers that question in the last verse of the text. He says, “Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me.” (4.9a) Okay. But if we think of Paul as a good example, our minds are going to immediately return to Euodia and Syntyche. It appears that Paul has called them out by name because they were not filling their lives with things that endure. It almost seems like Paul was saying, “I am the winsome exemplar of things that endure. But these women? Help them as best you can but definitely do not follow their example.”

On a first or even second reading or hearing of Philippians, that appears to be what Paul meant. Except it doesn’t sound like Paul. It especially doesn’t sound like what Paul has already said to the Philippians. Remember a couple of weeks ago when we looked at the second chapter and Paul said, “in humility regard others as better than yourselves.” (2.3b) So how can Paul turn around two chapters later and exalt himself as the great exemplar and in the same breath put down Syntyche and Euodia?

He can’t and he didn’t. Paul actually was saying something much more profound. He knew it was easy to articulate lofty theology and grand thoughts. Yes, think of excellence and things worthy of praise. Pray. Rejoice. Yada, yada. Let’s all think happy thoughts and feel good. It is so easy to say those things. But Paul knew all these things are only real when we live them out in the real world with Euodia and Syntyche and with Evan and Samuel and anyone else with whom we find it hard to get along.

Paul called out those two women not because he had it in for them but because in the church the little things count. How we treat each other counts. How we hold each other accountable counts. How we stick together no matter what counts. If Euodia and Syntyche can’t be together, even though they see things very differently, then all the excellent theology and rejoicing and praying and things of excellence don’t mean anything. Because we don’t live in heaven yet. We live in a real world where Euodia may be sitting in the pew behind you and Syntyche may be in the choir. Or one of your pastors may say things you just can’t abide. Paul points out the beauty of the kingdom – joy, excellence, peace – things that sparkle like heavenly diamonds but the only glimmer we’re really going to get of these things now is when standing in the church next to ordinary people like we are.

So Paul wasn’t saying follow my example because I’m good and those two women are bad. He was saying follow my example by seeing that which endures even in the midst of the ordinary and help each other, no matter how much you may at times dislike or disagree with each other, to find that which endures.

Turn a loved one’s cremains into a diamond if you like and think of that as honoring a memory. But it only makes a real difference if you take the memory of a loved one and find in them what is worthy of praise. Then live that way in your own life. This is Paul’s challenge for everyone of us.

Dear friends, let us follow Paul’s example and think about excellent things and all that is worthy of praise. But then, let us take the next step and do what the apostle so wanted Euodia and Syntyche to do. Make real that excellence with each other. Then we will be winsome exemplars … and worthy of praise. Amen

[1] Timothy F. Merrill, ed., “Diamonds from Ashes,” Homiletics 17.5 (2005): 42.

[2] Merrill, 43.