Homily 4 — Philippians 1, verses 22 to 30

“Then what I will choose I do not know. But I am hard pressed between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far, far better; yet to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. And being confident of this, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your boasting may abound in Jesus Christ in me, through my presence with you again.” [a]

Nothing can be more blessed than the spirit of Paul, for the reason that nothing is nobler. We all shudder at death, as I often say. Some of us shudder because of our many sins, and I am one of these; others from love of life and from cowardice, and may I never be one of these, for those who are gripped by this fear are nothing but animals. Yet the very thing we all shudder at, he prayed for, and he hurried toward Christ, saying, “To depart is far, far better.”

What are you saying? You are about to move from earth to heaven and be with Christ, and you do not know what to choose? No, that is far from the spirit of Paul. If such an offer were made to anyone on sure grounds, would he not seize it at once? Yes, he would. For just as it is not in us “to depart and be with Christ,” so, if we were able to reach it, it would not be in us to stay here either. Both belong to Paul and to his spirit. He was confidently persuaded.

What? You are about to be with Christ, and you say, “What I will choose I do not know”? And not only that, but you choose what is here, “to remain in the flesh”? What in the world? Did you not live an extremely bitter life, in “sleepless nights,” in shipwrecks, in “hunger and thirst” and “nakedness,” in cares and anxiety?

With “the weak” you were “weak,” and for those who “were made to stumble” you “burned” (Second Corinthians 11, verses 23 and 29). “In much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in fastings, in purity” (Second Corinthians 6, verses 5 and 6). “Five times” you “received forty lashes less one”; “three times” you were “beaten with rods”; “once” you were “stoned”; “a night and a day” you were “in the deep; in dangers from waters, in dangers from robbers, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers among false brothers” (Second Corinthians 11, verses 24 to 26). When the whole nation of the Galatians went back to keeping the law, did you not — did you not — cry aloud and say, “Whoever of you would be counted righteous by the law, you have fallen away from grace”? (Galatians 5, verse 4). How great your grief was then! And do you still want this perishing life? [c]

Even if none of these things had happened to you, and your success, wherever you met with it, had been free of fear and full of delight, should you not still hurry to some harbor, for fear of the uncertain future? Tell me, what merchant whose ship is full of untold wealth, when he could run into port and be at rest, would rather still be at sea? What wrestler, when he could be crowned, would rather go on fighting? What boxer, when he could put on his crown, would choose to enter the contest all over again and offer his head to wounds? What general, when he could be finished with war with a good name and with trophies, and could take his ease with the king in the palace, would choose to go on toiling and standing in battle line?

How then can you, who live so extremely bitter a life, wish to stay here still? Did you not say, I am afraid “that after preaching to others, I myself should somehow be rejected”? (First Corinthians 9, verse 27). If for no other reason, surely for this one you ought to long for your release. Even if the present were full of countless good things, you ought still to long for it, for the sake of Christ, your Desire.

Oh, that spirit of Paul! Nothing was ever like it, and nothing ever will be! You fear the future, you are surrounded by countless dreadful things, and will you not be with Christ? He answers: “No — and this for Christ’s sake: so that I may make those whom I have made his servants love him more, so that I may make the plot of ground I have planted bear much fruit (First Corinthians 3, verse 9). Did you not hear me when I declared that I was not seeking ‘what profited myself’ (First Corinthians 10, verse 33), but what profited my neighbor? Did you not hear these words: ‘I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ’ (Romans 9, verse 3), so that many might come to him? I, who chose that lot, shall I not much rather choose this one? Shall I not gladly harm myself by this delay and postponement, so that they may be saved?” [e]

“Who will tell of your mighty acts, O Lord?” (Psalm 106, verse 2) — for you did not let Paul be hidden; you revealed such a man to the world! All the angels of God praised you with one voice when you made the stars (Job 38, verse 7), and surely so too when you made the sun; but not as much as when you revealed Paul to the whole world. Through him the earth was made more brilliant than heaven. For he is brighter than the light of the sun; he has shot out more brilliant rays; he has shed more joyful beams.

What fruit this man has borne for us! Not by fattening our grain, not by nourishing our pomegranates, but by producing and ripening the fruit of holiness, and, when it fell to pieces, restoring it again and again. The sun can do nothing for fruit that has once rotted; but Paul called out of their sins those who had rotted in many ways. The sun gives way to the night; but he had the mastery over the devil. Nothing ever subdued him, nothing ever got the better of him. The sun, when it climbs the sky, shoots down its rays; but he, as he rose from below, did not fill the space between heaven and earth with light, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he filled the angels with overflowing joy. For if “there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15, verse 7), then since he caught whole crowds at his very first address, does he not fill the Powers above with joy?

What am I saying? It is enough for Paul only to be named, and the heavens leap for joy. For if, when the Israelites “went out of Egypt, the mountains skipped like rams” (Psalm 114, verse 4), how great, do you think, was the joy when human beings went up from earth to heaven!

Verse 24: For this reason, “to remain in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.” [g]

What excuse is left to us, then? It often happens that a man who has a small, poor city chooses not to move to another place, because he prefers his own ease. Paul could have departed to Christ and would not — Christ, whom he longed for so much that for his sake he would choose even hell — but he stayed on in the contest for the sake of humankind. What excuse will we have? May we even so much as mention Paul? Look at his deeds.

He showed that to depart was better, persuading himself not to grieve. He showed them that if he remained, he remained for their sake, and that it did not come from the wickedness of those who were plotting against him. He also added the reason, to secure their belief. For if this is necessary, he says, I will certainly remain; and I will not simply “remain,” but “remain with you.” For this is the meaning of the words “and I will remain with you”: that is, I will see you.

For what purpose? “For your progress and joy in the faith.” Here too he rouses them to take heed to themselves. He says: “If I remain for your sakes, see that you do not bring shame on my remaining. For your progress I have chosen to remain, when I was about to see Christ. I have chosen to remain because my presence advances both your faith and your joy.”

What then? Did he remain for the sake of the Philippians only? He did not stay for their sake only; but he says this to show his regard for them. And how were they to “progress” in “the faith”? So that you may be made stronger, like young birds that need their mother until their feathers are grown. This is a proof of his great love. In the same way we too rouse some of you when we say, “For your sake I have stayed, to make you good.”

Verse 26: “So that your boasting may abound in Christ Jesus in me, through my presence with you again.” [h]

You see that this explains the words “remain with you.” Look at his humility. Having said, “for your progress,” he shows that it was for his own profit too. He does the same when he writes to the Romans and says, “That is, that we may be comforted together among you” (Romans 1, verses 11 and 12), having said just before, “That I may share with you some spiritual gift.” And what does “that your boasting may abound” mean? This boasting was their being established in the faith, for an upright life is boasting in Christ.

And do you say, “your boasting in me, through my presence with you again”? He answers: “Yes. ‘For what is our hope, or crown of boasting? Is it not you?’ (First Thessalonians 2, verse 19). For ‘you are our boast, just as we also are yours’ (Second Corinthians 1, verse 14) — that is, so that I may be able to rejoice in you greatly.” How do you say, “that your boasting may abound”? “I may boast the more when you make progress.”

“Through my presence with you again.” What then? Did he go to them? Look into it yourselves, whether he went. [i]

Verse 27: “Only let your way of life be worthy of the good news of Christ.” Do you see how everything he has said tends to turn them toward this one thing, progress in virtue? “Only let your way of life be worthy of the good news of Christ.” What does this word “only” mean, except that this, and nothing else, is the one thing we should seek? If we have this, nothing painful will happen to us.

“So that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs.” He does not say this as though he had changed his plan and no longer meant to visit them. But if this comes about, he says, even though absent I can rejoice — “if,” that is, “I hear that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul.” This above all unites believers and keeps love unbroken: “that they may be one” (John 17, verse 11). For “a kingdom divided against itself will not stand” (Mark 3, verse 24). That is why he everywhere urges his disciples strongly to be of one mind. And Christ says, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13, verse 35). That is to say: do not look expectantly to me, and so doze off waiting for my coming, and then lose heart when you do not see me coming. For even from a report I can take pleasure just the same.

What does “in one spirit” mean? By the same gift of grace, namely that of harmony and zeal. For the Spirit is one, and he shows it; for we are able to stand in “one soul” too when we all have “one Spirit.” See how the word “one” is used for harmony. See how their souls, though many, are called one. So it was in the old days: “For they were all,” it is written, “of one heart and of one soul” (Acts 4, verse 32). [j]

“Striving together for the faith of the good news.” Does he mean striving together for one another, as though the faith itself were striving? Were they wrestling against each other, then? No; what he says is, help one another in your striving for the faith of the good news.

Verse 28: “And not frightened in anything by your opponents, which is to them a clear sign of destruction, but to you of salvation.”

He did well to say “frightened”: this is what comes to us from our enemies — they only frighten. “In nothing,” then, he says, whatever happens, whether dangers or plots. For this is the mark of those who stand upright: the enemy can do nothing but frighten. Since they were likely to be greatly troubled when Paul was suffering such countless ills, he says: I urge you not only not to be shaken, but not even to be frightened — or rather, to despise them heartily. For if this is how you feel, you will at once, by this very thing, make plain both their destruction and your salvation. For when they see that with their countless plots they cannot frighten you, they will take it as a proof of their own destruction.

When the persecutors do not prevail over the persecuted, nor the plotters over those they plot against, nor the powerful over those under their power, will it not be self-evident that their destruction is at hand, that their power is nothing, that their side is false, that their side is weak? “And this,” he says, “comes from God.”

Verse 29: “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake.” [k]

Again he teaches them to think modestly of themselves, by referring everything to God and saying that sufferings on behalf of Christ are of grace — the gift of grace, a free gift. So do not be ashamed of the gift of grace. It is more wonderful than the power to raise the dead or to work miracles; for there I am a debtor, but here I have Christ for my debtor. That is why we ought not only not to be ashamed, but even to rejoice that we have this gift. He calls virtues gifts, yet not in the same sense as other things. Those are entirely from God, but in these we have a share. But since even here the greatest part is from God, he ascribes it entirely to him — not to overturn our free choice, but to make us humble and rightly disposed.

Verse 30: “Having the same struggle that you saw in me” — that is, you also have an example. Here again he lifts them up by showing them that everywhere their contests were the same as his and their struggles the same as his, both in their own separate trials and in their sharing his trials with him. He did not say, “you have heard,” but “you saw,” for he had struggled at Philippi too. Truly this is an extraordinary virtue.

That is why, writing to the Galatians too, he said, “Did you suffer so many things in vain — if indeed it was in vain?” (Galatians 3, verse 4). And again, writing to the Hebrews, he said, “But remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through insults and afflictions” (Hebrews 10, verses 32 and 33). And writing again to Macedonians — that is, to the Thessalonians — he said, “For they themselves report about us what kind of welcome we had among you” (First Thessalonians 1, verse 9). And again, “For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters, our coming to you, that it was not in vain” (First Thessalonians 2, verse 1). And in the same way he bears witness to the same things in them all: labors and struggles.

But you will not find such things among us now; now it is a great deal if someone suffers a little in his property alone. And with regard to their property, too, he bears witness to great things of them. To some he says, “For you joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions” (Hebrews 10, verse 34); and to others, “For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor” (Romans 15, verse 26); and “your zeal has stirred up very many of them” (Second Corinthians 9, verse 2).

Do you see the praise given to the people of that time? But we cannot bear so much as slaps or blows, or insult, or the loss of our possessions. They were zealous at once, and all of them struggled like martyrs, while we have grown cold in our love toward Christ. [l]

Again I am compelled to find fault with things as they are now. And what am I to do? It is against my will, yet I am compelled. If by keeping silent about what is being done — by holding my peace and not mentioning anything — I could remove these things, I ought to be silent. But if the opposite happens, if these things are not only not removed by our silence but even grow worse, we are forced to speak. For the one who rebukes sinners, if he accomplishes nothing else, at least does not let them go further. There is no soul so shameless and reckless that it will not turn and ease off the excess of its evil deeds when it hears someone rebuking it continually. There is — there truly is — even in the shameless a small portion of shame.

For God has sown the seeds of shame in our nature. Since fear was not enough to bring us into a right condition, he has also prepared many other ways of avoiding sin: for example, being accused, fear of the established laws, love of reputation, the desire to make friends. All these are paths to avoiding sin. Often what was not done for God’s sake was done out of shame; what was not done for God’s sake was done for fear of men. What we are seeking, in the first place, is not to sin; and afterward we will succeed in doing this for God’s sake. Otherwise, why did Paul urge those who were to overcome their enemies, not by the fear of God, but by the prospect of the vengeance to come? “For by doing this,” he says, “you will heap coals of fire on his head” (Romans 12, verse 20). For his first wish is that our virtue be established.

As I said, then, there is a sense of shame in us. We have many good natural feelings that lead to virtue. For example, all of us human beings are naturally moved to pity; indeed, no other good thing is so rooted in our nature as this one alone. So one might reasonably ask why these seeds above all others have been sown in our nature, the ones by which we melt at tears, are turned to compassion, and are ready to pity. No one is naturally idle, no one is naturally careless of his reputation, no one is naturally above rivalry; but pity lies deep in everyone’s nature, however fierce and harsh he may be. And no wonder: we pity even animals, so great an abundance of pity lies deep in us. If we see a lion’s cub, we are somewhat moved; how much more in the case of one of our own race! Look how many maimed people there are! That alone is enough to lead us to pity. Nothing pleases God so much as mercy.

That is why the priests, the kings and the prophets were anointed with it. In oil they had a type of God’s love for humankind, and they learned besides that rulers should have a greater share of mercy. It showed that the Spirit is to come to people through mercy, since God pities humankind and is kind to them. For “you have mercy on all,” it is written, “for you can do all things” (Wisdom 11, verse 23). For this reason they were anointed with oil. And indeed it was out of mercy that he established the priesthood. Kings too were anointed with oil; and if anyone wants to praise a ruler, he can mention nothing so fitting for him as mercy. For pity is the special mark of power. [n]

Consider that the world was established by pity, and then imitate your Lord. “A human being’s mercy is toward his neighbor, but the mercy of the Lord is on all flesh” (Sirach 18, verse 13). How “on all flesh”? Whether you mean sinners or righteous people, we all need the mercy of God; we all enjoy it, whether it is Paul, or Peter, or John. And listen to their own words; there is no need of mine. For what does this blessed man say? “But I received mercy, because I acted in ignorance” (First Timothy 1, verse 13). What then? Was there no need of mercy afterward? Hear what he says: “But I labored more abundantly than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (First Corinthians 15, verse 10). And of Epaphroditus he says, “For indeed he was ill, close to death; but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but on me also, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow” (Philippians 2, verse 27).

And again he says, “We were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, we ourselves had the sentence of death within ourselves, so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who rescued us from so great a death, and will rescue us” (Second Corinthians 1, verses 8, 9 and 10). And again, “And I was rescued from the mouth of the lion; and the Lord will rescue me” (Second Timothy 4, verses 17 and 18). Everywhere we will find him boasting of this: that he was saved by mercy. [p]

Peter too became so great because mercy was shown him. Listen to Christ saying to him, “Satan has desired to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22, verses 31 and 32). John too became so great through mercy, and, in short, all of them. Listen to Christ when he says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15, verse 16). For we all need the mercy of God, as it is written, “The mercy of God is on all flesh.” But if these men needed the mercy of God, what should one say of the rest?

For why, tell me, does he “make the sun rise on the evil and the good”? If he held back the rain for one year, would he not destroy everyone? And what if he sent overwhelming rain? What if he rained down fire? What if he sent flies? But what am I saying? If he were to do as he once did, would not all perish? If he were to shake the earth, would not all perish? Now is the time to say, “What is man, that you are mindful of him?” (Psalm 8, verse 4). If he only threatened the earth, all people would become one tomb. “Like a drop of water from a bucket,” it is written, “so are the nations in his sight; they will be counted as the finest dust, like the tipping of a scale” (Isaiah 40, verse 15). It would be as easy for him to destroy all things and make them again as it is for us to tip a scale.

He, then, who has such power over us, and sees us sinning every day, and yet does not punish us — how is it but by mercy that he bears with us? Even the animals exist by mercy: “You, Lord, will preserve both people and animals” (Psalm 36, verse 7). He looked on the earth and filled it with living things. And why? For your sake! And why did he make you? Out of his goodness.

There is nothing better than oil. It is the source of light, and there too it is the source of light. “Then your light will break forth like the dawn” (Isaiah 58, verse 8), says the prophet, if you show pity to your neighbor. And as natural oil holds light, so mercy — almsgiving — grants us a great and marvelous light. [q]

Paul too speaks much of this mercy. In one place, hear him say, “Only that we should remember the poor” (Galatians 2, verse 10). And in another, “If it is fitting for me to go also” (First Corinthians 16, verse 4). And everywhere, turn where you will, you see him anxious about this very thing. And again, “And let our people also learn to devote themselves to good works” (Titus 3, verse 14). And again, “These things are good and profitable for people” (Titus 3, verse 8).

Listen to someone else who says, “Almsgiving rescues from death” (Tobit 12, verse 9). If you take away pity, “Lord, Lord, who will stand?” (Psalm 130, verse 3); and it is said, if you “enter into judgment with your servant” (Psalm 143, verse 2). “A great thing is a human being” — why?

“And an honorable thing is a merciful man” (Proverbs 20, verse 6, in the Greek Old Testament). For this is the true character of a human being: to be merciful — or rather, it is the character of God to show mercy. Do you see how strong the mercy of God is? This made all things, this formed the world, this made the angels: it was all through sheer goodness. For this reason, too, he threatened hell, so that we might reach the kingdom; and it is through mercy that we do reach the kingdom. For why did God, when he was alone, create so many beings? Was it not through goodness? Was it not through love for humankind? If you ask why this or that thing exists, you will always find your answer in goodness. [s]

Let us show mercy to our neighbors, so that mercy may be shown to us. These acts of mercy we do not so much show to them as store up for ourselves against that Day. When the flame of the fire is great, this oil, mercy, is what puts out the fire; and it brings us light as well. So by this means we will be set free from the fire of hell. For on what ground will he be compassionate and show mercy? Mercy comes from love!

Nothing angers God so much as pitilessness. “A man was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents, and he was moved with compassion and forgave him. And a fellow servant owed that man a hundred denarii, and he seized him by the throat. So the master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay what was owed.” Hearing this, let us be merciful to those who are in our debt, whether for money or for sins.

Let no one hold on to the memory of wrongs — at least if he does not want to harm himself; for he does not hurt the other man so much as he harms himself. For either he will pursue the other with vengeance, or he has not done so; but you — while you do not forgive your neighbor his sins, are you seeking a kingdom? So that this does not happen to us, let us forgive everyone — for it is ourselves we are pardoning — so that God may forgive us our sins, and so we may obtain the good things in store, through the grace and love for humankind of Jesus Christ our Lord, with whom be glory, power and honor to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.