Homily 14 — Philippians 4, verses 4 to 9

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your consideration be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition 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 thoughts through Christ Jesus.” [a]

“Blessed are those who mourn,” and “Woe to those who laugh” (Matthew 5, verse 4; Luke 6, verse 25), says Christ. How, then, does Paul say, “Rejoice in the Lord always”? When Christ said, “Woe to those who laugh,” he meant the laughter of this world, which comes from the things of the present. And he blessed those who mourn — not simply those who mourn the loss of relatives, but those who are pierced to the heart, who mourn their own faults and take account of their own sins, or even the sins of others. This joy is not opposed to that grief; it is born from that very grief. For the one who grieves over his own faults and confesses them rejoices. Besides, it is possible to grieve for our own sins and still rejoice in Christ.

They were distressed by their sufferings — “for it has been granted to you not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him” (Philippians 1, verse 29) — and that is why he says, “Rejoice in the Lord.” This can only mean: live the kind of life that lets you rejoice. Or: when your fellowship with God is not hindered, rejoice. Or else the word “in” may stand for “with,” as if he had said, with the Lord. “Always; again I will say, Rejoice.” These are the words of someone bringing comfort. For instance, the one who is in God always rejoices. Yes, even if he is afflicted, yes, whatever he may suffer, such a man always rejoices. Listen to what Luke says: “They returned from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to be flogged for his name” (Acts 5, verse 41). If flogging and chains, which seem the hardest things of all, bring forth joy, what else will be able to cause us grief?

“Again I will say, Rejoice.” He was right to say it twice. Since the nature of their circumstances produced grief, he shows by repeating it that they should rejoice at all costs.

“Let your consideration be known to everyone.” Earlier he had said, “whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame,” and that they “set their minds on earthly things” (Philippians 3, verse 19). It was likely that they would be at odds with the wicked. So he urged them to have nothing in common with them, and yet to treat them with all consideration — and not only their brothers and sisters, but their enemies and opponents too.

“The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything.” Why so, tell me? Do they ever rise up against you? And if you see them living in luxury, why are you distressed? The judgment is already near; shortly they will give an account of what they have done. Are you in distress, and they in luxury? But these things will soon come to an end. Do they plot against you and threaten you? “Do not be anxious about anything.” The judgment is already at hand, when all this will be reversed. “Do not be anxious about anything.” Even if you are well disposed toward those who plan evil against you, it will still not turn out to their profit in the end. The recompense is already at hand — if poverty, if death, if anything else terrible has come upon you.

“But in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Here is one consolation: “The Lord is near.” And again: “I will be with you always, even to the end of the world” (Matthew 28, verse 20). Here is another consolation, a medicine that heals grief and distress and everything painful. And what is it? Prayer, and thanksgiving in everything. So he wants our prayers to be not simply requests, but thanksgiving too for what we already have. For how can someone ask for what is to come if he is not thankful for what is past?

“But in everything by prayer and petition.” So we ought to give thanks for everything, even for the things that seem hard; that is the mark of a truly thankful person. In the other case, the nature of the things themselves calls for thanks; but this springs from a grateful soul, one warmly devoted to God. God recognizes these prayers, but the others he does not know. Offer up the kind of prayers he will recognize; for he arranges everything for our good, even when we do not know it. And the very fact that we do not know it is a proof that it does us great good. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.” What does this mean?

“The peace of God,” which he has brought about toward human beings, surpasses all understanding. For who could have expected, who could have hoped, that such good things would come? They go beyond all human understanding, not merely human speech. For his enemies, for those who hated him, for those who had resolved to turn away from him — for these he did not refuse to give up his only Son, so that he might make peace with us. This peace, then — that is, the reconciliation, the love of God — will guard your hearts and your thoughts. [c]

For it is a teacher’s part not only to urge, but also to pray, and to help by petition, so that his people may neither be overwhelmed by trials nor carried off course by deceit. It is as if he had said: May he who delivered you in a way the mind cannot grasp, may he himself guard you and keep you secure, so that you suffer no harm. Either he means this, or else that peace of which Christ says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14, verse 27). This will guard you, for this peace goes beyond all human understanding. How? When he tells us to be at peace with our enemies, with those who wrong us, with those who are at war and at odds with us — is that not beyond human understanding?

But let us rather keep to the first meaning. If the peace surpasses all understanding, much more does God himself, who gives the peace, surpass all understanding — not ours only, but that of the angels and the powers above as well. What does “in Christ Jesus” mean? He will guard us in him, so that you may stand firm and not fall away from faith in him.

Verse 8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is honorable, whatever is true, whatever is just.” What is “Finally”? It stands for “I have said everything.” It is the word of someone in a hurry, who has nothing to do with present things. [d]

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is honorable, whatever is true, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things.” Verse 9: “The things you both learned and received, and heard and saw in me.”

What does “whatever is lovely” mean? Lovely to the faithful, lovely to God. “Whatever is true.” Virtue is truly true; vice is a lie. For its pleasure is a lie, its glory is a lie, and all the things of the world are a lie. “Whatever is pure.” This is set against the words “who set their minds on earthly things.” “Whatever is honorable.” This is set against the words “whose god is their belly.” “Whatever is just” — that is, he says, “whatever is of good report.” “If there is any virtue, if there is any praise.” Here he wants them to give thought also to the things that concern other people. “Think on these things,” he says. Do you see that he wants to banish every evil thought from our souls? For evil actions spring from thoughts.

“The things you both learned and received.” This is how he teaches: in all his exhortations he puts himself forward as a model, as he says in another place, “just as you have us for an example” (Philippians 3, verse 17). And again here: “What you learned and received” — that is, were taught by word of mouth — “and heard and saw in me,” both in my words and in my actions and way of life. Do you see how he lays these commands on us about everything? It was not possible to list everything precisely — our coming in and going out, our speech, our bearing, our dealings with others, for a Christian must give thought to all these things — so he said it briefly, as a kind of summary: “you heard and saw in me.” I have led you forward by deeds as well as by words.

“Do these things” — not only in words; do them as well. “And the God of peace will be with you” — that is, you will be in a calm, in great safety; you will suffer nothing painful, nothing against your will. For when we are at peace with him, and we are so through virtue, much more will he be at peace with us. He loved us so much that he showed us favor even against our will. If he sees us hurrying toward him, will he not show his love for us much more? [e]

Nothing is so much the enemy of our nature as vice. It is plain from many things how vice is at war with us, and virtue is our friend. What do you want? Shall I speak of sexual immorality? It makes men objects of reproach, poor, laughingstocks, despised by everyone — just the way enemies treat them. Often it has involved men in disease and danger; many have been killed or wounded over their mistresses. And if sexual immorality produces these things, adultery does so far more. But does almsgiving do this? Not at all. Like a loving mother who raises her son in great decency, in good order and good name, and gives him leisure for the work he must do, almsgiving does not pull us away or lead us off from our necessary work; it even makes the soul wiser. For nothing is more foolish than a mistress.

But what do you want? Shall we look at greed? It too treats us like an enemy. How? It makes us hated by everyone. It sets everyone boasting against us — both those we have wronged and those we have not, for they share the grief of the wronged and fear for themselves. Everyone looks on us as their common enemies, as wild beasts, as demons. Everywhere there are countless accusations, plots against us, envy — all of them the acts of enemies. But justice, on the contrary, makes everyone our friends, everyone sociable, everyone well disposed toward us; everyone prays for us. Our affairs are perfectly safe; there is no danger, no suspicion. Even sleep comes over us without fear, in perfect safety; there is no care, no lamenting. How much better this kind of life is! [f]

And what? Is it better to envy, or to rejoice with one another? Let us examine all these things, and we will find that virtue, like a truly kind mother, sets us in safety, while vice is treacherous and full of danger. Listen to the prophet, who says, “The Lord is a stronghold for those who fear him, and his covenant is to show them” (Psalm 25, verse 14, in the Greek Old Testament). The one who is conscious of no wickedness in himself fears no one. On the contrary, the one who lives in crime is never confident; he trembles before his household servants and eyes them with suspicion. But why do I say his household servants? He cannot bear the court of his own conscience. Not only those outside him, but his own inner thoughts disturb him too, and do not let him rest.

What, then, is Paul saying? That we ought to live hanging on praise? He did not say, look to praise, but do what deserves praise — and yet not for the sake of praise.

“Whatever is true” — for the things we have been speaking of are false. “Whatever is honorable.” What is “honorable” belongs to outward virtue; what is “pure,” to the soul. Give no one cause to stumble, he says, and no handle for an accusation. He had said, “whatever is of good report”; so that you would not think he means only what is so in the eyes of people, he goes on, “if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things” — do these things. He wants us always to be occupied with these things, to care for these things, to think on these things. [g]

For if we are at peace with one another, God too will be with us; but if we stir up war, the God of peace will not be with us. For nothing is so hostile to the soul as vice. That is to say, peace and virtue keep it safe. So we must make a beginning on our part, and then we will draw God toward us.

God is not a God of war and fighting. Put an end to war and fighting — both the war against him and the war against your neighbor. Be at peace with everyone. Consider in what character God saves you.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5, verse 9). Such people always imitate the Son of God; you, too, imitate him. Be at peace. The more your brother wars against you, the greater your reward will be. Listen to the prophet who says, “With those who hated peace I was peaceable” (Psalm 120, verse 7, in the Greek Old Testament). This is virtue; this is beyond human understanding; this brings us near to God. Nothing pleases God so much as holding no grudge. This sets you free from your sins; this cancels the charges against you. But if we are fighting and trading blows, we move far away from God. For enmity is produced by conflict, and from enmity springs the remembering of wrongs. [h]

Cut out the root, and there will be no fruit. In this way we will learn to despise the things of this life. For there is no conflict — none at all — over spiritual things. Whatever you see, whether conflicts or envy or anything else a person can name, all of it springs from the things of this life. Every conflict has its beginning either in greed, or in envy, or in empty glory. So if we are at peace, we will learn to despise the things of the earth.

Has someone stolen our money? He has not harmed us; only let him not steal our treasure that is above. Has he stood in the way of your glory? Not the glory that comes from God, but the kind that counts for nothing. For this is no glory at all, only a mere name of glory — or rather, a disgrace. Has he robbed you of your honor? Not yours, rather, but his own. For just as the one who does wrong does not so much inflict wrong as suffer it, so too the one who plots against his neighbor destroys himself first.

For “whoever digs a pit for his neighbor falls into it” (Proverbs 26, verse 27). So let us not plot against others, or we will harm ourselves. When we undermine the reputation of others, let us remember that we are harming ourselves; it is against ourselves that we plot. Perhaps, if we have the power, we do him harm in the eyes of people; but we harm ourselves in the sight of God by provoking him against us. So let us not harm ourselves. For just as we harm ourselves when we harm our neighbors, so by doing them good we do ourselves good. If, then, your enemy harms you, he has done you good, if you are wise; so do not repay him in kind, but even do him good. [i]

But, you say, “The blow still hurts badly.” Then consider that you are not doing him good but punishing him, and doing yourself good, and you will soon come to do him good. What then? Should we act from this motive? We ought not to act from this motive. But if your heart will not listen to any other reason, win it over, he says, even by this, and you will soon persuade it to let go of its enmity. From then on you will do good to your enemy as to a friend, and you will obtain the good things to come — which may God grant that we all attain in Christ Jesus. Amen.