Love Has Bloomed Again

 

A man approached Peter Marshall, chaplain to the US Senate in the late 1940s and said, “I have a problem. I’ve been tithing for some time. It wasn’t too bad when I started out working. I was making $20,000 a year and I could afford to give $2,000. But, you see, Peter, I’m now making $500,000 a year, and there’s just no way I can afford a tithe of $50,000."

When Peter Marshall had thought about it, he said, “Yes, sir, I think you do have a problem. I think what we ought to do is pray right now. Would that be okay?” The man said that it would. So Dr Marshall prayed, “Dear Lord, this man has a problem. I pray that you help him, Lord. I pray that you reduce his salary back to the place where he can afford to tithe.”

Paul is in prison when he writes the book of Philippians. The book is a ‘thank you” letter to them for a gift they have sent to him.  He has lost the freedom to work and minister at the capacity that he once had.  He is anticipating a trial before Nero which could result in his execution. He is a lonely man, deprived of every comfort, with nothing before him but the lion’s mouth or the sword.

Before Paul concludes the letter to the Philippians, he expresses his gratitude to them for their kindness. They have loved him ever since the beginning.  Recently, they had opportunity to share that love with him by sending Epaphroditus with some gifts to meet his needs.  Philippians 4:10-19, is really his thanks for what they sent. The primary intent of these verses is an expression of thanksgiving. 

But beneath the surface of the expression of thanks is the vision of a contented man. The Spirit of God goes deeper to show us something that is profoundly impactful in our own lives.  Here we find a contented man; we find the example of contentment.  The first nine verses of chapter 4 talk about spiritual stability. 

And in verse 9, Paul set himself as the example of that stability when he said, “What you’ve learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things.”  Let me be your example of spiritual stability. Now, in an indirect way, we learn that he is also an example not only of spiritual stability but of contentment. 

He says “I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it”(Phil. 4:10). Paul is in prison but he is “greatly” rejoicing “in the Lord”. He is not just rejoicing but greatly rejoicing. He is not bitter with God; he does not feel neglected by him even if everything seems to suggest so.

He rejoices in his unpleasant situation demonstrating what he has just instructed the Philippians to do. In Philippians 4: 4-7 he said “Rejoice in the Lord always…let your forbearance be known to all men …Do not be anxious about anything…pray in every situation… And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

He continues “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you (Phil. 4:9). Paul’s rejoicing even when death seems imminent is evidence that the “peace of God” and “the God of peace” is with him. He demonstrates that what he is asking them to do, not only works but also produces wonderful results. People believe what they see more than what they hear.

Paul could rejoice greatly even in unpleasant circumstances because he knew that everything was under God’s sovereignty.  And, God is wise (Jude 1:25), his understanding is infinite (Ps.147:5) and his way is perfect (Ps.18:30). Paul knew that that God had allowed him to be in prison for a good reason. In ways that may not have been fully clear to him, all things were working together for his good and for God’s glory.

Therefore he could do what Peter instructed, “those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good (1 Peter 4:19). Elsewhere Paul told the Corinthians “it was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me.Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 

But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weaknesses. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor.12:8-10).

Paul knew that there was an under-wheel in his circumstances. We read in Ezekiel, of a “wheel within a wheel” (Ez. 10: 16). This represents how the Holy Spirit is working in all facets of the life of man to advance the will of God. For a believer God’s decree is the cause of the turning of the wheels and his providence is the inner-wheels that move all the rest. The wheels are sturdy and consistent.

Responding to the gift they had just sent along with Epaphroditus, Paul says “I rejoiced greatly in the Lord”. Here we again see an example of what he wrote in 2Corinthians 9: 11-19. He wrote “you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.

Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. ” Paul’s need is met, his thanksgiving flows upward to God and he prays for them;^“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy” (Phi.1:3-4)

Paul rejoices “in God”, he acknowledges that behind the scene God has caused this to happen. God has supplied his need according to his riches in glory (Phil. 4:19). He has used the Philippians church to accomplish this. True joy can only come from God. He cannot give us peace and joy apart from Himself. Genuine joy is only found “in” him, it does not exist “outside” him.

Paul is grateful that “at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it” (Phil. 4:11). He feels honored that they are thinking of him and that they cared enough to send a gift to him. The word translated here as “renewed” is a beautiful word that means “to bloom again”. It has an image of a flower blossoming again.

That church of Philippi had given Paul repeated gifts; over the years the church continued to support his ministry (Phil 4:15-16). Then something interrupted that pattern. It was not that their concern or desire stopped, but that something interfered with their ability to act on it. It might be that they went through a tough time financially and did not have the money to send.

It may be that they simply lost touch with him; he did move around a lot. Regardless, once the Philippians received word that Paul was under house arrest in Rome, they immediately sent Epaphroditus with money to help. He did not hold that against them and he did not reprimand them for it. He greatly rejoiced when the gift came. Their love had an opportunity to bloom again. 

The phrase “at last” does not refer to impatience on Paul’s part, but rather that after a long time they are now able to give again. There was no panic in his heart. He had a patient confidence in God’s providence. He trusted that God would order the circumstances so his needs could be met. Knowing this truth kept him from anger towards others. He found no need to manipulate people to get what he needed out of them. 

In Galatians 6:9-10 Paul says “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers”. Opportunities are like the flower blooms, they are seasonal.  And if we want to make them count we must take advantage of each God given opportunity to do good to others.

Paul had worked and supported his companions. He told the Ephesians church elders “You know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive(Acts 20:34-35).

Jesus promised  that “if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward” (Matt. 10:42). What could seem more insignificant than giving a person a cup of cold water? In a short time, they will be thirsty again. Yet even such a small gesture will always be remembered and rewarded by God. They shall by no means lose their reward.