Philippians 4:11 – The Flip Side of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day – November 24, 2016
“How difficult can it be?” Assuming the task at hand was going to be fairly simple, we’ve
asked that foolish question only to find out that we were drastically wrong. Whether it be
assembling a piece of furniture, teaching a classroom full of students, or changing the oil
in our car, there can be complications along the way, and we find the task was not as easy
as we assumed. We simply underestimated it. That could be the way we approach giving
thanks to God. We think it’s simple. All we have to do is tell Him, “Thanks Lord, I really
appreciate __________.” We fill in the blank with all sorts of people, places, and things,
and then we think to ourselves, “Check. Job done. Mission accomplished.” But it’s a little
deeper than that. This is the part of thanksgiving we often miss. Here’s today’s point: the
“flip side” of our gratitude to God is an attitude of contentment. In that great passage from
Philippians 4, St. Paul says, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”
Holy Scripture teaches us: 1) what Christian contentment is, and 2) why it is important.
We get a clue to what contentment is by remembering the context of these words. This is
one of Paul’s four captivity epistles, written between +AD 59-61 when he was imprisoned
at Rome. The congregation at Philippi was the first church God established in Europe
through Paul. The people there were near and dear to him. They kept in touch through
Epaphroditus and sent a gift for Paul with him. The whole epistle is Paul’s thank you note
in which he tells about his condition and his approaching trial. And he says he is content.
Wouldn’t he rather have been free? Of course. His contentment means, however, that he
accepts the current situation as God’s will and understands that the Lord is present.
What does this mean for us? It means that contentment is more than just being happy about
the circumstances of the present moment. It also involves a lack of greed, desire, or
ambition. All of those attitudes certainly can be problems which lead us to break God’s
commandments by coveting, seeking something that we can’t have. It’s not wrong to be
ambitious and want a promotion at work, but it is wrong to attain it by lying and cheating.
It’s not wrong to want a husband wife, but it is wrong to set your eyes on someone who is
somebody else’s husband or wife. But in the meantime, we trust in the Lord to guide us
through the present situation and strengthen us with His grace. The opposite of
contentment is not so much greed as it is disgruntlement. Think of the Israelites in the
wilderness. God had rescued them through the miraculously-parted waters of the Red Sea.
He fed them with manna and quail. He proved His presence in the pillar of cloud by day
and fire by night. He humbled and tested them to see what was in their hearts, whether
they would keep His commandments or not. So often they failed.
We fail too. The challenges of our life don’t go away simply because it’s a holiday. So we
sit here in church this morning with thoughts on our mind and concerns on our heart. How
do we react: with gratitude or disgruntlement; that is, with contentment or complaining?
Perhaps there’s been a death in the family or a conflict in the family. Perhaps we are
dealing with health uncertainties or financial problems. There’s nothing wrong with
wanting those situations to change for the better. But Christian contentment means we trust
in the Lord to bring a resolution and give us faith and strength in the meantime. Paul says
at the conclusion of this section, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
And those memorable words tell us, secondly, why contentment is important.
Contentment is important because it points us to Jesus our Savior, who loves and blesses
us constantly. Contentment is not a self-attained goal. That would make us Buddhists, who
just follow the Four Noble Truths and the 8-fold path and supposedly have a happy life,
achieving contentment on their own. Rather, contentment is a gift of God. It is a
dimension of faith in the Lord Jesus which rises above the present circumstances and
realizes that the despite all the difficulties and uncertainties we face at any given time, we
have a God who loves and always cares for us. The proof of that is in the nail-scarred
hands of His Son who was content to come into this world, live a humble life, die a
criminal’s death, and rise again in glory so that we can be recipients of God’s grace,
despite the fact that we are ungrateful sinners.
Our Gospel lesson for today is the well known account of the ten lepers. One was thankful;
nine were unthankful for the merciful healing they received at the hands of the Lord. Do
you ever wonder what their lives and attitudes were like one year or five or ten years after
that? Did the nine ever have a sense of gratitude, or did they always go around with a
sense of entitlement? Did the Samaritan stay grateful or did he ever grumble and want
things in his life to be different, forgetting how bad it really was for him. Whenever we
might be tempted to be discontented and grumble about the situation of our life, remember
what it would be like without the Lord. Then give thanks that you have a God who loved
you so much that He sent His own Son to win your salvation. That great love does not
diminish when life gets tough for you. So, by the Spirit’s power, give thanks to the Lord
for He is good, and like Paul learn to be content in all circumstances. God help us. Amen.
Holy Cross Lutheran Church (LCMS) – Moline, IL
Rev. Dr. Wilfred L. Karsten, Pastor