As I continue
meditating on the apostle Paul’s affection for the church as, “my joy and crown,”[1]
and his additional expression of, “For
you are our glory and joy,”[2]I
have enjoyed the feeling of wonder that comes from considering what mattered to
him in relation to Jesus’ return.
I am quite
familiar with the sarky, works-based feeling that we are going to see
disappointment on Jesus’ face at his return. I constantly remind myself of the
good news of the gospel, that salvation, and our present life, and our standing
before Christ at his return, are all about the righteousness of God that is
through faith in Jesus Christ.
Once I put
aside any deceptive and accusing thoughts, I move past the fact that Paul was
confident about the coming of Christ, and see this strangely beautiful thing
that he looked forward to. His joy, and his prize, and his glory, and his
crown, were the people who had come to God through faith in Jesus Christ.
As I consider
this from the viewpoint of what I would mean to Paul in this picture, that he
would consider someone like me to be his treasure and prize because I am a
beloved brother through my shared faith in Jesus Christ, I turn to other
Scriptures to help me both comprehend the wonders of this relationship with God
and his people, but also to give my heart the opportunity to know this
relationship as fully as is possible this side of heaven. This is how God’s
Spirit led me in his word today.
In one of Jesus’
parables, he told of three servants who were each given a sum of money in
trust, and told to work that money for the master’s business.[3]
The master then went away on a long journey, leaving the servants to take care
of things on his behalf.
Upon the
master’s return, he called his servants to give account of how things went for
them. It is here that I gained some greater understanding of what Paul felt by
considering the church his treasure and prize.
Two of the
servants came to the master smiling. They were happy to see their master, and
delighted to show him how they had managed what he had given them. Both were
excited to show that they had doubled what had been left in their charge. The
master responded to both with the wonderful expression of, “’Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a
little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’”[4]
When I bring
together the picture of the servants in this parable, along with Paul’s
expressions of what he considered his, “hope
or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming,”[5]I
see what Paul will bring before Jesus when the Master returns. His “boasting” before his Savior would not
be mere money, as is used as illustration in the parable. Rather, Paul’s
treasure and prize at Jesus coming is expressed as, “Is it not you?”[6]
Once again, I
not only marvel at the confidence Paul felt in view of the return of Christ,
but I am in wonder at his focus on what he prized and treasured. It is us who
are the body of Christ, the one new man, the church, the saints who are set
apart unto God as holy by grace through faith. His joy and crown were the
church. His boasting before Jesus at his return will be, “Master, look at the people I have brought to you!”
I know that
Paul could not look ahead and see someone like me benefiting so much from his God-breathed
writings to the churches. However, I know that I am as much part of Paul’s joy
and crown as anyone in the Philippian church. Paul will welcome me into our
heavenly home as my older brother rejoicing to see another gem added to the
treasured and prized brotherhood of believers gathered before the throne. He
finished his race knowing that there was a prize waiting for him. It was not a
reward for good behavior; it was not a trophy setting him apart as better than
the rest of us.
Rather, it was
his knowledge that he was given responsibility for something in his Master’s
kingdom, and he would show Jesus all the people he had brought into the kingdom
through the glorious gospel entrusted to him. It is no wonder he would tell
Timothy,
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that
Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.[7]
Paul knew he
would receive the crown of righteousness awarded to him on that day, just as to
“all who have loved his appearing.” But
he wanted us to know that he considered us to be his joy and crown now. He
wanted us to enjoy feeling that an older brother looked at the body of Christ,
all the saints, without any favoritism and partiality, and considered us his
hope, and his joy, and his crown of boasting before Jesus Christ at his return.
The parable of
the faithful servants helps us see how Paul rejoiced to multiply the gospel in
heart after heart, and city after city, down through the ages, and how he
prized and treasured the church as his joy and crown.
It also shows that
Paul’s joyful love relationship with the church in this lifetime led him into
the joy of his Master forever. He knew that would be the case. He just wanted
to make sure we would be there with him; and that we would enjoy knowing we
would be there, and how excited he will be to see us when we join him in our
heavenly home.
© 2015 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
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