The Great Reversal

Rebecca Sheridan
Sunday, October 8, 2023
Philippians 3:4-14

Growing up, my grandparents listened to a lot of Johnny Cash.  Even though I’m not generally a fan of country music, I do like Johnny Cash – his music brings back fond childhood memories.  When I read this passage from Paul in our reading from Philippians this morning, I can’t help but recall Johnny Cash’s 2003 cover of a Nine Inch Nails song by Trent Reznor called, “Hurt.”  Here are just a few lines: “What have I become, my sweetest friend?  Everyone I know goes away in the end.  And you could have it all, my empire of dirt, I will let you down, I will make you hurt.”  Johnny Cash was 71 years old and died seven months after recording this music video.   Johnny Cash is known as one of the best performing music artists of all time, but he was also known as a troubled yet devout Christian.  He performed at Billy Graham Crusades regularly and wrote a Christian novel, Man in White, in 1986.  Like so many famous people, he struggled with the pressures of fame and fortune including famously marrying June Carter after a broken marriage and dealing with drug and alcohol addictions.  It is powerful that someone so great recognized all he had to be an empire of dirt – rubbish, as Paul puts it.  He recognized as a Christian that human beings let people down and hurt people, even people trying to be good Christians.  Fame and fortune is temporary, but our faith in Christ is eternal.
“Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ,” Paul says.  Especially when it comes to living the second half of life fully as a Christian, we might look at what we have done with our lives and what we have a little differently.  What seemed to be so important earlier in life isn’t.  Faith in Christ helps us get our priorities straight.  In our second reading for today, Paul looks back at his own life saying he has all kinds of reasons to be confident in the flesh -- that is from a human or worldly point of view.  He was a faithful Jew, a righteous, and well-known leader.  And yet none of that matters because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord, Paul says.  Everything else is rubbish – an empire of dirt.  So this year marks my fifth year living in Syosset, and it’s fair to recognize that the pull of the world is strong here in our community!  We may not care about fame or even fortune but we do dress to impress.  We maybe bought that luxury car or Tesla to show off our wealth and status or how much we’re saving the planet with our electric cars.  We’re surrounded by people that tell us that our success in the eyes of the world is what is most important, but Paul says…rubbish.  What is most important? Knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection!  
So Paul continues the story of the great reversal in Christ – that in Jesus humbling himself on the cross, in death, he is exalted and we somehow gain everything.  In the logic of the world, it doesn’t make sense, but as we grow in faith, we learn to look at things differently.  In reexamining our priorities, we place more value in Christ’s humility and service than in status, power, and prestige.  We learn to rely on Christ and his righteousness rather than our own impressive resumes.  
Jesus’ gospel in Matthew today is another convicting parable.  The brokenness of humanity mistreats and abuses all of God’s good gifts to us.  We have polluted creation. We have misused our bodies through various addictions. We have taken for granted the gift of life itself, even crucifying God’s own son.  We are broken, it is clear, as the government limps along at the brink of a shutdown and mired by corrupt, self-seeking politicians on the left and the right; as we worry about our efforts to keep our church going and see the decline of churches across the country; as we struggle simply know the right thing to do and recognize in ourselves the inability to always do that right thing.  We hurt ourselves; we hurt others.  The builders reject the cornerstone, and yet in Christ’s rejection and death somehow God redeems us despite ourselves, thanks be to God.  We lay all that we have down at the foot of the cross, and ask God to give us the strength to see beyond our worldly desires for success, popularity, and praise and cling to the cross of Christ.
In my last call, I had the privilege of being pastor to a retired pastor in my congregation.  Unfortunately, her husband died rather suddenly and it was one of those examples of a person who was just lost without her spouse.  Her health declined fairly rapidly and she also died within two years of her husband’s death.  She was a good pastor; her congregations loved her.  She was a joy to visit as she could really talk theology with me.  It was fun to hear about her stories as a pastor earlier in her life.  But I also had a powerful conversation with her that I will never forget.  She asked simply, “Do you think God still loves me?”  And I could respond simply, “Yes, God does still love you.”  As a trailblazing woman in ordained ministry, she had enjoyed her share of power and prestige that comes with the title of Pastor.  And yet as she struggled to cope with her failing health and loss of her husband, she needed to hear, like everyone does, no matter who you are – Johnny Cash, John Doe on the street, Pastor or part-time janitor – Jesus loves you.  Jesus died for you.  She wanted to know Christ and the power of his resurrection – she who had preached it so many times herself, could not be reminded of this eternal assurance enough.  Everything else, ultimately, is rubbish.  May you also know the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord.  Amen.