What happens when one “considers all things rubbish, and thus gains Christ, being found in him” is eternal life! And there is nothing more precious, more desirable or more worthy of our whole attention than where we are going to spend eternity!
Peter, Paul, the rest of the Apostles and so many Fathers of the Church tell us over and over again to set our sights on heaven and to keep them there - our whole lives long and then everything else falls into place.
But this “falling into place” may not look like what we think it ought to look like. “Falling into place” means falling into God’s purpose, falling into God’s plan, falling into God’s execution of that plan. God is still very much in the business of bringing about our very salvation! There is nothing more important to him than our salvation. The salvation is from the ruinous and destructive power of the Evil one who is doing everything in his power to distract us, dissuade us, and convince us that there is an easier and softer way! But Jesus says NO! Take up your Cross! There is no easier softer way!
The radical nature of discipleship - which leads to Life - is required. If one really is radically oriented towards Jesus and his words and his way - then there will be opposition by any and all who are not blessed with the clarity of vision that this radical commitment allows. It happened to Jesus, it will happen to us! Family members, friends, co-workers may look very strangely at any who even bring up the topic of God in any way - and if we are not totally committed to Christ, then we might be dissuaded from holding fast to our convictions - and from speaking them out in spite of the opposition!
This is the fire that Jesus is speaking about in the gospel passage! both a fire that purifies and a fire that heals. His own Passion and Death is a fire that he had to endure, but it brought about great healing and reconciliation: and was the opportunity for the new fire of the Holy Spirit (which would come later) which helps, and guides and heals and makes the clarity possible! In the Holy Spirit, the yoke is easy and the burden is light, but they are not taken away!
St. Paul tells the Romans today that, now that they have been baptized, they (and we) are “slaves of God” as opposed to “slaves of sin.” But more than slaves of God, we are children of God. Real, true, children of God. He is our Father! Jesus is our Brother and we live in them. All of our thoughts, words and actions can really and truly reflect that connection and that indwelling - if we but “consider all things else as rubbish” (as St. Paul did), and let our days be filled with hope: hope in the Lord, hope in the possibility of a better world, hope in the reality of eternal happiness that awaits all who are faithful to the Gospel message of Jesus Christ!
Amen.
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