Christ Has Found and Redeemed Us through His Blood (Thursday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time, Year II)

What do you make out of the scripture readings of Thursday of the Thirty-First Week in Ordinary Time, Year II, Philippians 3:3-8; Luke 15:1-10? 

Ther First Reading (Philippians 3:3-8), Paul addresses what Christian life is about to the nascent church in Philippi. He says that Christians are περιτομή/peritome), circumcision. This Greek word is derived from περιτέμνω (peritemno = to cut (τέμνω/temno)  around (περί/peri). Here, Paul is using this word not for a physical circumcision but spiritual circumcision to “cut” ourselves “around” carnal matters, which contribute to sins.  This way, Christians do not put confidence in flesh but boast in Christ. 

Here, Paul makes a contrast between “having confidence in flesh” and “boasting in Christ”. In the original Greek text, the former is “ἐν σαρκὶ πεποιθότες/en sarki pepoithotes”and the latter is “καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ/kauchomenoi en Christo Iesou”. Literally, “having confidence in flesh” means “having faith in flesh”, as “πεποιθότες/pepoithotes”(having confidence)  is derived from “πίστις/pistis”, which means “faith”. And “καυχώμενοι/kauchomenoi” means “glorifying” or “exulting”. Therefore, those who are spiritually circumcised glorify Christ and do not put their faith in flesh so that they can cut themselves around temptations from carnal desires. 

Then, Paul confesses:

Circumcised on the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrew parentage, in observance of the law a Pharisee, in zeal I persecuted the church, in righteousness based on the law I was blameless.  But whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know him and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by being conformed to his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:7-11).

Paul describes himself as he was physically circumcised as a Jewish man but not so spiritually as he candidly admits that he had “confidence” in flesh before, though he was blameless according to the Law. Because of this, he persecuted the Church. However, upon his encounter with Christ, namely his conversion (Acts 9:1-19), he has become a new person, spiritually circumcised, as he has become able to cut himself around carnal desires, namely he was born from above into the Holy Spirit (John 3:3), into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3). This new birth of Paul into a life in the Holy Spirit upon his encounter with Christ also means that his previous life under the Law and influence of flesh has been crucified with Christ and finding him living in him (Galatians 2:20). And this is a new life in the Holy Spirit as adopted children of God (Romans 8:1-17).

In connection to the Gospel Reading (Luke 15:1-10), Paul was a lost sheep of Israel. He was wondering blindly under the Law, though he was perfect in its accordance, until Christ found him and brought him to his heard, the apostolic community.  So he became the newest apostle. 

In fact, it was not just Paul, whom Christ finds and brings into the flock of his sheep. As we have encountered Christ and been born from above into the Holy Spirit, we have been adopted as beloved children of God. But, for him to find us, he has redeemed us by shedding his blood on the Cross (i.e. Ephesians 1:17). 

The fourth servant song in the Book of Isaiah (52:13-53:12) reminds us that Christ died to redeem his lost sheep. We have gone astray, like lost sheep, as we have turned to our own ways, and God has laid our inequity on the Son (Isaiah 53:4-6). This means that Christ has found and redeemed those who have been lost through his death on the Cross, as the Good Shepherd, who lays his life down for his beloved sheep, and go find lost sheep that are not yet brought into his herd (i.e. John 10:11-18).

We are, indeed, cut around malicious carnal desires, and born into the Holy Spirit from above, because Christ has found us and redeemed us through his blood as we were lost to sins.