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.
It was no mere idea, philosophy, or teaching that was able to impact Paul so deeply. Paul was completely invested in his former way of life, as zealous for it as could be. His whole sense of self, his understanding of his value as a person, was caught up in his identity as a Pharisee who followed the law blamelessly. Nor was it the case that he had simply grown tired with his old way of life or ceased to find satisfaction in it. His life seemed like genuine gain to him. Until, that is, he met Jesus Christ. He discovered in Christ a goodness so intense, real, and living as to relativize everything he thought he knew. Only the resurrected and living Christ could affect so complete a reversal in the life of Paul.
What is it about Jesus that makes him so able to captivate hearts in a way that no one else can? What is it about his very identity that made Paul and so many after him make a complete about face and invest their whole identity in him?
What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them
would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert
and go after the lost one until he finds it?
Jesus makes us desire to give our all to him because he first gave his all for us in a way that no one else ever did or could do. He first emptied himself to come to us. He gave his all for each one of us on the cross. He died for each of us as if we were the only person on earth. His heart, as God, is so large, as to be able to embrace each of us entirely in the fullness of our individuality, with no lack or absence because of his love for others. It is as though we were the only lost sheep, the one among the ninety-nine.
And when he does find it,
he sets it on his shoulders with great joy
We can see that the change that happens in Christians doesn't begin with us. It is something so profound that nothing in us or our circumstances could even explain it. Only that Jesus is the one who takes the initiative, and that knowing him is the "supreme good" can explain. Hence, Paul said "I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own" (see Philippians 3:12).
When the lost sheep are brought home and the lost coins are found we can rejoice with no loss to ourselves. The love of God is so all-encompassing that the love and celebration of another doesn't take away from the love we ourselves we receive. Perhaps today Jesus is calling us to take more joy in this "common good", this celebration of hearts brought back to the Lord. Maybe in such celebrations we can enter a little bit more into the fullness of that celebration for which we all still long.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
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