Growing up just north of Detroit, I attended a high school with unique team colors: brown and yellow. Not only that, but our mascot, a highlander, wore a skirt! You can imagine the reaction of many of our rivals. To them these choices didn’t make sense and were used as a regular means of mockery and disrespect. Nevertheless, I loved my school and proudly wore the colors that displayed my loyalty. The reaction of rivals to my school’s colors reminds me a bit of the world’s reaction to the message of the cross. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul says, “… we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles… God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Cor 1:13, 27). So, how do we interact with those who consider the gospel foolish and respond with opposition, contempt, or even anger? Is there a biblical, Christlike directive to follow?

As Paul comes to the end of his letter to his Philippian brothers and sisters, he reminds them of a series of essential attitudes. The Philippian church is suffering persecution and hardship for their commitment to Christ and the apostle reminds them to be like-minded and joyful. Furthermore, according to Philippians 4:5, he reminds them to be gracious. The Holman Christian Standard Bible renders the verse in the following fashion:

Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.

At the heart of this verse and Paul’s reminder is the word the HCSB translates graciousness. William Barklay, the great Greek historian, states that this word is “one of the most untranslatable of all Greek words.” Another commentator has said that it “is difficult to translate with its full connotation … no single word is adequate.” Various translations – both literal equivalence and dynamic equivalence – render the word as reasonableness, moderation, gentleness, unselfishness, forbearance, and graciousness, among other terms. Again, Barklay indicates that the original Greek word includes going beyond the letter of the law and communicates “justice and something better than justice.” Clearly, taking all these terms and renderings into consideration, we can conclude that the term is the opposite of being contentious and self-seeking. 

Practically, graciousness is to function in an illustrative way - an attitude of selflessness that is always outward focused and obvious to all. If this is true, certainly this attitude should be evident in our Savior’s earthly ministry, right? Yes, and it absolutely is. It is an integral part of His teaching and His passion. A few examples might be helpful in demonstrating the importance of graciousness in Jesus’ life. First, as Jesus taught about the character of kingdom citizens, He called His hearers to a selfless attitude that demonstrates inexplicable mercy, radical generosity, and surprising meekness (Matt 5:38-42). Further, Jesus dramatically taught the smug religious elite that graciousness reaches beyond the plain letter of the Law (Jn 8:3-11). A woman had been caught in the act of adultery and according to the Law of Moses, justice demanded her to be stoned to death (Deut 22:21-22). Yet Jesus gave her “justice and something better than justice.” His reasonableness extended forgiveness and expected just repentance by commanding her to “go, and … sin no more” (Jn 8:11). But most profoundly, Jesus exhibited gentle graciousness during His passion. Despite being the sovereign King of the universe, He demonstrated graciousness though suffering (Phil 2:5-8). Though He was entirely innocent, He remained silent (Is 53:3-7). And although He was wronged, He forgave (Lk 23:34-35). The gentle graciousness of Jesus, the suffering Servant, precludes a dismissive attitude toward graciousness, for our Master said, “… ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you …” (Jn 15:20). Regardless of what form opposition to the cross might take, our graciousness is to be known to everyone. It is to be extended to those who sin, those who differ, those who oppose the truth, those who are angry … all who need Jesus!

Paul’s reminder in Philippians 4:5 ends with a comforting and reassuring remark: “The Lord is at hand.” How Jesus and, by extension, Paul call us to live is with an attitude that runs against our fleshly desires and self-preservational urges. Paul’s words cut through the excuses that often accompany our reaction to Jesus’ commands. It reminds us that our Lord and Savior is also our omnipotent and omnipresent King. The Lord is standing near us and is coming soon. We need not be anxious or crumble under the weight of contempt or criticism. “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Ps 34:18). May He find us looking like Him and looking for Him! 

Psalm 145:14-21 (ESV) - “The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.”