Jesus' Concerns

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 2:19-21

I am very concerned with my own interests. They are mine for crying out loud. I am focused on paying the mortgage, taking care of my kids, not being a jerk as a husband, doing good work. When it comes to faith, I’m interested to learn more, not be fake, and to grow closer to God. I am interested in others in our church and at least have some sense of my need to make the world a better place.
You probably have some lists like this that inform your life. They are your interests.

What are Jesus the Messiah’s concerns? What are his interests?

This is what Paul has been enjoining the Philippians to enact, continue, and pursue throughout his letter. He is planning to send Timothy to see first hand how they are living together in light of the gospel. In other words, he wants to hear that they are concerned about what interests Jesus.

Jesus is concerned that we would be self sacrificial and generous in our interactions toward one another. Jesus cares about the proclamation of his good news continually being offered to all who would hear. He is concerned that we would be a wisdom informed community of love, different from the world, exposing its inadequate concerns and disordered interests that lead to a fraudulent promises for the soul.

As Christians, it is good to acknowledge the interests and concerns we are navigating, but our prayer is that God’s Spirit will continually transform us to seek what Jesus wants first and in so doing pursue what is best for us as well!

Our Good God,
We confess that we get overwhelmed and distracted by our own interests. It makes us turn inward and become less giving, less patient with others, and less concerned about your concerns. Defeat our selfishness with your patience and turn our hearts toward your perfect way. We ask you, Holy Spirit, to align our interests with yours for the sake of the gospel, the good of the church and the salvation of world. Amen