Daily Thoughts from Philippians (5): The Cat Is in the Cradle – Philippians 1:12-14

The Billboard chart topper of 1974, “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin, has been said to have put more fathers ill at ease than any other song in history.  It talks about a dad who keeps putting off the priority of his son only to find in later years that his son no longer sees him as a priority.  His opportunity of a real relationship has been lost and his poor priority has been passed on.  What seemed so important, working to provide for his family, has come at the sacrifice of what his family most deeply needed.

Messed up priorities.  That is what Paul is dealing with in the Philippian church and what he is most at pains with to help them change.

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (Philippians 1:12-14, ESV) 

Paul has prayed that the love the Philippians have will grow in knowledge so that they make excellent loving choices.  Now he seeks to add needed knowledge to their love by explaining that rather than hurting the advance of the gospel, his imprisonment has really served to advance it.  Paul’s use of that word “really” indicates that the message that has been advanced at Philippi is that Paul and the gospel are in danger with this imprisonment.  That may be true of Paul, but it is not true of the gospel.

The evidence, if they need it, is that the whole imperial guard, those who have been assigned to guard Paul until his trial, have come to know that he is in this situation for the cause of Jesus the Messiah.  And not only that, but the majority of those who are already believers have become more fearless in proclaiming the gospel.  Isn’t it interesting that when we see others willing to suffer for the gospel, it makes us more bold to do the same.

The love of the Philippians for Paul has undoubtedly made them worried for him but also worried for the sake of the gospel they have been partnering with him to advance.  But the gospel is bigger than any one man or woman and God is able to use even persecution to result in more people hearing and believing the good news.  The advance of the gospel is the main thing.  Nay, the only thing.  If the Philippians are going to let their love be informed with all discernment, they need to discern that the progress of the gospel is the top priority, even over the well-being of their beloved Paul.

By making the sending of money to Paul all about rescuing the apostle and the gospel, though it would seem that is prioritizing the advance of the gospel, it is doing just the opposite.  Paul will show that the gospel is much more prioritized when we believers are in unity behind it.  And that is exactly what the Philippians have failed to recognize.  If anything is endangering the gospel it is their fighting about sending Paul money.

Are we making the advance or progress of the influence of the gospel our number one priority?  Are we seeking first God and His kingdom?  Are we taking up our cross and following Jesus daily?  Are we trying to save our lives or losing them for Christ’s sake?  These are all ways of asking the same thing.  What is our top priority?  For Paul, the only priority was the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaiming the truth about him to the world, even when he was in prison, even when his life was on the line.  He had lost his life for Christ’s sake.

I think we need a song like Cats In the Cradle to put us ill at ease about our lack of prioritizing the gospel.  I have seen too many churches fail to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the consequent damage that has been done to our witness for Christ.  Lord, save us!

Discussion Questions for Small Groups

1. If you were a car, what sort of car would you be?
2. How would you describe your priorities in life?
3. According to Paul, what priority have the Philippians lost sight of?
4. Would you have been swayed by the argument that Paul’s imprisonment meant the gospel was being threatened?
5. What have you mistakenly made a priority that actually hurt rather than helped the cause of Christ?
6. If you were to write a “Cat’s in the Cradle” song for Christian unity using this passage, what would some of the lines be?