The Magnanimity in Hospitality

(flash kiam siap slide)

Are you a “kiam siap gui”?

Are you a stingy or miserly person?

When asked to help, do you sheepishly look to one side?

Now, don’t get me wrong, being “kiam siap” and prudent are 2 different things.

A prudent person saves money so that it can be used for a good cause.

A “kiam siap” person saves money for the sake of saving money.

A prudent person cuts unnecessary spending so that money can be better used towards necessary ones.

A “kiam siap” person scrimps and saves down to the last penny, to maximise the money in their bank account.

You get the idea.

(flash Merriam-Webster entry)

In this year of hospitality, are you a “kiam siap” person or a magnanimous person?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines magnanimity as “showing or suggesting a lofty or courageous spirit”.

This comes from a compound of 2 Latin words - Magna, which means great,

And animus - which means heart, or spirit.

I believe in this year of hospitality, God desires us not just to show hospitality,

but to show it with a great heart, with a lofty and courageous spirit.

Not to be “kiam siap” and show hospitable while doing the bare minimum,

but to even rejoice in showing maganimous hospitality.

So how can we do that?

(flash point 1)

First, let us Stand Firm Together.

(flash v1)

“Therefore”, Paul begins v1, addressing the Philippians church in intimate terms,

stand firm thus in the Lord.

(flash vv from Chp 3)

If you have your bibles open, go up to the previous chapter and notice the beginning of Chp 3 also says,

“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.”

Then Paul details his qualifications and ends with an exhortation and encouragement in Philippians 3:17

“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”

Why do we do this? What is our hope in all these?

In the last verses of Philippians 3:20–21 Paul says,

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

(flash v1)

And so it is to this Easter hope the risen Christ,

and to the power of our ascended king who we remembered at Ascension Day yesterday,

and celebrate our church’s 73rd anniversary this coming Sunday,

that we are called by Paul and by the Lord in the most intimate and endearing terms,

stand firm thus in the Lord.

But what does it mean to stand firm in the Lord?

(flash CCS pic)

Social media was abuzz last Sun when the newly-appointed Defence Minister made a surprise visit to MINDEF base at night.

MINDEF is the headquarters of the Ministry of Defence, where Min Chan heads.

Min Chan is known for posting his jogging and cycling pics to Facebook

But it was probably scary to the soldiers on guard duty that night when their boss decided to cycle past his office on one of his casual cycling trips.

For the Duty Officer (DO), Duty Ops Specialist or Sergeant (DOS), and Guard Commander, failing to recognise the Minister of Defence, and giving him trouble like any other civilians who try to be funny at night could get their Commanding Officer (CO) into trouble.

So the vigilant soldiers that Min Chan were talking to needed to be standing firm at their guard posts.

(flash PP 1.27 // 4.1)

Similarly, can we stand firm together in the Lord, ready for any surprise visits from our Lord Jesus Christ?

Are our manner of lives worthy of the gospel of Christ?

Or are there some areas we need to buck up?

Are we practising magnanimous hospitality in big-heartedly welcoming even people who look and behave differently from us?

Or are we doing the bare minimum and practising “kiam siap” hospitality?

And most importantly, can we do it with joy, with love,

calling our fellow brothers and sisters those whom we love and long for,

our joy and or crown?

Or will we be just keeping our professional distance, interacting as and when we need to?

(flash story of bunch of chopsticks)

Because we can stand firm, but apart from one another.

We can say that we are sold out for Jesus,

but we don’t buy what our brother or sister is saying or doing.

And when we stand firm, but apart from one another,

we become weaker, like individual chopsticks standing apart from one another, easier for the enemy to break,

instead of uniting together in one big bunch.

Just like Euodia and Syntyche, we could be so much in disagreement,

that Paul needed to name them and call them to task.

And this leads us into our next point:

(flash point 2)

Seek Peace with One Another

(flash vv2-3)

Euodia and Syntyche were particularly named and urged by Paul to think the same, or to come to an agreement in the Lord.

They were called not just to shake hands and say sorry to one another,

but to have the same sympathetic concern for one another, to have the same mindset,

so that their ministry together with the “true companion” and Clement, and Paul’s other fellow workers will not be affected.

Much ink has been spilled debating the identities of these people.

Were they, as their names as spelled in the Bible, named “Success” and “Lucky”?

Could one of the actually “Lydia”, whom Paul first met when he crossed over to Macedonia in his second missionary journey?

Who was the “true companion” that he asked to help them

What positions did these people occur in the Philippians Church?

And what was the nature of their disagreement?

We are not told, and I think to Paul, those are not the most important things.

The important things are: 1) he desired that both of them be reconciled to one another.

2) they have been labouring with Paul and others in the gospel,

and 3) their names are in the book of life.

So Paul marshalls the “true companion”,

Because Euodia and Syntyche could not reconcile by themselves,

Nor could they simply by the urging and command of the apostle Paul himself,

Paul appeals to the true companion, or in some versions, the yokefellow, to help them.

The Greek word synzygos, which we translate into “companion”, is a powerful one.

It brings to mind a true comrade.

And it is also the word used for “spouse”.

And not just any synzygos, but a true synzygos.

Somebody faithful, dependable, and trustworthy.

Someone who sees the importance of reconciling these women.

Someone who recognises the importance of reconciling these fellow sisters in Christ, whose names are in the book of life.

And someone who understands the consequences the prolonged estrangement of these two sisters will have on the Philippians Church standing firm in the Lord together.

(flash unknown person)

But who could this true synzygos be?

His identity is as much an enigma as Euodia and Syntyche.

Surely the Philippians knew whom Paul was referring to.

But it’s lost in translation to us.

But perhaps the lost is deliberate - meant by the Holy Spirit help us see that we too, can be true companions in the ministry of reconciliation.

Perhaps you have been witness to the souring of relationships between fellow Ascensionnaries.

And perhaps this is the day where God’s Spirit is nudging you to seek and broker peace between the two parties.

And even invite the one who has left COA to return this Sun for our 73rd anniversary celebration.

Or perhaps you know someone who is “kiam siap” on the surface,

and you’ve learnt that this is because deeper down, something has happened that has caused them to behave this way.

Perhaps God’s Spirit is prompting you to be a true companion to seek and broker peace between this person and God and other brothers and sisters.

And you might just be his agent to transform this person from a “kiam siap gui” to a magnanimous and hospitable person led by the Holy Gui, the Holy Spirit.

Or perhaps God is speaking to you yourself to seek peace with other brothers and sisters in Christ.

Maybe like Euodia and Syntyche, you’ve been having a prolonged estrangement with another Ascensionnaire or even a church stuff.

Knowing that we are all citizens of heaven, awaiting the Lord Jesus to transform our lowly bodies to be glorious together, let us agree and have the same mindset in the Lord.

And because the Lord knows that it is not easy, pray and actively seek for a synzygos, a dependable comrade to broker that reconciliation,

so that we can stand firmer together.

Especially in these golden years of your lives, I urge you, just as Paul urged Euodia and Syntyche and the rest of the Philippians,

Seek peace and reconciliation.

Find a true companion who will walk with you and keep you accountable.

He/she may be your spouse, a fellow Ascensionnaire, or even a young family member.

Someone who will not just keep peace, but seek peace,

and be not afraid to call you out on the areas you need God’s help in with regards to relationships with others.

You must give them this permission and openness to speak thus into your life,

and be not afraid, with the Holy Spirit’s help, to confront these things they point out,

so that we all, the Church of Jesus Christ, will stand firm together, in peace.

United we stand, divided we fall.

When we stand firm together, our church family can be used by God to show his radical and magnanimous hospitality.

Because a divided church that tries to stand firm will have difficulties combining resources.

But a united church that tries to stand firm will not only be able to muster the resources to accomplish great things,

but great joy will be seen, not just in the church, but by everyone else outside the family,

because the Lord is near.

And that leads us to our last point:

(flash last point)

Sow Joy to Everyone.

(flash vv4-7)

Paul commands the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord always, or at all times.

And he empathically repeats his injunction to the Philippians to rejoice.

These are powerful words not just meant for us as a reminder to rejoice in God in all situations,

nor as a source of encouragement before we take a test or examination,

but the very words of a man who has been to prison, and likely in prison,

writing to a suffering church where the temptations to mistreat others and to fear were great.

Christian joy is a much needed balm to a hurting world of fear and hurts.

A joy that is beyond just the usual “hello”, or “Chaire” that a Greek speaker would say to another,

the Christian “Chaire” offers a deep-seated hope that is rooted in the resurrected and ascended Christ,

who will come again and transform our lowly bodies into glorious ones,

and take us back to our rightful home.

And we are called not just to rejoice, but also to “let your reasonableness be known to everyone”.

The Greek word “epieikes”, which is translated into reasonableness in the ESV, isn’t just about be tolerant and peacekeeping.

Nor is it the gentleness and courtesy which doesn’t insist on their own right that the NIV renders.

Rather, it is as Gerald F. Hawthrone suggests, “magnanimity”,

having a big heart, a great spirit,

that seeks to peace-seek, rather than peace keep,

that seeks to rejoice, rather than destroy,

and that seeks to stand firm in the Lord, rather than be swayed back and forth by the world.

(flash SAV Day slide)

When Revd Ian sent me an email to inform me that I’ve been appointed to coordinate the SAV Day 2025 planning,

it was with much excitement and trepidation that I took it on.

So far the journey has been challenging.

Cos how do you unite 3 churches of varying dynamics together?

How do you get everyone to talk together as one family unbroken?

One of the first things I did was to just sit down and listen.

Of course I listened to Revd Ian who communicated to me what he expects.

But I also listened to the brother from COR who made things happened in the past 2 SAV days.

I listened to the brother from CHS who shared his feedback and suggestions.

And I listened to my colleagues from COA about what they have encountered,

and how we can make things better.

Although there was the baggage about the unhappy things that has happened,

I was determined to change that and sow joy.

I was determined to forge a path that all 3 parishes would be say that we’ve worked together to achieve this.

Join us on 29 Jun and find out with me if that works.

Pray for me too, as I pray to God, and seek him by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

I am not naive to think that there won’t be any problems.

But my prayer, first and foremost is unity.

And from that unity, God’s peace to flow.

And then from that peace, for joy to show.

(flash vv8-9)

Paul gives some very practical advice to us as we end this segment.

Philippians 4:8–9 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Having a big heart in showing hospitality requires us to not just think about whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable.

Having a great spirit doesn’t assume that there is nothing excellent nor worthy of praise to think about.

But more importantly, it is about a standing firm together with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ,

learning and receiving and hearing and seeing from one another,

and practising these things.

And as we do these things, the God of peace will be with us.

And that peace which surpasses all understanding, all anxieties, all fears, wil guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

And that secure state becomes the base where we can rejoice in the Lord at all times.

As we share our testimonies at our cell groups, in our EF meetings, and in church service,

we encourage one another to press on for the Lord.

As we actively seek to share with one another, to learn from another, and to grow together,

God grows us all into the maturity into the likeness of God.

And as we become true companions who spur one another to love and to good works,

Jesus builds his body, the Church, into the bride who will show his magnanimous hospitality to the world.

(flash summary)

Proverbs 27:17 states, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

Let us stand firm together in the same mindset in the Lord.

Let us seek peace with one another and be true companions that reconcile.

And let us learn, receiving, hear, and see from another,

as we think about and keep on practising whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, and whatever is commendable.

So that we will not be “kiam siap gui” and slow in showing hospitality to one another and to others,

but we will be known as people with big hearts and great spirits,

rejoicing as we show magnanimous hospitality,

and again I say to you, rejoice.