Reasonable Faith in an Unreasonable World

Reasonable Faith in an Unreasonable World

Rorate Coeli, the Fourth Sunday in Advent – 12/21/2025

Philippians 4:4-7

Rev. Dr. Christopher W. Brademeyer

That portion from God’s holy Word for consideration this morning is our Epistle lesson from the Epistle to the Philippians in the fourth chapter with special emphasis on verse five which reads as follows:

                “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.”[1]

Thus far the Scriptures.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” These words from St. Paul come to us here on the last Sunday in Advent in an age of history in which the Christian Church is poised between promise and fulfillment, between longing and arrival. The cry of Rorate Coeli, “Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness,”[2]  is not sentimental or vague. It is a sober prayer spoken by people who know they need saving, who know that righteousness must come from outside themselves.

The world around us often treats Christianity as unreasonable. It is often said that our faith is too dogmatic, too demanding, too tied to ancient texts, too restrictive of personal freedom. Yet Holy Scripture insists otherwise. Christianity is not irrational, arbitrary, or detached from reality. It is reasonable precisely because it is grounded in who God is, what He has promised, and what He has done in Christ. As we wait for Christ’s coming, both His coming in glory and His nearness now, we learn what true Christian reasonableness looks like.

Christianity Is Reasonable

St. Paul exhorts the Philippians: “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.” That final sentence explains everything. Christian reasonableness is not rooted in temperament, personality, or culturally appropriate politeness. It is rooted in eschatology, in the nearness of Christ in His return and in His continued presence amongst His people. The word here we translate reasonable can also mean “moderate,” or “gentle.” The idea is that the reasonable Christian is one who is considerate to all, who does not become inflamed with worry or concern, who is not defined by anxiety or being neurotic. Reasonable, in this sense, means not overreacting to stress or hardship or blowing problems out of proportion. It means not being swept along with every tide of culture or time. Simply put, it means resting securely in the triumphant work and certain promise of Christ.

First, this reasonableness is grounded in the expected return of Christ. “The Lord is at hand.” Christ is near in two ways: He is near sacramentally and presently in His Church, and He is near eschatologically as the One who will soon come again. Because Christ reigns, because He judges justly, because He will set all things right, Christians do not need to panic, manipulate, or grasp for control. Anxiety gives way to prayer. Fear gives way to trust. Harshness gives way to patience, not because sin does not matter, but because Christ does.

Second, Christian reasonableness means being consistent with Scripture. The Christian faith is not improvised. It is received. God has spoken and He has not contradicted Himself. From Moses to the Prophets, from John the Baptist to the Apostles, the testimony from God and about God is unified. Reasonableness does not mean trimming Scripture to fit cultural expectations, nor does it mean weaponizing Scripture to serve our own passions. It means submitting our thoughts, words, and judgments to the Word God has actually given.

Third, this reasonableness expresses itself in love of neighbor. Because Christ is near, because the future is secure, Christians are freed to care for others without using them. Love does not exploit, flatter, or deceive. Love seeks the good of the other, even when that good requires uncomfortable truth or personal sacrifice. Christian love is neither sentimental nor cruel. It is truthful, patient, and grounded in Christ’s mercy.

The Example of John the Baptist

Into this framework steps John the Baptist. In today’s Gospel, priests and Levites interrogate him: “Who are you?” John is clear about who he is not. He is not the Christ. He is not Elijah returned in glory. He is not “the Prophet” in the ultimate sense. Yet his denial is not evasive, it is faithful.

Moses foretold in Deuteronomy that the Lord would raise up a prophet like him—one who would speak God’s Word definitively, one to whom the people must listen. John is not that Prophet in the final sense, but he stands squarely in that prophetic line. Like Moses, he speaks God’s Word without compromise. Like Moses, he stands between God and the people, not as a mediator of atonement, but as a herald preparing the way.

John’s preaching often sounds harsh to modern ears. He calls people sinners. He demands repentance. He exposes false confidence. This seems, at first glance, incongruent with Paul’s call to reasonableness. But in an unreasonable world, one built on denial, self-justification, and falsehoods about the human condition, truth will always sound severe.

The truth seems harsh to those beholden to lies and deceptions. When sin is normalized, repentance sounds offensive. When self-expression is treated as sacred, God’s commands sound oppressive. John’s words were not unreasonable, they were accurate. He named reality as it was before God.

Moreover, love demands truth and honesty. Lust and infatuation prefer lies to truth. They say, “Do not challenge me. Do not name my sin. Do not disrupt my illusion.” They prefer this because the do not seek to serve others, but to selfishly be served. And much of what passes for love in our culture is not really love, but this sort of self-seeking infatuation. Whenever we become bitter in our homes because some desire of ours isn’t being met, we are exhibiting that we do not have love in our hearts, but instead this same sort of infatuation. But love says, “You are in danger, and I will not pretend otherwise. I must do something to help.” John’s preaching was an act of love because it refused to leave people comfortable in their guilt.

Yet, and this is crucial, John’s ministry is entirely tied to Christ and dependent upon Him. John does not point to himself, his courage, or his moral clarity. He points to Christ: “Among you stands One you do not know.” John decreases so that Christ may increase. Repentance without Christ would be cruelty. Truth without Christ would be despair. But John’s truth prepares the way for mercy.

So must it be with us. The Church does not exist to draw attention to herself, to her moral seriousness, or to her cultural distinctiveness. She exists to point to Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Any truth we speak, any love we show, any reasonableness we display is only faithful insofar as it directs people to Him. 

Conclusion

On this last Sunday in Advent, the Church waits, but not anxiously. She rejoices, but not superficially. She speaks truth, but always in service of Christ’s mercy. Christianity is reasonable because Christ is near. He has come. He comes now. He will come again.

Therefore, let your reasonableness be known to everyone. Your life as Christians saints is anchored in the promises of God. Speak the truth without fear. Love your neighbor without deceit. And above all, point to Christ, who stands among us even now. He is our righteousness from heaven, poured down for us sinners. He is the cooling rain sent to water the desert of the sinful soul.

In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1] Philippians 4:5a English Standard Version. All further quotations from the Holy Scriptures are from the ESV.

[2] Isaiah 45:8