Everything's Possible - 11

Philippians 2:5
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

What a famous text! I use it in sermons, at funerals, and in so many other ways because it truly shows us the attitude of the Risen Christ. His life, ministry, death, and resurrection are but examples of this attitude that we are called to imitate. Jesus, who has always been part of the Trinity, or Godhead, felt as if a greater purpose was to come down to Earth as a human and live a life that exemplifies servant leadership, sacrifice, care, and empathy. The rest of this text reminds us that he lived and died for us in obedience to God’s will, and therefore, he was restored back into the divine trinity as an ongoing reminder of what being a true human can be like. 

In other words, the Trinity dis-membered itself in order to send Jesus down to earth and then re-membered Jesus back into his station in heaven. Every time we remember or recount what Jesus has done for us, we empathize with this story, and we make this narrative our own. 

But there is more to this text. We use the theological word “condescend” to explain what Jesus did for us. He came down; he emptied himself (kenosis) in order to be one of us. His love was so great that he wanted to share our experience and to give us what we had been unable to give ourselves; not just an example of what it means to be human, but a new way to be human completely.

1. Have you ever emptied yourself in order to come down to the level of someone around you? 
2. How do you know what other people feel? Are you empathetic to their plight? 
3. Do you think you have the same attitude as Christ as you deal with those around you?