So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1-11)
An Impossible Life, the Jesus life
Philippians 2:1-11
Here Paul continues the theme of unity in the church by calling all who are in Christ to move past our selfish ambition and vanity, humbly looking out for the “interests of others” ahead of our own. If we’re being honest, such a life of likeminded, loving, “in full accord” fellowship seems both commendable and impossible to many of us. I can imagine that running a marathon and eliminating anything but organic whole foods from my diet would both be good for me, but neither feels at all attainable at this point given my schedule, deeply ingrained bad habits, and total hatred of both running and healthy eating. That’s kind of how I feel when I read vs. 1-4 of this passage; it seems a little pie-in-the-sky from my post in the trenches where God’s people get along and build each other up except for when we don’t. We can all agree that this kind of selflessness would be good for us, but most days it probably feels a little beyond the reach of our sinful, prideful hands. But then Paul does a remarkable thing. In some of the most beautiful poetic language of the Bible, He points us to exhibit A, Jesus’ life. In vs. 5-11 we are challenged to have this mind in us that was also in Christ Jesus and reminded of the story of Jesus who “emptied Himself” for our sake. Just when we are ready to abandon Paul’s challenge as unrealistic idealism we are shown the One who makes all things possible, not by force but by sacrificial love. Just what kind of impact could that life have on ours? How would the example of Jesus transform the way we relate to each other in our homes? What might our church accomplish if we let our story be swallowed up by Jesus’ story?