Today's reading is a great example of thinking theologically about life. Paul urges his readers to base their lives and the way they treat others on Jesus' life. In this case, he's especially thinking about how we use power and how we approach others. Some scholars believe that the second paragraph was taken from a hymn the congregation would have known. Whether that is the case or not, it's certainly one of the most powerful images of Christ's ministry and one I hold dear and hope to live.
God bless,
Sam
Philippians
2:1-11
If
then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any
sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy
complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and
of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in
humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you
look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.
5Let the same
mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the
form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7but
emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And
being found in human form, 8he humbled himself and became obedient
to the point of death— even death on a cross. 9Therefore God also
highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10so
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, 11and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.