Being Like Jesus

Be Like Jesus
Phil. 2:1-11
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.”
We live in a culture of self.  In our culture, it is about self-empowerment and identity.  Today, the focus is taking control of our lives and making decisions based on what we want. Authority and leadership are defined by the ability to motivate others to fulfill the leader's vision.  It is the pyramid view of leadership where the person at the bottom serves those who are at the top of the pyramid. In relationships, we demand our way and take offense when people mistreat us or violate our interests.  We hold grudges when we feel disrespected or devalued.
 
In contrast to our culture, Christ points us in a different direction, for Christ exemplified an entirely different perspective.  In Philippians 2:5-11 we discover one of the most remarkable descriptions of the mystery incarnation in all scripture.  This passage has been the focus of countless articles as we try to understand the incomprehensible.  In this passage, we see the wonder that Jesus, who was fully God, would take on Himself our human nature, so while being fully God, He would also be fully human so that He might die on our behalf.  Within these words, we discover several statements that defy our ability to understand but point us to the importance of being like Jesus.  In verse 6, we find the statement that it is easy for us to realize that Jesus existed in the form of God, that is, that He possessed all the attributes of God.  While the Trinity's intrinsic unity—that they share the same essence—is perplexing and challenging to understand, we can quickly grasp that Jesus is fully God in His position, nature, and being.  However, it is the following statement that causes us to wonder.  The one who was entirely God, worshiped by the angels for all eternity, empties Himself, taking on the lowest position, the position of a bondservant.  The bondservant refers to one legally owned by someone else and whose livelihood and purpose were determined by their master.  A slave possessed no rights or privileges of his own.  He existed solely to serve others. In a remarkable display of divine humility, Jesus, who was in a position of highest rank in the whole universe, now takes the position of being the lowest rank among humanity.  This He did for our benefit, to serve us so that we might obtain salvation.

While we marvel at this remarkable passage, which describes Jesus’ humility and servitude for us and our salvation, we often miss the whole point.  Paul describes Christ's humiliation as an example and illustration of the attitude that is to characterize our lives.  Instead of being on the quest for personal empowerment and the upholding of our rights, we are to become a servant to others.  We often misread verse three to mean that we are to treat others the same way we are to be treated, and we are to care about the needs and interests of others just as we care for our own needs and interests. But that is not what it states.  Notice carefully that it states we are to “regard one another as more important than yourself.”  The term means to treat someone to be of surpassing value. In other words, instead of fixing our eyes upon our needs and our recognition, we are to fix our eyes upon our neighbor’s needs and recognition.  Instead of looking at our self-interests and desires, we are looking out for the interests of others. Instead of looking at the faults of others, we overlook their faults, recognizing our own unworthiness.  Instead of being bitter and angry when mistreated, we are to be gracious and forgiving, for this is what Christ has done for us. The pyramid is inverted where the one at the top becomes a servant of all. If Christ can set aside His divine rights to service us, how much more should we set aside our rights to serve and forgive others?