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 [. . .]
(Philippians 2:7)
“Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:8–12 NLT)
The story is told of an older man who was being harassed by three younger “tough guys.” They insulted him, even though he was well dressed, and attempted to start a fight. The older man said nothing and refused to be goaded into violence. When his stop came, as he stood to exit the bus, he was a far more imposing figure than was seen when sitting down. Leaving the bus, he handed one of the tough guys, his business card, which read, “Joe Louis – Former Heavyweight Champion.” This man, one of the greatest boxers of all time, did not act as he could have but rather acted in humility, restraining his power.
In Philippians 2:5, Paul exalts us to have the same attitude as Christ Jesus. In verse 6, he describes the attitude of Jesus, who is divine but sought the Father’s glory instead of using his status for his own glory. In verse 7, we see how this attitude of Christ played itself out in action:
Christ did not give up his divine nature (although he did not use it to his advantage); rather, he underlined it, putting it on full display for the Father’s glory. First, he demonstrated his divinity in taking the nature of a servant. In God’s story (Kingdom), divinity is expressed through servanthood. This is opposite to the story of the world (Empire), where we seek to be served. Second, earthly kings show power by force, but Christ demonstrated who he is through surrender. He was 100 percent divine but also became 100 percent human.
We are to have the same attitude and to act as Christ did also.
As citizens of the Kingdom of God, we are not to seek status and become equal to God but to act as Christ acted so Christ is seen in us. We are to serve rather than be served. We are to demonstrate a level of humility that demonstrates what it means to be fully human. There are many ways this can be seen, but here are a few ways we might consider.
First, we practice restraint. Without thinking, I find myself having to one-up another. I will not seek to listen but seek to be heard. I correct others when their information is incorrect and try to demonstrate intelligence by having “the last word.” There is no servanthood in any of these.
Second, I can choose to go the extra mile with someone. I found it incredibly motivating when someone went the extra mile for me recently.
Third, we need to keep short accounts with one another. We all know the consequences of not dealing with tension because we do not want to create conflict. The truth of the matter is that we thereby create far more. We need to be humble and make amends.
Fourth, we need to be the ones who go and seek forgiveness. I find it is true that I am most often annoyed with others because I see myself in their behaviours.
May we grow in our Christlikeness.
Cam Roxburgh is the VP of Missional Initiatives.