Having the mind of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:1-13)
2 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
7 but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
8 he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
–Philippians 2:1-13 (NRSV)
May 13, 2018 Sermon Notes
Paul’s letter to his favorite church, the congregation that he had founded in Philippi, began with a heartfelt statement of thanksgiving. He described the overwhelming joy that he felt every time he remembered the Philippians in his prayers. If the church in Philippi was indeed his favorite congregation, why did the very next chapter begin with a heartfelt call to unity? Was there something unfortunate brewing just under the surface of this congregation that he loved so much?
The fact of the matter is that the church in Philippi was very much like most of the congregations in the world today. It was full of good people whom Paul desperately loved, yet those same people were all too human. They were living in a culture that was divided between rich and poor, Romans and non-Romans, Jews and Gentiles, male and female. Each of these groups had competing interests and wildly different places in the hierarchy of the Roman empire. We too run these risks. Our congregations, and our culture, can fall into the temptation of dividing ourselves along these very same lines.
The wrong kind of unity
Even when we make a conscious effort at working together to overcome the barriers that divide our world, we often base our unity on the wrong things. It is much easier to try and create a sense of togetherness based on race, class, location, shared politics, or a sense of general affection than to do the truly important work of relationship building. This can lead in truly dangerous directions. Surface unity demands little of the powerful, and often requires silence or submission on the part of the minority.
True Christian unity is based on none of these factors. The unity of healthy churches is not based on our mutual affection, but on what Christ did for us. In Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi he reminds them that the only reason they are together is that Jesus emptied himself of his divine prerogatives and entered into our human reality. This kenosis, or emptying of himself, was the subject of the hymn that Paul quoted in verses 6-11. He used the language of the early church’s worship life to remind them just who they really were. He called them to together live up to the message that they proclaimed in their song, liturgy, and prayers.
He called upon them to live lives that looked like Jesus. Paul reminded them that if they were to have any credibility in the world they needed the body of Christ to actually have the mind of Christ. The way they were to do this was to empty themselves of their own egos, their own pride, and their own idols of self. By remembering who Jesus was, and what he had done for them, they would be able to have a template for their lives together.
An important caveat
Sadly, over the years this Scripture has been misused by those who would call for those already on the margins of society to participate in their own subjugation. When Paul speaks of emptying oneself he is not asking for a Christian’s self-destruction. Women, the poor, slaves, minorities, sexual minorities, and others have repeatedly been asked by the already powerful to give up opportunities to live the lives that God intends for them. Paul reminds his readers that emptying oneself is not about subjugation, it is about showing the love of Christ to the world. It is only because he was powerful that Jesus was able to set aside his power for the sake of the people he loved.
Having the mind of Christ changes everything
When we properly understand the gospel it is precisely because of what Jesus did that Christians have any claim to a right relationship with God or the world. We have no right to boast. We are recipients of God’s love and forgiveness. It is that grace that calls us to be together in the world. Secure in that relationship, we are able to let Jesus guide our behavior on a daily basis. Having the mind of Christ means that I cannot think of myself better than anyone. We are called to love others just as Jesus has loved us. This means that the immigrant, the refugee, and the victim of sexual assault are just as important in God’s eyes as the rich, the powerful, and the native born,
This is the divine reality that Paul was reminding his readers of. Christian unity is not based on similarity or affection. It is based on self-giving love of Jesus Christ. Even his favorite church, the one that had given him so much joy, was tempted to forget that from time to time. If they need a reminder, so do we. Let us always remember what Christ has done for us and let that knowledge cause us to empty ourselves in compassion for the world.
