Philippians 2:1-13
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Philippians 2:He Took on the Status of a Slave
1-4 If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
9-11 Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.
Rejoicing Together
12-13 What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.
(The Message translation)
Philippians 2:1 Therefore, if you have any encouragement for me from your being in union with the Messiah, any comfort flowing from love, any fellowship with me in the Spirit, or any compassion and sympathy, 2 then complete my joy by having a common purpose and a common love, by being one in heart and mind. 3 Do nothing out of rivalry or vanity; but, in humility, regard each other as better than yourselves — 4 look out for each other’s interests and not just for your own.
5 Let your attitude toward one another be governed by your being in union with the Messiah Yeshua:
6 Though he was in the form of God,
he did not regard equality with God
something to be possessed by force.
7 On the contrary, he emptied himself,
in that he took the form of a slave
by becoming like human beings are.
And when he appeared as a human being,
8 he humbled himself still more
by becoming obedient even to death —
death on a stake as a criminal!
9 Therefore God raised him to the highest place
and gave him the name above every name;
10 that in honor of the name given Yeshua,
every knee will bow —
in heaven, on earth and under the earth —
11 and every tongue will acknowledge[Philippians 2:11 Isaiah 45:23]
that Yeshua the Messiah is Adonai —
to the glory of God the Father.
12 So, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey now when I am away from you: keep working out your deliverance with fear and trembling,[Philippians 2:12 Psalm 2:11] 13 for God is the one working among you both the willing and the working for what pleases him. (Complete Jewish Bible)
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One of our family's very favorite movies is, "The Princess Bride" with its hilarious blend of pirates, a princess, giants, miracles, fencing and rodents of unusual size. It's also a story about servanthood and true love. A beautiful young maiden named Buttercup lives on a countryside farm with a boy named Westley. Buttercup loves ordering Westley around. "Farm Boy" she says, "polish my horse's saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning". To each new order Westley's only reply is, "As you wish." Then one day, Buttercup discovers that Westley's, "as you wish" was really his way of saying, "I love you." "As you wish" was Westley's way of being a servant.
In the opening of his letter to the Philippians, Paul says this is the posture we are all called to as God's people. To assume Christ's attitude is to look to the interest of others rather than our own. "Look at the servant-Christ, and be like that!" Paul says. It's the Spirit's work in us always that moves us to reply, "As you wish."
Merciful God, you sent your Son to show us a different way to live—the way of deep humility and obedience. Your love is the truest love of all. May it surround and fill us, changing us from the inside out, willing and working in us what is pleasing to you. Amen.
Sandy Van Zyl, '88
ELCA Pastor serving United Congregational Church (UCC)
Butte, Mont. Philippians 2:Imitating Christ’s Humility
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[Philippians 2:5 Or that you have] 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.
Shining as Lights in the World
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. (New Revised Standard Version)
One of our family's very favorite movies is, "The Princess Bride" with its hilarious blend of pirates, a princess, giants, miracles, fencing and rodents of unusual size. It's also a story about servanthood and true love. A beautiful young maiden named Buttercup lives on a countryside farm with a boy named Westley. Buttercup loves ordering Westley around. "Farm Boy" she says, "polish my horse's saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning". To each new order Westley's only reply is, "As you wish." Then one day, Buttercup discovers that Westley's, "as you wish" was really his way of saying, "I love you." "As you wish" was Westley's way of being a servant.
In the opening of his letter to the Philippians, Paul says this is the posture we are all called to as God's people. To assume Christ's attitude is to look to the interest of others rather than our own. "Look at the servant-Christ, and be like that!" Paul says. It's the Spirit's work in us always that moves us to reply, "As you wish."
Merciful God, you sent your Son to show us a different way to live—the way of deep humility and obedience. Your love is the truest love of all. May it surround and fill us, changing us from the inside out, willing and working in us what is pleasing to you. Amen.
Sandy Van Zyl, '88
ELCA Pastor serving United Congregational Church (UCC)
Butte, Mont. Philippians 2:Imitating Christ’s Humility
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[Philippians 2:5 Or that you have] 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.
Shining as Lights in the World
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. (New Revised Standard Version)
The Luther Seminary
2481 Como Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
Telephone: (651)641-3456-
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