Reflection by the Ven. Dr. Deborah Broome

Who Christ is, is how we should live. 

If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, assuming human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—  even death on a cross.

Therefore God exalted him even more highly and gave him the name that is above every other name, so that at the name given to Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence but much more now in my absence, work on your own salvation with fear and trembling, 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

Jane Williams (no, not the person who was married to the first Bishop of Waiapu, but the modern theologian) has an interesting parody on this reading.  She imagines Paul saying, “don’t forget the bring and buy sale next week; the ladies’ group will meet on Thursday to continue their excellent work on the worn out hassocks; and by the way, don’t forget that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and saviour of the world.”  She admits that putting it like that isn’t really fair, but the contrast between the somewhat mundane advice at beginning and end and the glorious hymn on the nature of Christ in the middle is quite striking.  So much so, that the Lectionary usually gives us the Christ-hymn on its own.  It’s possibly a favourite passage for many of us. 

But should the contrast really be so striking?   After all, what Paul’s doing here is inviting us to model the way we think and act, and especially the way we think and act towards one another, on the nature of Jesus Christ.  Who Christ is, is how we should live.  That’s why, only a little way above that in this letter to the church in Philippi, he has advised them “to live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”  How are we doing at that?     

When I look at my own life I think maybe, on a good day, I might make it a little way along that path, but some other days it feels like an epic fail.  Maybe I’m not the only one like that.  The good news, for anyone who looks at the contrast between the Christ-hymn and our own lives – and it’s always worth remembering that the gospel is good news – is that the trajectory is important.  Are we getting closer to grounding how we think and how we live in the way of Jesus?  Are we growing in our likeness to Christ?  For it is, says Paul to the Philippians, in one of the most helpful things he ever said, “God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for God’s good pleasure.” Christ is both an example for us to follow, and the one who will help us get there. 

Paul says a lot about individual humility and unity within the community.  Loving one another, not acting out of selfish ambition or conceit, but regarding others as better than ourselves and looking to their interests more than our own: all of this is modelled by the life of Christ who took the path of leaving behind his own power and authority and being born in human likeness.  It’s about living our life as a community formed by the gospel.

But what does emptying ourselves in humility look like in everyday life?  It’s clear Paul isn’t advising the Philippian Christians, or indeed us, to take the route of self-degradation, nor is he affirming a world of huge discrepancies of power, the sort of world he, and we, know only too well.  But he is saying that individualistic striving for social status and honour – trying to be flashier and more important than the next person – are not only harmful to community, they’re also contrary to the spirit of Christ.  The mark of true humility isn’t low self-esteem, but a demonstrable concern for others.   When do we show that concern, that aroha, for others?  How do we reveal that unity in diversity that Paul invited the Philippine church to display?  Are we becoming more like Christ?