Our vulnerable God
by Sue Westhorp
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Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who … emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness (Philippians 2:5,7).
What does Jesus teach us about who God is? This is the question that arises when I read the great Christ hymn in Philippians 2. This passage reveals so much to us about who God is in the person of Jesus. We know that God’s people expected the Messiah to come in a blaze of glory, seizing power from the authorities. Instead, Jesus empties himself of all power, taking the form of a slave. There is no blaze of glory. There is no seizing of authority. There is no power over the other. Only the desire for love, compassion, mercy, humility and vulnerability. And this vulnerability takes its ultimate form on the cross.
How then might we hear the call to ‘let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus’? As a church, we sometimes lament our waning influence on society and our lack of voice in places of power. As we wrestle with this, having ‘the mind of Christ’ can help us change our focus to how we relate to each other, our community and our world. We are invited to cease striving for power and instead follow Jesus by identifying with the lowly and offering ourselves to the world as humble servants. The great paradox of Jesus emptying himself is that, in doing so, he gave us a much fuller picture of who God is. Not only who God is, but what God does. Our God takes on the form of our humanity, becomes vulnerable and, ultimately, saves us by his vulnerability to death on the cross. God has done all of the work! God’s call to us then is to remember our vulnerability and how we can serve others through it, never resting on human power but on our ultimate dependence on God.
Loving God, your son Jesus emptied himself to serve us and save us. Help us to have the same mind as Jesus, serving others and serving you. Amen.
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