Attitude of Christ
“Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness.”Philippians 2:6-7
Continuing with the theme of God’s mercy and generosity, this Sunday’s readings touch on the nature of God and the “attitude of Christ.” In last week’s reflection I mentioned how blessed we are that God is unfair in His dealings with us and this week we are reminded that God’s mercy is extended towards all. Whoever wishes to turn from their sinful ways will receive the mercy of God. Not only this, but St. Paul reminds us of the attitude Christ put on — complete and utter humility.
This is something completely unheard of. Why would an all-powerful Being choose to humble Himself and enter into His own creation, and be subject to their laws? It makes no sense, but again God’s ways are above our ways. It was because of unconditional love, which is God’s very nature, that He took on human flesh to be in complete solidarity with us. He assumed our human condition (except sin) so that He can save us from the destructive end to which life without God will ultimately lead. This week’s reflection continues with an excerpt from my reflection from this past Palm Sunday, “Emptied to the End.”
“Jesus loved us to the very end. For three years He taught and preached and performed numerous miracles while walking on this earth. Many believed but others wanted Him gone. Jesus’s love was the visible expression of the eternal love with which God has loved us. From the healings and miracles to the final sacrifice on the Cross, those were all expressions and manifestations of God’s unconditional love for us.
From the moment God became man to the moment Jesus breathed His last on the Cross, Jesus’s entire life was one of “kenosis” or self-emptying. God chose to empty Himself and condescended to earth leaving the glory of Heaven, being born in the most humble of states. God loves us so much that He was willing to assume our lowly human nature, experiencing all that we do as humans (but sin) so that He might truly understand us but at the same time so that we might dare taste the glory of His divinity. When God assumed our humanity, humanity was forever changed. But this was not enough.
Jesus willingly suffered threats, humiliation, scourging, ridicule, and crucifixion. On the Cross, Jesus was emptied of every last drop of blood and He breathed His last. In breathing His last and giving over His Spirit, Jesus breathed life into the Church. In dying, Jesus gave us life. In emptying Himself to the very end, Jesus fills us with new life.”
May we today and everyday put on the same attitude that Christ had, clothing ourselves in complete humility so that we might come to love others as we are loved and by our example, move others to do the same.
