The Mind of Christ

We begin with a historical note about the reading from Philippians.

Scholars tell us that, above all else, Paul’s letter to the believers in Philippi is a message of joy. Paul has had a wonderful relationship with the Philippians. Oh, he certainly realizes that they are not perfect. But that doesn’t mean that they aren’t a genuine source of joy for him. In at least two places in his letter, Paul tells them that he is so proud of them that he hopes to boast about them on the day of Christ’s returning, "That I did not run in vain or labor in vain." (2:16) this is a remarkable expression of support, given the fact that it was written while he was imprisoned in Rome where it was quite possible that he would be put to death . Even so, Paul’s faith triumphs over adversity and allows him to rejoice, no matter what the circumstances.

Focusing in our reading for today, unlike other letters, Paul does not feel the need to chastise or prod or push his friends in Philippi unnecessarily. Rather, he is encouraging them, reminding them of their ministry in the name of Christ. Although the Philippians life has been heavily influenced by the presence of Roman soldiers and their culture, they enjoy a fairly comfortable and prosperous life. Gold mines and agriculture have provided a modest standard of living for everyone. Nonetheless, lest they forget their unique calling, Paul lays out his vision for them. This vision can almost be summarized in verse five of our reading:

"Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus."

Seek the mind of Christ, Paul says. The one who "was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death -- even death on a cross." (2:5-8)

This particular portion of Paul’s letter is one of the best known and most influential passages in all of Paul’s writings. It is known in many scholarly circles as a "christological hymn" because it goes to the core of what Paul believes about Christ. Christ was in the form of God, Paul says. If you want to know what God is like, look at Christ. A man of deep compassion, great humility and enduring love, Jesus was Immanuel: God with us. Yet this man was just that, a man. He was a man of human form and substance, a man capable of the entire range of feelings and emotions, just like you and me.

I recall a lengthy discussion in seminary about how to understand how Jesus could be the son of Mary and Joseph, yet be the son of God. The discussion centered around comprehending how someone could be so human, yet divine. Because the human mind wants to be able to see the large picture and put all the pieces of a puzzle together, we are tempted to ask, "How can this be?" In fact, there might not be a rational way to explain it. "Can you understand how an animal could be entirely dog and entirely cow?" the professor asked. That is precisely the conundrum of trying to wrap our minds around Jesus Christ who was so thoroughly human yet remained the son of God.

Returning to our thoughts today, Paul goes to great lengths to tell the Philippians that this man Jesus, who was in the form of God, never chose to exploit his unique status. In obedience to God, he humbled himself and made himself as human as possible, even choosing to suffer the very real pains of human death. In light of what Paul writes to the Philippians, what, we might ask, are the implications for us? Yes, we might easily affirm that we accept this humble, obedient Jesus as our lord. As a result, those who confess Jesus as Lord should not be looking for status and power. Selflessness and humility are the appropriate attitude toward others. Those are givens. And yet, we know how difficult that can be! We want very much to be like Jesus, but how far are we willing to go to follow his example? We’ll let that question sort of hang there for a few moment as we going look at Paul’s admonition to seek the mind of Christ from a different perspective. I suspect that, even on a good day, we all struggle with keeping the demands of daily life and our calling as disciples in their proper perspective. Our desire to be faithful can be sorely tested because there can be so many demands on us, our time, and our resources. As a society, as individuals, and even as a church, we all struggle from time to time. In fact, I think we are all struggling right now.

How shall our country find its way out of the present economic problems? Between banking problems and the stock market, a lot of people’s futures seem to hang in the balance. Investments, retirement, the price of gasoline and fuel oil – where does it all end? The nightly news doesn't give us much optimism, does it? Given the challenges we all face right now, how do we resist the temptation to take care of ourselves before even thinking about seeing to the needs of others? Where do we draw the line between self-sufficiency and selflessness? That’s the sort of question that has always been a conundrum for Christians. In our present situation, I think it carries even more weight today. There don't seem to be any easy answers readily at hand. "Be patient," we are told. “It’s going to take some time to sort things out." In this political season, everyone wants to tell us that they have the skills and leadership to guide us through. So many voices, so many conflicting ideas. How tired are we of all the commercials? From my perspective as a pastor and as a Christian, I think that our best and strongest position is to affirm that, when events threaten to overwhelm us, our faith, our relationship to our God, our Savior, and each other, become all the more important to us.

We are here this morning because we have dared to believe that there is a loving God who created us, who redeemed us, and who continues to sustain us day to day, no matter what we face. "For God so loved the world," the Gospel of John says, that he gave us Jesus to be our way, our truth and our life. That's a wonderful affirmation of faith, but we must never lose sight of the fact that, in the best of times and in the most challenging of times, we are called to be Christ’s church, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable circumstances. Perhaps that's where seeking the mind of Christ comes in again.

Jesus was at his strongest when he appeared to be the weakest and most vulnerable. His trust in God gave him the power to see the light through the darkness, and to know without reservation that God would not desert him to the powers and principalities of this world. Because I realize how precarious life feels for so many of us right now, I know what a daring proposition it is for us to not only believe that all is not lost, but to actually live it out, especially in these trying times. Yet, what choice do we have? Shall we give in to despair and doubt? Or shall we affirm the message of hope we find in our faith?

In a few moments, we are going to sing another hymn. Listen closely to the words:

"My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid rock, I stand -- all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand."

I go back to something I said at the very beginning. Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while he was in prison, facing probable death. It was only through his faith that he was able to triumph over adversity so that he could rejoice in his savior, no matter what the circumstances.

Clearly, there are some things in this life that we can’t control. So, as we seek the mind of our Savior, as we seek to live following his example, let us also be bold in our faith and unrelenting in our trust in God.

Amen.