Today's scripture
PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11
5 Let the same mind be in you that was 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.
I left my Max Lucado book in the bag I left in my office, so I'm going it alone tonight while writing this.
This time of year I often wonder what must have been going through Jesus's head as a baby. Was it just baby babble and smiles and slobber? Or did He know? Did He know that he would one day have to choose torture and death to save even those people who were changing his diapers? Was he a melancholy child? Did he exude joy even before he could talk?
Several years ago I read Ann Rice's novel Christ, The Lord. Her account is a research-based fictional tale of Jesus's life from age 7 until about 12 (if I remember correctly). It's fascinating to me because the Bible doesn't tell us much about those years. She takes her own suppositions and tells how Jesus learned he could work miracles and even bring the dead back to life. I wonder what kind of kid he was. What kind of nine year old or eleven year old?
What we do know is that he humbled himself. He was obedient to the Father. Even though he was the King, he didn't act like he was better than anyone else. I'm certain he was humble and obedient even on the playground, which may have been one of the toughest places of all.
My prayer today is for humility. Not just in the things that everyone sees or knows or talks about (like the baby in the manger), but also in the times and places when no one notices (like the playground). Amen.
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.
Several years ago I read Ann Rice's novel Christ, The Lord. Her account is a research-based fictional tale of Jesus's life from age 7 until about 12 (if I remember correctly). It's fascinating to me because the Bible doesn't tell us much about those years. She takes her own suppositions and tells how Jesus learned he could work miracles and even bring the dead back to life. I wonder what kind of kid he was. What kind of nine year old or eleven year old?
What we do know is that he humbled himself. He was obedient to the Father. Even though he was the King, he didn't act like he was better than anyone else. I'm certain he was humble and obedient even on the playground, which may have been one of the toughest places of all.
My prayer today is for humility. Not just in the things that everyone sees or knows or talks about (like the baby in the manger), but also in the times and places when no one notices (like the playground). Amen.
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