Lectionary Challenge: Phillipians 2:1-8

Philippians 2:1-8 (Full lectionary reading is 1-13)

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion 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 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 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.

Think like those who were reading (or hearing) Paul's words from this letter. "If there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy..."

What do you mean, Paul? Are these trick statements? Of course there is encouragement  Of course there is consolation and love, sharing and compassion. These are the very nature of God, Paul. YOU'VE TOLD US SO.

And Paul says, "Ah ha! If that is true, then show it. Demonstrate it. If this is the nature of God, and you were created in the image of God, then this should all be in you, too."

Our call from God in this passage is to demonstrate agape love by choice. To be loving. The call in this passage is to see others with the eyes of God, seeing the God in other people. We aren't called to take pity on the poor and offer them the worst that we have, if we offer them anything. We aren't called to be grudging in love. We aren't called to see ourselves as better than anyone else.

We are called to humility. We are called to a humble nature before God, accepting the commands of God, and offering loving compassion through our actions to others. This is what Christ did. This is what we are to do.

If we are made in the image of God, and we have the best model of what God is like in the life of Christ, then we need to be like Christ, obedient to the point of death. In this way, others will see the encouragement, sharing, compassion and sympathy of God in us.