Is This Truly Possible for you and me?

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.

This Holy Week has been one of the strangest Holy Weeks I have ever experienced. My mind was full of all kinds of emotions, this week, thinking about what all of this ritual and tradition is truly all about. 

I was reading all of the texts, I've read for many year; and yet my heart was  bumping up against questions with no answers. 

The Wisdom of God verse the wisdom of the human mind.

The character of Jesus' call to love against the ugliness of war.

The claim that love wins, that faces the truth of world military power.

And I am reminded of an assignment I gave to my confirmation class during a national presidential election years ago.  They were to campaign for Jesus as President of the United States.  Comparing Jesus to the other candidate

After months of working and debating their concludion was: "Jesus didn't have a chance, he was too nice." 

And I am thinking about the man Jesus the Christ, who entered the world as a tiny boy, born in a messy stable surround with less than clean farm animals.

The famous star shining, in the dark winter sky, as a bright form of direction to the entire world -- this amazing occurrence  of great change that was to come.  Had indeed  come.

And I am wondering about this child's full impact on a world, such as ours. in the year 2022 and beyond.

I am wondering if the people of today actually know the change that began with that tiny manger scene.  What this baby, embodied by the Creator God himself, was to bring to this earthly people?

I am wondering if the people of today really know what they are celebrating on  Easter morning so many centuries later?

That baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, grew up to be an exemplary example of what the human creature -- created in the beginning of time called "very good."

What this Jesus did, said and modeled where offensive to most who listened and watched.  The changes he requested were too opposite of what they where use to.

This perfect example of the true character of God's intentions, born in a manger, was crucified for what God wanted most for all of his people.

These few line, from Philippians, give us clear and concise details of Jesus' true character; and why he did what he did and said what he said. 

⁵Let 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. 

⁹ Therefore God also highly exalted him
   and gave him the name
   that is above every name, 
¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus
   every knee should bend,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 
¹¹ and every tongue should confess
   that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father.  

"This is why he can serve  as exemplar for the rest of us.  "Let the same mind be in you." Paul writes, apparently believing that this is within our reach....We (can)  witness the kind of self-emptying the we too are capable of....we are as free as Jesus to decide how we will spend our energy; on self-protection or self-donation, on saving ourselves or giving ourselves away......"  (Barbara Brown Taylor  Feasting on the Word pages. 173 and 175 Year C, Volume 2)

Because of the presence of the Holy Spirt in us, in our world, we too have the ability to: Empty ourselves, Humble ourselves and become obedient...  

Emptied ourselves 

   Humbled ourselves
        and become obedient .... 

I