Scripture Introduction
Our church in Chicago participated in a prison ministry. One week the director of the work sent out an email with this last line: “And remember (as we say in Texas) don’t squat with your spurs on.” That is “practical” knowledge—a fact which quickly pays a dividend.
God intends his truth to be practical. Many people are surprised to hear that because they can imagine nothing less so than sermons and theology. We pastors are partially to blame—at times we fail to show clearly enough how great theological truths work out in practical application.
But the fault is not all mine—sometimes God’s answers are clear, but we dislike what he says and refuse to obey! Romans 7 describes this conflict between the sinful desires of the heart and the spiritual desires given by God: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate…. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members” (Romans 7.15,21-23).
I remind you that the Bible is practical because these verses are among the deepest and most theologically profound teachings in the whole of Scripture. As a result, we usually think about this passage away from its context. For example, the index in the back of our hymnal shows 15 hymns reference Philippians 2, six about Jesus’ birth, one his crucifixion, and eight his exaltation. All of those are good and true, but the context of Christian humility is not represented. Our confessions of faith use Philippians 2 as a proof text many times, but never connect the work of Christ with the character of humility. Make no mistake—Philippians 2.5-11 explains the humiliation and exaltation of Jesus. Just be sure to remember that Paul does not aim to display theological profundity but to challenge the church to the practice of humility.
I will read verses 1-11, then we can ask Jesus, “gentle and lowly in heart,” to teach us godly humility.
[Read Philippians 2.1-11. Pray.]
Introduction
One of the first conductors born and educated in the United States to receive worldwide acclaim was Leonard Bernstein. He directed the New York Philharmonic, conducted concerts by some of the world’s leading orchestras, wrote symphonies, and music for Broadway hits such as West Side Story and Candide. His obituary in The New York Times (October 15, 1990) called him “one of the most… talented and successful musicians in American history.”
Bernstein once was asked which instrument was the most difficult to play. He said, “The second fiddle. I can get plenty of first violinists, but to find someone who can play the second fiddle with enthusiasm—that’s a problem.”
Last week Dave attended at the annual conference of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools. There he heard a lecture entitled, “Second Fiddles—How to Lead When You’re Not the Primary Leader.” George Grant explained from the lives of the Reformers how important is the work of those who do not get all the attention.
Someone wrote a poem about the humility required to be second. Here are three verses:
The hardest instrument to play
Is second fiddle, so they say
And I believe this is so
I’ve tried, but haven’t mastered it though
It takes more grace than pen can tell
To play the second fiddle well.
The second fiddle compliments
All the other instruments
While faithful to keep time and tone
Tis of great price and worth unknown
It takes more grace than pen can tell
To play the second fiddle well.
The master looks for those who he
Can use in his great symphony
Tis but a few can bend and blend
On whom he always can depend
It takes more grace than pen can tell
To play the second fiddle well.
Or as Harry Truman said, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
Paul defines humility in Philippians 2.3: “Count others more significant than yourselves.” Humility, though hard to come by, is essential to a life of joy in the midst of a fallen world! If we seek honor for ourselves, we end up bitterly disappointed. God’s plan is the opposite: humble ourselves and excel in honoring others, and God will exalt us.
That is a radical idea! I think it would change your marriage. Or what if you teenagers had a contest to see which one of you could more highly honor your parents? Would that not make a difference in your family?
Would not your work interactions be transformed when you go to the office diligently looking out for the interests of others? And certainly, the church will become more a place of hope and healing, a refuge for the weary, a hospital for the hurting—whenever God’s people share the thinking of Jesus.
Verses 5-11 have been described as a “glorious parabola.” A parabola curves like a giant “U,” which traces the person and work of Jesus. He began high and exalted, from all eternity past the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, infinitely glorious. Thousands times thousands of angels surrounded him singing: “Holy! Holy! Holy! Is the LORD, GOD ALMIGHTY!”
But with an event unfathomable to the point of incredibility, the Son sets aside glory to be spat upon, mocked, beaten, abused, cursed, derided, defamed, mistreated, ridiculed, jeered, and rejected—rejected by those whom he created. Like a farmer who must lift a wounded pig, Jesus removes his royal garb to kneel in the muck and slime—not the filth of the sty, but of sin—to get under a people wallowing in the refuse of their own rebellion. He made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, humbled to death on a cross.
But death does not end his story. Having descended to the lowest point in the galaxy’s parabola, “God highly exalted him and bestowed upon him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
In the parabola of Jesus’ work we see the promise of God’s grace. Pursue our own glory, and receive little here and nothing in eternity. Trust God enough to humble yourself here and find glory forever and ever. But how do we find the faith to embrace such unnatural humility? Three things we can do to enter into the glorious benefits of this parabola.
1. God-glorifying Humility Results from Meditating on the Person and Work of Christ
To counteract divisive pride, Paul urges humility on the members of this church. He supports the command by reminding them of who Jesus is and what he did so that they might think differently. The key connection between the theology of Christ (verses 6-11) and the command to humility (verses 1-4) is the mean to humility (verse 5): “have the mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Then you will know and believe that God’s kingdom is an “up-side down” kingdom—it works opposite the way we expect!
I love the prayer from The Valley of Vision: “The path down is the way up / to be low is to be high / the broken heart is the healed heart / the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit / the repenting soul is the victorious soul / to have nothing is to possess all / to bear the cross is to wear the crown / to give is to receive / that the valley is the place for a vision of God!”
We know this is true because Jesus, though God, did not consider equality with God “a thing to be grasped,” to be held tightly. Rather than grab the glory due his person and name, Christ “fell” into form of a slave, taking human nature. Jesus thus “undoes” the curse of sin. In Genesis 3, Satan told Adam and Eve to “grasp” at divinity: “when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God.” Since that day, fallen humanity has been gripped by a desire to be like God. We have a God-complex; we want to be made much of.
To undo this core of our sin nature and rebellion, God became man, “letting go” of the honor due divinity to grab hold of fallen humanity. While people step on those who hinder our climb up the ladder, Jesus humbles himself to wash our feet. In exchange, the Father lifts him; God exalts him.
Meditating on the person and work of Christ Jesus convinces us of a clear pattern: those trust God enough to embrace humility before God, and service to others, find him faithful to lift you up.
What does this mean, practically?
When I feel taken advantage of, when others fail to appreciate my gifts and works, when people deprive me of the honor and respect I “deserve” and so desperately want—whenever prideful thoughts enter my mind: I must consciously and intentionally look at that cross. Then I preach the gospel to myself, saying, “My God and Savior Jesus, deserved glory but accepted humiliation; therefore, God the Father exalted him. I will trust God to exalt my effort to count my brothers or sister better than myself, to accept being treated a little less well than I deserve. The truth is that I really do not deserve exaltation, because I am the sinner for whom Christ had to be humbled. Even so, the Father promises to exalt my weak attempts at humility done in the name of Jesus, and I trust my Father.”
One of the men in our church in Chicago, whenever one of us on the leadership team tried to complain, liked to say, “Why don’t you try hanging from a cross for a few hours?” He was reminding us to meditate on the work of Christ to find the desire and power to embrace God-honoring humility.
2. God-glorifying Humility Results from Union with the Person and Work of Christ
The basis of Christian ethics is thinking differently. Romans 12.2 tells us to be “transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Ephesians 4 says that the linchpin of growth in godliness is to be renewed in the spirit of our minds. So Christianity is not a leap of faith; it is a leap of thought which requires new thinking as opposed to natural thinking.
When the Bible says that we are born sinners, it does not mean only that we disobey God’s law; it also means that we think incorrectly about God, ourselves, others, and the universe.
1Corinthians 2.14-16: “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly [mwri,a moria “foolishness,” from which we get moronic] to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned…. But we have the mind of Christ.” In other words, conversion to Christianity requires a brain transplant! The ability to accept the upside down nature of God’s kingdom comes not by human reasoning, but by divine regeneration.
One way to get at the meaning is by comparison to marriage. Jesus explained the relationship between husband and wife this way: “A man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh” (Mark 10.7-8). They are “one flesh”; they have such intimacy of communion and thought and feelings and desire that they operate as one person. In a similar way we are to have the mind of Christ, which is more than thinking like him, it is a union created by the Spirit of God which makes us one with Christ. Thus we are the “body of Christ and individually members of it.”
How do we know if we are spiritually united to God the Son? When I remind you that God’s is an upside-down kingdom, does that resonate with your soul? Are you certain that God exalts those who humble themselves under his mighty hand? Are you convinced that the way to healing is to be broken? Do you agree that those who serve are really the great ones? Do you realize that pride causes conflict in your life?
If not, humble yourself in prayer; admit to Jesus that his thinking terrifies your pride; ask him to give you his mind.
3. God-glorifying Humility Results from Imitation of the Person and Work of Christ
God loves to provide opportunities to consider other’s feelings or needs or concerns more important than our own.
It happens at work when a friend wants to tell you about her weekend while you are either busy or preoccupied. We imitate Jesus by choosing to be genuinely interested in their lives because we care about them.
It happens at home when your daughter wants to throw the Frisbee and you want to take a nap. An imitator of Jesus looks to the interests of others by choosing to delight in playing with their children.
It happens when your spouse says something mean or sarcastic or cruel or simply thoughtless, and you feel hurt and want to lash out. An imitator of Jesus wants to bless with her husband with the humility of accepting worse treatment than we deserve, the whole time trusting the Father to honor and exalt such self-forgetful faith.
It happens at church when someone fails to notice your contribution, or does not appreciate your gifts. An imitator of Christ sees in that brother or sister, person for whom Jesus died, a sinner in need of grace, a soul to whom you can minister the love of Jesus.
4. Conclusion
One of the manifestations of pride is the desire for approval, the longing to be made much of, the hunger for praise.
C. S. Lewis explains the craving of pride: “The pleasure of pride is like the pleasure of scratching. If there is an itch one does want to scratch; but it is much nicer to have neither the itch nor the scratch. As long as we have the itch of self-regard we shall want the pleasure of self-approval; but the happiest moments are those when we forget our precious selves and have neither but have everything else (God, our fellow humans, the garden and the sky) instead” (Letters).
Ultimately, the solution is God. As John Piper explains: “Is not the most effective way of bridling my delight in being made much of, to focus on making much of God? Self-denial and crucifixion of the flesh are essential, but O how easy it is to be made much of even for my self-denial! How shall this insidious motive of pleasure in being made much of be broken except through bending all my faculties to delight in the pleasure of making much of God!” (Future Grace, 97).
Let’s agree, together, to enjoy making much of God. Amen.
5. Lord’s Supper
All three things needed for godly humility come together in the Lord’s Supper.
First, we meditate on the person and work of Christ. As often as we eat this ceremonial meal, we proclaim Christ’s death until he comes. We do this in remembrance of him.
Second, we profess our need for and faith in our union with Christ. This is his body; this is his blood. Not physically, because that would be insufficient for our need. It is the spiritual reality to which these point for which we are so desperate—true union with God!
Third, we promise to imitate Christ. This is a covenant renewal—it is a re-pledging of ourselves to follow Christ, to be his disciples, to walk in the path of humility. Is that your commitment? If it is, then take and eat, for the Lord himself promises that this bread and wine will be for you a true means of grace, a means of humbling your mind and heart under the lifting hand of God.
