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 death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:5-8
On this day, and in the week ahead, we remember the events that lead to the death of Jesus of Nazareth, and look forward to the resurrection of Jesus the Christ.
What is not explicitly highlighted during this week, but is implicit in the events themselves, is the very essence of Jesus' nature, and what helps us make sense of the events of his Passion. The Christ Hymn gives us an explicit understanding of the essence and nature of Jesus and the "why" of his actions.
When I read this hymn, the awesomeness of God is so clear; the self-emptying (kenosis) of God, so that God could be in human form to feel our pain and suffering. The humility of Jesus, to make the choice to die on the wood of a cross, in order that we might know God's unbounded love for us, when he could have saved himself and revealed his power. Christ gives us the example of perfect obedience to God's will.
In the verses immediately preceding the Christ Hymn, Paul exhorts us to "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." To be a community "in Christ" we must strive to be Christ-like, and there is no clearer statement of how to do this than this hymn.
The Reverend Dawn A. Campbell
