Lent - Part 3

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being 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 count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1-11 ESV). Webster describes humility as not proud or haughty, not arrogant or assertive. While visiting with a pastor of my hometown concerning the essence of humility, he said, “It is all about love.” Humility is the common thread of Christian love. That becomes the basis for our expression of the grace we have received through Christ. Recently, a newspaper reporter, in conjunction with a group of college graduate students, began a project to see how it feels to be homeless. They thought that it would be fundamentally impossible to look homeless. Surely their college degrees and suburban upbringing would allow others to see through their charade. During the week preceding the start of this project, all participants followed their normal routines, such as being professionally dressed as a businessperson, teaching Sunday school at a local suburban church, and having dinner at the country club. The price of invisibility for the project participants was simply an unshaven face and a change of clothing. Persons who would have normally smiled and said hello, just looked the other way. If someone did look their way, it was only long enough to cast their fear or disapproval. The text for this morning instructs us to consider others better that ourselves. In doing so, we are not to view others as superior in any way. Christian love means that we see others as worthy of the same treatment and respect that we want ourselves. Lent is the perfect time to reexamine how we treat others. Is our relationship to others built around what we receive from them, or what we may give to them? Are we living examples of the grace of God as it has been given and shown to us? Or, are we selfishly living within the circle of those most like us? It’s easy to like people who are like us. The real test of our faith is in how much we behave like Jesus. Those who despised Him and treated Him badly, He loved and died for them. Can we really do any less in our lives if we are to be true to our calling? These are thoughts we should use to guide us in our continued reflection during the Lenten season.