Radically Humble: The Heart of the Savior Have you

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RADICAL #2: Radically Humble

Pastor David Staff

Radically Humble: The Heart of the Savior Philippians 2:1-8

Have you ever run into a person who was so unexpectedly and thoroughly humble that it literally stopped you in your tracks. I remember when I did. His name was Edgar Lovelady, and when I was a young college student in a sleepy northern Indiana town--on an even a sleepier small college campus without a car--well, I was willing just to do about anything to spell the boredom on a Friday evening. Somewhere on campus I saw a poster. CLASSICAL GUITAR CONCERT 8:00 PM Friday Evening Library Lecture Hall Dr. Edgar Lovelady, Professor of English Grace College.i Back then, that concert opportunity sounded incredibly boring. But I was alone and far from home, with little money and too much time on my hands. So at 8:00 PM, I went. The crowd was small, and the setting underwhelming. But I walked in and slumped into one of the back seats. Right on time, Dr. Lovelady stepped up front and center, and quietly thanked us for coming. It was all so unimpressive, and I wondered, "What in the world am I doing here?" I was into the Rolling Stones and The Who; I barely knew what Classical Guitar was! The professor perched the inlet side of his beautiful instrument on his left thigh, the bottom on his right, the neck and fingerboard up on a 450 angle to his left, his long-fingered hand wrapping around the taut, precisely tuned strings and frets. As he lowered his head and eyes over the instrument, he began to play. Within just a few seconds, I was no longer slumping in my seat. I sat up and leaned forward, both stunned and a bit ashamed. He was fantastic. I had been so dismissive, unthinkingly writing off a form of music, and a little known small-town-college English prof who frankly didn't look like much. Edgar Lovelady was so talented, so gifted, and he had obviously worked and practiced well beyond what I could imagine. The rich, rhythmic music flowing from those hands and out of that instrument on that quiet evening was so beautiful. I was taken back. But it was what happened next that has never left me. As the concert concluded, not a few in the small crowd rushed up to talk with Dr. Lovelady. Something made me wait my turn. When finally it was my turn, I attempted to express how beautiful it was, how gifted he obviously was. I wanted him to know how impressive he was. But my words kept coming up short. I just kept blurting out more. He patiently endured my gushing, I could tell he was embarrassed at my praise; so when I was done, he quietly said in the most gracious, unassuming way, "You are VERY kind. Thank you so Page 1 of 6 RADICAL #2

much for your encouragement"...without even a hint of pride. You could tell he was uncomfortable in the spotlight. This concert for him was for giving, not for receiving. It was for blessing whoever might come, perhaps even broadening their restricted horizons; not for showing off. Showing off—putting the spotlight on himself—was the furthest thing from his mind. THAT good; THAT humble. Radical. Why is that? Why is humility so surprising, so compelling when we see it? And what is it? What is this arresting, disarming quality – GENUINE unassuming HUMILITY -- that not only surprises us but releases God's special favor into a person's life? Captured by HUMILITY himself, Paul offers remarkable answers about humility from the Holy Spirit that you can find in your Bible – especially Philippians 2:1-8. In this part of the Bible, we find Paul's letter to a good church in a strategic Roman city. A church of redeemed people who are struggling with self-centeredness and pride. These words must have caught them up short. Philippians 2:1-8 (English Standard Version, p.980) So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 1

If we are reading/understanding these words well, for Paul the greatest embodiment, the most vivid expression, the greatest example, the most stunning portrayal of humility that ever happened happened when was when God CHOSE to be come a man. When God the Son, at the bidding of God the Father, willingly became, and permanently became, a human being. The One who created the Universe—Who holds it together by the word of His power--just like you and me. Now, how could that happen? The answer the Spirit gives Paul is humility: A chosen way of thinking which willingly releases the expectation of preference/recognition to prioritize the needs of others resulting in personal sacrifice In other words Being God never stopped Jesus from becoming empty. Page 2 of 6 RADICAL #2

Part 1

BEING GOD: Before humanity happened, Jesus was God.

Zero in on 2:6: “who, though he was in the form of God.” You are right to ask, “What does that mean?...that before Christ Jesus was a man he existed “in the form of God.” It means at least 2 things. First, it asserts Jesus’ pre-existence in eternity past. “Who, though He was in (or, "existed in”). Apostle John puts it this way, “In the beginning [or when the beginning happened], was the WORD" (i.e. Jesus) (John 1:1). Second, it asserts Jesus’ essential deity. The phrase “in the form of” is an ancient Greek language way of saying something that we can say much more simply in modern English. We would say, “Who, though Jesus was in every way God…” Experts in Koine Greek explain, In both Classical and Hellenistic Greek, the term µορφη (“form”) points to the ‘metaphysical property' of an object, so that [the phrase] refers to its nature or essence.” The English word form is misleading here. [Those in Paul’s day who wrote/spoke Greek would immediately understand µορφη [in this verse to] refer to the “specific character” or “nature” of something…the essential nature of something or someone.” [MacLeod continues] Paul was not fundamentally concerned to establish an abstract, philosophical description of the nature of Christ. Yet as an educated man…he chose [these words] because they said something specific [and very precise] about the subject at hand.”ii In other words the meaning and the power of this entire passage is precisely clear: This JESUS was (and is) GOD, no question about it. The LORD GOD ALMIGHTY – endless and incomparable in perfections, who was, and is, and is to come. The writer to the Hebrews said it, “Jesus Christ – the same yesterday, today, and forever.” In No One Like Him, John Feinberg quotes Psalm 145:3, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, His greatness is unsearchable” And then explains… The English word unsearchable renders the Hebrew en heqer (“it is without searching"), a phrase that appears in Job 15:9 and 9:10. The Psalmist simply says of God’s greatness that there is no searching it out. Delitzsch explains, “It is so abysmally deep that no searching can reach its bottom.” If you can’t reach the bottom of something, it must be unlimited, at that means infinite.iii Jesus was, and is, an unsearchable, unlimited, infinite eternal Being, a Person, God himself with power and control and majesty we cannot begin to fathom…before humanity, Jesus was God. Page 3 of 6 RADICAL #2

And yet…and yet…He willingly. Part II BECOMING EMPTY: Being God would not derail his humiliation. 6 who,

though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be graspediv, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself

Humility, when chosen, always involves an emptying. Verse 7 “but (rather than grasping at and clinging to His recognition/status as the immortal, eternal, powerful, majestic God) He emptied himself.” This word "empty" is used elsewhere to describe A jar that you look into and there is nothing in it Someone who is sent to a market to buy some provisions but comes back with nothing in their hands – empty handed Or perhaps the experience of going into a bookstore, and asking for a book on Jesus Christ. And the owner says, "I have just the book for you...you'll love it." And she takes you to a wall full of books and puts her hands on one that is beautifully bound. On the edge and on the front cover are the words, Jesus, God the Son. She places the book in your hands, you pay for it, and as you open it up in the coffee shop 3 stores down, you find that it has 300 pages...and every page is completely blank. Empty.

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Αλλα εαυτον εκενωσεν. How could that happen? HUMILITY. What did he do? • • •

He chose not to hang on to being recognized for everything He was and is as God. He let that go. He did not grasp it. He chose to take the "form" (again the very nature) of a servant, a slave, born in the likeness of men He chose, even as a man, to humble himself by becoming obedient to death, even the very worst form of death, death by crucifixion.

RADICAL.

Chuck Swindoll, in his characteristically compelling way, unpacks it like this:

Rather than lobbying for His right to remain in heaven and continuing to enjoy all the benefits of that exalted role as the 2nd member of the Godhead and Lord of the created world, He willingly said “yes.” He agreed to cooperate with a plan that would require His releasing ecstasy and accepting agony. In a state of absolute perfection and undiminished deity, He willing came to earth. Leaving the angelic hosts who flooded his presence with adoring praise, He unselfishly accepted a role that would require His being misunderstood, abused, cursed, and crucified. He unhesitatingly surrendered the fellowship and protection of His Father’s glory for the lonely path of obedience and torturous death. Did He realize all this ahead of time? Of course. Was He aware that it would require such an extensive sacrifice? Without question.v George Buttrick, the former chaplain at Harvard, recalls that students would come into his office, plop down on a chair and declare, "I don't believe in God." Buttrick would give this disarming reply: "Sit down and tell me what kind of God you don't believe in. I probably don't believe in that God either." And then, he would talk about Jesus...the corrective (Yancey) to all our bad assumptions about God.vi Jesus Christ -- very God of very God – did not let being God, being recognized as God, being Page 4 of 6 RADICAL #2

honored as God, keep him from becoming empty. Part III WHY NOT? The RADICAL attitude of HUMILITY by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 2:7

8 And

Please do not overlook the actions of CHOICE. In other words, Jesus A chosen way of thinking which willingly released the expectation of recognition to prioritize the needs of others resulting in others-centered actions of personal sacrifice Taking on the ATTITUDE - If you know anything about this letter to the Philippians, Paul did not write this merely for us to wonder at the radical example of the Lord Jesus Christ. He wrote this to himself and to Christians to embrace this example. To express this humility toward others – toward your spouse, your family, your children, your neighbors, your colleagues, your community. Phil 2:2 being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, St. Augustine perhaps the early Church's was most articulate when he offered this: "For those who would learn God's ways, humility is the first thing, humility is the second thing, and humility is the third." So what does that look like in our lives? In your life? In mine? In ours together? From what I can discern, Shane Claiborne is an interesting young man. He wrote a bestselling book called The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical (Zondervan, 2006). He wanted to live what he would write about and one reviewer/reader of his admitted, Claiborne lives what many of us have dreamed of but not dared – a radical life of reaching the “least of these.” It’s hard to read his narratives without thinking, “How could I live like this?” “What would it take/” Why don’t I start?” One summer, Shane lived and worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India. He writes: "People often ask me what Mother Teresa was like. Did she glow in the dark or have a halo? She was short, wrinkled, and precious, maybe even a little ornery – like a beautiful, wise old granny. But there is one thing I will never forget – her feet were deformed. Each morning during Mass, I would stare at those feet. I wondered if Mother Teresa had leprosy. But I wasn’t going to ask, of course. Page 5 of 6 RADICAL #2

One day a sister asked us, “Have you noticed Mother’s feet?” We nodded, curious. She said, “Her feet are deformed because we get just enough donated shoes for everyone, and Mother does not want anyone [else] to get stuck with the worst pair, so she digs through and finds those the worst pair, the pair that would not be suitable or fit anyone else. Years of [choosing to wear] bad shoes have deformed her feet.” HUMILITY: A chosen way of thinking which willingly releases the expectation of preference/recognition to prioritize the needs of others resulting in others-centered actions of personal sacrifice Those aware of their own essential poverty – not people who are poor in friends, poor in influence, poor in acquirements, poor in money – but those who are poor in spirit, who feel themselves poor creatures...who know that they need much to make their life worth living, to make their existence a good thing, to make them fit to live; these humble ones are poor whom the Lord calls blessed. (George MacDonald) I ask you what I ask myself. Do I have anything close in my life to this attitude of humility that Jesus had working? Is there anything that I just won’t lay aside – because I’m me and I deserve the privileges that come with being me – that keeps me from being God’s person, that keeps me from going somewhere and expressing God’s expression of sacrificial love in someone else’s life? How could I live like this?” “What would it take?” Why don’t I start?” Your Connect Group study this week will urge you to explore these questions. RADICAL...you say. Yep...that's our Savior, our Master, our Lord. Copyright 2017 © David A. Staff All Rights Reserved

http://www.banjosaxduo.com Dr. David MacLeod, "Imitating the Incarnation of Christ: An Exposition of Philippians 2:5-8," BibliothecaSacra 158 (July – September 2001), 313. iii John S. Feinberg, No One Like Him (Crossway Books, 2001), 248 iv from a rare Greek term (arpagmon), used only here in the New Testament, meaning, "something to take advantage of." v Charles Swindoll, Laugh Again: Experience Outrageous Joy (Word, 1992), 85-86. vi In Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew (Zondervan, 1995), 264. i

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