The Christ Hymn

Philippians 2:1–13 NRSV

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be 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 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, 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 the point of death— even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Sermon May 17

The Kenosis passage

What Paul is truly imploring the church to do is be of one mind and spirit. This passage immediately follows our text from last week, where Paul set out the letter to the Philippian church with words of deep encouragement. Paul is proud of these people, sees the way their witness to Jesus is authentic and lasting. From his jail cell, it seems Paul finds hope by considering the churches that are now taking on the living faith in Christ.

I’m quick to skip over the opening of this section to get to the “good part,” the Christ hymn, but this time through the text, I’m caught by this first sentence: “If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”

He’s saying, to reinforce his encouragement, that there are outcomes, fruit, results from living in this way of Christ. He’s saying “if any of this has truly stuck with you, which I just told you that I think it had, if it’s truly active, then here’s what you need to look for and do.”

Be of one mind. Be in unity with each other.

The concept of being of one mind is key to how we unpack this teaching.

Why, after encouraging your friends in the faith, would you remind them to be of one mind?

Well, probably because there is likely a threat to this unity within the church. We know about that. We might say we are united in the church, but you and I both know that true communities always wrestle with the reality that being of one accord with each other is actually pretty difficult.

In fact, isn’t our whole social order built on a resistance to being of one mind? We’re individuals, we think for ourselves. We don’t need some uniform authoritative consciousness. No way, that’s the slippery slope to communism or being plugged into the Matrix or losing ourselves. No thank you very much! We want freedom of mind, freedom of expression, freedom to be who we are. I sang a song yesterday that would in some ways be an antithesis to one-mindedness: It was all about expressing yourself, being your true person, not hiding behind labels or rules. We say things like, “only you define you” and “tell us who you are,” very common phrases that help us continue the work of inclusion, but this is also certainly about something different, isn’t it?

So what is this about? What is happening?

Is this just an out of date teaching from a forgotten era, where people didn’t understand their own autonomy. We’re pre-Descartes at this point, pre-individuated self reigning supreme. I think, therefore I am? Well, not yet — at this point, actually in epistemological history, humanity more closely understood their minds to be semi-porous, that there was something of a shared consciousness between people, that the spirits of the world floated in and out of us, through us. The individuated mind is not a concept in philosophical discourse really until the Enlightenment and Reformation.

Blah blah blah, philosophy and knowledge…

What’s going on here? What are we talking about?

Paul encourages the Philippian church to be of one mind and accord. What does that mean?

We need to look at this not through the lens of individuated identities or selves. Yes, we are individuals, yes, we have selves and souls in us. That dates back to Plato at least.

Paul is saying — “Hey, keep on doing the good work and do it together. Be in sync with one another. Work together, not against each other.”

To be of one mind — that way I’ve come to understand this is that we learn, collectively, to make the way of Jesus our guiding, core motivation. We speak about giving our hearts to Christ. To be of one accord is to be commonly directed to be like Jesus.

Now, of course, this yields all kind of room for individualism and difference. The way Christians speak of this is Unity in Diversity. We are different — shapes, sizes, ages, colors, etc. In the Kingdom of God, we celebrate this diversity, we celebrate the gathering of the nations in diverse unity in God’s family. We see each other as the many colors of the rainbow. One rainbow, many colors.

Paul ups the ante with the subsequent sentences:

Philippians 2:3–4 NRSV

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.

Ok, maybe we’re getting a little more clarity on what this might mean, this one-mindedness. It’s about humility. About caring for others’ interests, needs, etc.

This past week, I’ve been thinking a lot about how God provides for us and for creation. I was in the back yard a few days ago and saw the birds and squirrels all going about their business, running and flying around, picking things up, talking to each other. And I was reminded about Jesus’ teaching on how God provides for the birds and the lilies and, therefore, how God will so much more provide and care for us.

If we work from this, we know that we can trust God will provide what we need. Ok? Got it?

Paul’s further instruction about humility is a reminder of this reality — don’t worry about yourself, worry about others. In it’s healthiest form, this looks like letting go of striving and consuming and instead, turning to see the needs of the other. If we all do this, then we will be taken care of.

Play this out in our context, it’s pretty clear how this can work. We, a Christian community, work together to bear one another’s burdens, to help each other out. This happens every day around the church. People helping, serving, caring, checking in. Good work, y’all! And, this is what we have to keep doing.

I’ve never been in a community where this is perfect. We need reminding. We need cautioning, so that we don’t overextend ourselves or become martyrs in the process.

How are we supposed to be this way? It’s really hard to be of one mind with one another.

Actually, our Presbyterian simply acknowledges this reality. We believe in the power of collective wisdom, group discernment, democratic governance. We believe that God speaks through each of us and that we must listen to one another. This kind of sounds like being of different minds, and like that’s a good thing. Right?

Thankfully, Paul doesn’t leave us hanging, wondering how we’re supposed to be united in this way.

Paul doesn’t leave us hanging, but pivots after this instruction to remind us all what that united mind is meant to be like — watch and imitate Jesus.

Let’s hear again the next part of Philippians 2, vs 5-11

Philippians 2:5–11 NRSV

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 the point of death— even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Paul answers the unasked question — “how are we supposed to do this” by totally shifting his mode of teaching.

Scholars actually consider this portion of the text to be a hymn, a song, something potentially familiar from worship that the Philippians would know.

Paul employs poetry and art to teach the church.

And what does it say?

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus”

Need to know how to do this united mind as a community? Start here.

Christ, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited.

This is a punchy opener.

You know all those other folks, those emperors and presidents and kings, who like to exploit any possible comparison between them and the gods, you know those ones? Jesus was not like that.

Jesus’ way is to take what power you might have and to let it go. Not exploit that position. Not using privilege to protect himself.

What does he do?

He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.

Here, of course, is a depiction of Jesus taking societies lowest form. From God to slave. From God to the incarcerated ones, the outcasts, the unhoused, the disregarded, the used. Born, not just dropped out of the sky, but born into the most vulnerable of positions — a baby, a refugee, child under threat of empire’s reach.

Not only does he take this low position, but in it he takes a humble posture. He is obedient to the work set before him.

Quickly — let’s not take this as a direct instruction that we must also become martyrs in our faith because Jesus did. That misses the whole point of the cross. What this is saying is that Jesus kept going to the lowest places, not to become like them, but through them to undo them. We believe that the cross is the ultimate submission to the powers of death, but not as a final word, rather as a subversive act which undermines the entire death machine.

Therefore.

Therefore, Christ is exalted. Given the name above every name. All creation bows before him.

Through his humility, Jesus is lifted up.

And we know this to be true ourselves. When we choose this humble way, where we bear one another’s burdens, where we nurture and disciple one another in the faith, through this, we find the fullness of life.

Spoiler: I don’t believe I’m getting a bejeweled crown someday because I’ve been a faithful Christian. I don’t think it’s about those so-called eternal rewards.

I think what we’re seeing here is that because Jesus did the lowest thing, the weight of death and oppression is completely lifted. That he is seen for the glorious son of God that he is.

And in us, we live in that glory when we live like Jesus did. Another spoiler: I don’t think I’m gonna be exalted. That’s blasphemy. But, what I do believe, is that by imitating Jesus’ way of downward mobility, we can find the richest, most glorious, most alive way of being and flourishing. That we can have wholeness in life. And the promise of the resurrection.

How does Jesus get exalted? Well, he goes through death and rises in life. Through. Through humility. Through service. Through an emptying that ultimately leads to a filling.

People of God, we too are called to pour ourselves out, to give and serve and love one another. This is the good life. This is the way of Jesus.

I want to close by returning to the idea of one-mindedness:

vs. 10-11 say 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.

Good old conformity, right? Bend the knee?

I don’t see conformity or authoritarian rule here. Actually, I see a one-mindedness of the diversity of Creation, collectively knowing of the glory of God. I see all shapes and sizes and races and ages of people, gathered to praise the one who brings us into this unity with one another. The one who invites the multitudes of Creation into brilliant song and dance together. Great diversity, united in Christ. United in this way of humility and care.

This text is so central to how we understand our lives in Christ. Followers of Jesus have looked to this hymn through the generations as a model for Christian living. Some have taken it too far, to the point of self-harm, and for this, we need community to step in and correct, support, nurture, and love us when we get that way. Our one accord, one mind, one heart, is that collective care for each other, across our difference, to the glory of God the Father.

May we live as imitators of Christ. Amen.