SCRIPTURE: Philippians 2:5-11
TEXT: 5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, THEME: Love finds its expression in helping others. INTRODUCTION What was Jesus thinking as the crowds lined the road going up to Jerusalem with shouts of ‘Hosanna’. “They see me as king, but not in the way that I really am. They want me to rule, but not just over their country but in their hearts. They want to be saved from the tyranny of Rome; the love of God will give them a liberation greater than any power on Earth. Jerusalem is the city of God. The Passover marks the anniversary of deliverance from slavery in Egypt. It will be good to worship in the Temple. The reign of God will be in every nation as long as there are persons who believe and have Christ in the temple of their hearts.” SCRIPTURE Paul opens this text with a provocative claim, in that; “We can have the same mind in us, that was in Christ Jesus.” This means that we have the capability of understating things the way Christ was thinking. Knowing God isn’t that hard, or hidden. Jesus reveals how we are loved by God and how to live. Figuring out what God wants us to do isn’t that hard. It is to love God and to treat others in loving ways. Jesus was willing to set aside everything and line his life up to be able to serve others with God. Entering Jerusalem for the last time he must have been thinking about the presence of the Roman Governor Pilate, the High Priest Caiaphas and the King of Judea Herod all converging in this holy city at the time of the anniversary of the Passover. This was no time to shy away from doing what God wants done but the opportunity to teach about God’s love and celebrate the liberating event that formed the nation of God. God’s loving us through Christ challenges the opposing forces to God’s will. What God is doing? This passage ties Christmas in with Easter. The eternal God veiled in flesh and blood, now vulnerable and helpless again in the hands of human beings. Yet this time, there is no need for escape but to meet power with love for the benefit of all, including Pilate, Caiaphas, and Herod. The events of Holy Week are like a synopsis of Jesus’ Ministry. Jesus goes to center himself with God for the next stage of his ministry and finds himself in the wilderness of the temple filled with animals, merchants and money changers. He recalls the liberating work of God and the formational work in the wilderness and calls his disciples to love and care for others as the next part of their formation as the People of God. And then he shows his love, not in self-seeking but by being willing to be arrested, falsely accused, beaten and killed because the injustice of political power and the self-serving trajectory of the religious powers that were threatened by Jesus’ love for us. Jesus shows us the limits of our physical bodies and dies on the cross, mortal. But what is it that the mind of Christ Jesus tells us? That we are not only mortal but have souls that live beyond our bodies’ death and find their life in the company of God. In one tradition, we want Jesus to be obedient following God’s letter to the Law to redeem us. But we can also see Jesus being obedient to the love of God and never wavering in loving us; through the death of our bodies and into creating a future in an immortal hope. We can stop living as if we are dying, and instead begin living because we are alive. Christ’s love for us is worth exaltation and praise. The Christ has become our Lord, not just our champion but also showing us the rule of love. APPLICATION We withhold love from others to have power over them. Jesus gives up all power to be all loving. Jesus was not dissuaded by the opposing forces against him. How is our direction changed because we have chosen to be loving instead of powerful, generous instead of profitable, dependent instead of rich, anonymous instead of famous, or counter cultural instead of popular? How can we live our lives differently because of being loved by God, accepted, forgiven, adopted and valued? Where can we apply love instead of power? The same mind in us that was in Christ Jesus is a shift in the way we think. To put others first even in Costco. You are going down an isle with your cart, and someone turns the corner and heads straight for you. They seem to except you to turn your entire cart out of their way so they can walk straight on by. Do we hold our ground or plow on through? The mind of Christ is a paradigm shift as we are willing to turn to the side to let them by. And by the way, what makes them think that they can squeeze on by you between the aisle and your cart? Graciousness, even when there is so much room on the other side? Mind of Christ, Mind of Christ. That is a good prayer for us to repeat over and over again in Costco. As we listened to the opposing remarks made to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson at her Supreme Court Confirmation, we could see power trying to have its way to prevent having a Justice who looks like the majority of the people they make laws for; a person of color, a woman, a graduate from public school, and someone who has sat on the bench and has put these laws into practice. She comes to serve, not to be served. They tried to label her or create a portrait of her that was different from who she was, they tried to use one story to define who she was, but she did not get riled. With calm repose, she stated facts and responded intelligently even when the inquisitor answered for her or over talked her responses. From humble beginnings to Supreme Court Justice, she has a perspective that is grounded in real life. This is like the incarnation in reverse. Maybe this is what Palm Sunday is all about. Jesus loving us so much, that we, from the roadside can be incarnated to life in heaven. CONCLUSION What was Jesus thinking as his disciples followed his instructions and he mounted the colt and began to ascend into Jerusalem? When Pilate, Herod and Caiaphas make their presence known in Jerusalem and make a stance of power? Jesus comes with peace, incarnate, humble, serving all, the people who cheer as well as those who are not, that they can all be elevated to a place where they can find the peace that Jesus has with God, as their parent and known peace with their neighbor, not as someone who is trying to take something away from known them, but as one whom they can be generous with, protect, respect, listen to and depend upon. To form communities where we don’t have to be powerful, to control things, but where we enrich each other’s lives, and work together towards resolving the challenges of our world and create new and beautiful things. Could this be the mind of Christ as the cheers begin to fade entering the city gates, the players are all assembled and now the games begin. In the arena of the world, the mind of Christ, the Mind of love fires towards helping others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. To love and to help others.
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