DAY 280

HAVE THIS MIND AMONG YOURSELVES—IT IS ABOUT ATTITUDE

Isaiah 26 & 27 and Philippians 2

Yesterday I commented through Isaiah 27 for two reasons, it fit with what had started in chapter 25 and also to make room for one of the magnificent pieces of Scripture—Philippians 2.

Verse 1-5 implores the Christians in Philippi to a variety of attitudes and behaviors culminating with the phrase, “have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” The first point is that the mindset, the attitude we are to adopt is one that is possible when we place ourselves in Christ—meaning this sort of attitude is not completely possible apart from God. Then Paul breaks out into a description of Jesus, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, 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.” For Paul, this describes the call to discipleship—be like Jesus—don’t count yourself high in God’s eyes, but place yourself at God’s full service—even if that means death on a cross.

The text of course goes on, “Therefore god has highly exalted him and bestowed upon 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.” This is a song of great praise, and I see it projecting forward to when Jesus is Lord of all.

However, in addition to praise and in before we get to the point in time when Jesus is Lord of all, this is radical language. In the Roman Empire there is only one Lord, Caesar. At Caesar’s name knees bowed. At Caesar’s name people yelled “Hail Lord.” The letter to the Church in the Roman Provence of Philippi is a direct confrontation to the world powers of the day—and an invitation to allow Jesus that place of supremacy in their world. It is not a call for political revolution per se, but rather a personal revolution. That “personal revolution” might lead you to make a number of choices.

Consider for a moment what “lords rule” in our world? It might be prestige, or appearance, or money, or…you fill in the blank. What if you de-throned that lord in your life? What would it mean if Jesus was supreme Lord, and you wanted to serve him? What would that mean for me? Might that mean I would begin to make personal choices to limit my striving for material possessions? Might it mean I might begin to choose other patterns to spend my money? What if it moved beyond one person, to two and then three, and then…I think you get the idea.

The point is that following Jesus should result in us living differently, it should result in us “having this mind among yourselves”…it really is about attitude.