Kenosis in Action

Paul begins his letter to the Philippians differently than most of his other letters. He typically begins his greeting by referencing his apostleship. In Romans and Titus, he does refer to himself as a servant and apostle in his greeting. In Philippians, the greeting is from both "Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus" (1:1a). It is clear from the remainder of the letter to the saints at Philippi that this choice was deliberate.

As I have now discussed on multiple occasions in this blog, Paul describes Jesus as the one who made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, and became obedient to death for love's sake (Phil 2:6-11). This is referred to as the kenosis hymn. Paul challenged the believers in Philippi to have the "same mind" as Christ Jesus (Phil 2:5). Paul then proceeds to describe his co-writer Timothy and his colleague Epaphroditus as those who have followed Christ's example of self-emptied, obedient love. He also uses himself as an example to follow as he lays out his own impressive resume and lineage and counts it all "nothing" for the sake of knowing Christ and suffering with Him (Phil 3:1-14). He concludes this conversation by saying this: "Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you" (Phil 3:17).

We are Jesus' disciples. One of the incredible mysteries and awe-inspiring joys of this is that we do not need someone besides Jesus to represent us before God. He is all we need. It really is all about Jesus - everything is summed up in Him! By encouraging others to follow his example and the example of others following the same pattern, Paul is not attempting to be an intermediary between God and other persons as if Jesus needed some help. Instead, what Paul is doing is recognizing that many of us need what C.S. Lewis referred to as "little Christs" - people following Jesus that we can imitate. Ultimately, our aim is to imitate Christ Jesus alone because only "Christ in you" is "the hope of glory" (Col 1:27). If we're honest, though, all of us who are striving to follow Jesus will admit to following Jesus the way we do because of the way another follower of Jesus is attempting to live it out. In other words, most of us need to see kenosis in action to know how to truly imitate Christ.

I can think of numerous examples of Jesus followers who have influenced my own life and have given me an example to follow as they imitated Christ. My parents clearly fit in this category, and this is why I am so passionate and desperate as a father to imitate Christ myself. I can also name several mentors and spiritual fathers/mothers who have so shaped my life that I could never articulate the difference they have made or the gratitude I feel for their influence. One of the people who has most shaped me as a follower of Christ, though, is my younger brother.

In a similar way (although admittedly with less fervor) to how I long to live as Christ before my sons, I longed to do so before Britt. Some of the most dramatic moments of surrender in my own life, though, came through watching him surrender to Jesus. One such moment that comes to mind occurred while we were in college, and God so vividly spoke to him from Isaiah 41:17-20:

17 "The poor and needy search for water,
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the LORD will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

18 I will make rivers flow on barren heights,
and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water,
and the parched ground into springs.

19 I will put in the desert
the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.
I will set pines in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress together,

20 so that people may see and know,
may consider and understand,
that the hand of the LORD has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it."

As a result of God's outpouring of love through spoken Word to Britt, I saw him empty himself (kenosis) and become empowered through the Holy Spirit to change the world and bring life to dead places. Truly the hand of the LORD alone has done this! I watched it happen with countless youth coming to Christ through his witness and through families tasting hope again who are suffering through autism. By the hand of the Lord, he is changing the world.

The story continues today as I learn of the decision he and his wife, Emily, have made to adopt a little girl from Haiti. After talking with him today and getting an email from her, I believe Britt would tell you that it has been Emily's self-emptying and constant faithfulness to God's call that prompted this most recent surrender in his own life. This is so often true in my life as well, as I try to follow the example of selfless love my wife embodies. As I look at Britt and Emily and their family, I am reminded again that I need to see this Jesus life lived out in the flesh. Their courage inspires me and others to follow Christ Jesus just as fervently. If you are reading this, please pray with us for them.

Isn't it interesting that the simplest things and the unplanned moments in our lives are the things that turn out to have the power to change the world when Christ's Spirit is in the middle of it. May we hear and give ourselves away in love by the Spirit's power. Help me Lord Jesus.