He Humbled Himself

He Humbled Himself

(Matthew 21:1, 6-9; Philippians 2:5-11 ) J G White

Palm & Passion Sunday, April 13, 2014, Windsor UBC

Robert Roberts writes about a fourth grade class in which the teacher introduced a game called "balloon stomp." A balloon was tied to every child's leg, and the object of the game was to pop everyone else's balloon while protecting one's own. The last person with an intact balloon would win.

The fourth graders in Roberts' story entered into the spirit of the game with vigour. Balloons were relentlessly targeted and destroyed. A few of the children clung to the sidelines like wallflowers at a middle school dance, but their balloons were doomed just the same. The entire battle was over in a matter of seconds…  It's hard to really win at a game like balloon stomp. In order to complete your mission, you have to be pushy, rude and offensive.

Roberts goes on to write that a second class was introduced to the same game. Only this time it was a class of [special needs] mentally handicapped children. They were given the same explanation as the first class, and the signal to begin was given. But the game proceeded very differently. Perhaps the instructions were given too quickly for children with learning disabilities to grasp them. The one idea that got through was that the balloons were supposed to be popped. So it was the balloons, not the other players, that were viewed as enemies. Instead of fighting each other, they began helping each other pop balloons. One little girl knelt down and held her balloon carefully in place, like a holder for a field goal kicker. A little boy stomped it flat. Then he knelt down and held his balloon for her. It went on like this for several minutes until all the balloons were vanquished, and everybody cheered. Everybody won. (sermon central, Davon Huss)

In the game of life, shall we be competitive and struggle to win?  Shall we be humble and helpful and stoop to others?  It all comes down to attitude and approach.

The great hymn to Christ in Philippians 2 says:

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 / grasped,

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.  

It’s an amazing piece of spiritual poetry, and maybe Paul is quoting a slightly older hymn that was in use among believers.  The apostle puts this here in his letter as he talks to the church in a town called Philippi, telling them to get along, don’t be so petty, show some unity.  He’s trying to settle a little church squabble, yet he speaks these profound words of the greatest things God ever has done: Jesus!

The little, petty things of our lives matter to our Lord.  The small issues and problems are answered by the gigantic actions of God.  The stooping, sacrifice of Jesus was for everything, even the simple need of disciples to get along and work together.  Christ, the Son of God, lived out humility: you, do likewise.

Little things mean a lot.  I see this in many things… things like, well… the bulletin each week, and our experiment in not having the agenda for worship in it.  Oh my, how startling and troubling this little change can be! ;)  

Let me be frank.  My experiment is working!  I have heard from some people about how much a problem this is, and we need to go back to having the order of service printed.  I have heard from some people about how great it is not to have it, so that leaders feel more free with the plan, and the followers in the pews are not distracted by checking off things and watching for mistakes.  

Let me be frank, again.  I like a printed order of service; I’ve been collecting them since I was about 13 years old, and I still have many of them.  But our experiment may really be about how people who don’t get what they want think of those who do.  And how people - in the same congregation - who do get what they want, esteem those who don’t.  I have been listening for your attitudes to the people who do not see things like you.  I have been listening for my own attitude, and where that comes from, inside me.  At some moments, we who disagree do have this in common - we will grumble and complain about others!

It part, this is a matter of humility.  Of stooping to others.  Of learning from the Master to do well, and to act on things together.  This was the challenge for the church in Philippi; it is also ours.  

The failings we have in our lives, and the successes, are both with us.  God, our God, has come to us to work with us, as we are, and take us farther.  Transform us.  Regenerate us.  Redeem us.  

I find that video clip we watched earlier presents a helpful contrast: the black & white silent film of Jesus abused and executed, with the words of praise He was given just days before, superimposed on it.  We must face the truth that “Hosannas” and “Crucify Him” are both within us.  At least, they are in us in how we treat our fellow human beings, and the Christ we could meet in them.  

This is what we find preached in Philippians chapter 2.  

Be concerned for each others’ interests,

No only for your own.

Let your attitude be that of Christ Jesus.  (trans JRC Perkin)

Beloved author, Andrew Murray (1828-1917), in his book, simply called, Humility, says: I am sure there are many Christians who will confess that their experience has been very much like my own in this - that we had known the Lord for a long time without realizing that meekness and lowliness of heart should be the distinguishing feature of the disciple, as it was of the Master.  Such humility is not a thing that will come on its own.  It must be made the object of special desire, prayer, faith, and practice. (Humility, ch. 1, p.19)

Our special desire, and prayer, and faith, and action go back to Jesus.  This Holy Week, can be a special week of desiring what He can do in us, a time for special prayer to take up our cross and follow, a season of finding new faith in Him, a week of walking with Jesus.  We see our Jesus stooping low, taking on the deepest of pains, and entering death, for us.  

Paul, in the Bible, wrote to prompt one small church to make a financial contribution to one in another town.  He said, For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)  For the sake of finances, for the sake of worship, for the sake of getting along and making decisions together, Christ has saved us.  

Follow the story of Jesus.  Down, down, down, as the Philippians 2 hymn sings it, and as the Gospels tell the story in detail.  We dwell upon Jesus, and by His Spirit God dwells upon us; and we are changed.   Through the pain of this week, we are changed.  

Two hundred years ago the great Scottish hymn-writer, James Montgomery (1771-1854), was turning out lyrics about Jesus like this, still in use today.    Follow to the judgement hall;

View the Lord of life arraigned.

O the wormwood and the gall!

O the pangs His soul sustained!

Shun not suffering, pain, or loss;

Learn of Him to bear the cross.  (1825)

As your pastor, and as a fellow-traveller with you on this pilgrimage, I long for your transformation, for us all to learn to take up the cross.  The apostle Paul wrote to some friends, My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…  (Galatians 4:19)  So I sometimes feel for you, friends.  I long for your discipleship to move and grow.  I long for your fellowship with Jesus to be so good, that it shows more and more.  I long for me, and for you, to get to a place of bowing to one another, or, as Paul said, in humility regard others as better than yourselves. (Phil 2:3) For weeks we greeted each other with these words, so that we might find this in our hearts.  Let us keep looking to Jesus.   (Hebrews 12:2)

He is the author of faith.  

He also makes it perfect.  

He paid no attention to the shame of the cross.

Joseph Shulam, a Jerusalem pastor, tells a remarkable story of a man who simulated the actions of Jesus.  The son of a rabbi battled severe emotional problems.  One day the boy went into his backyard, removed all his clothing, assumed a crouched position, and began to gobble like a turkey.  He did this, not just for hours or days, but for weeks.  No pleading would dissuade him.  No psychotherapist could help him.  

A friend of the rabbi, having watched the boy and shared the father's grief, offered to help.  He, too, went into the backyard and removed his clothes.  He crouched beside the boy and began gobbling, turkeylike.  For days, nothing changed.  Finally the friend spoke to the son.  "Do you think it would be all right for turkeys to wear shirts?"  After some thought and many gobbles, the son agreed.  So they put on their shirts.

Days later the friend asked the boy if it would be acceptable for turkeys to wear trousers.  The boy nodded.  In time, the friend redressed the boy.  And, in time, the boy returned to normal.  

(Max Lucado, Cure for the Common Life, p. 132, quoting Lynn Anderson, "Portrait of a Servant")

Christ Jesus stoops down to us completely.  To take our own crosses and follow Him is to stoop to others.  

After Paul eloquently exclaimed,

at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend…

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord...

he wrote to his friends: Therefore, my beloved, ...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.  (2:12-13)

To put our salvation to work takes a whole lifetime, and requires humility.  Our humble Saviour is at work in you, enabling you to have the humble will to do good, and enabling you to work and do it.  

Thanks be to God!  Amen.