Humility before God

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:7-8)

This hymn doesn’t say that Jesus humbled himself for us. It just says that he humbled himself. If his humbling was before or for anyone: it was for God the Father, the only other person mentioned. Jesus responded to the Father by giving up everything and making himself nothing.

There are a few downward steps that Jesus takes. He lets go of his divine right to use his divine status and power. This is the very opposite move to that of Adam and Eve who grasped the status and power Jesus relinquished (“You’ll be like God!” the serpent said).

Letting go of his rights to exercise the role, status, and power of God, Jesus turns in humility and makes himself nothing—a servant—a human—and eventually a crucified, humiliated, dead human.

He is born into this world a human. The face of God visible to all in the form of new, fragile, helpless human life. Jesus lives and teaches, suffering among a suffering people. Having borne their burdens and having compassion on their needs, Jesus submits himself to death on a cross. He could have called a legion of angels to spare him from this fate; he could have crushed the Romans; he could have come down from the cross. But he didn’t do that. He did not use the divine power and status that was his to use. He gave it up. He became nothing and humbled himself to death—became obedient even to this death on a cross.

This resonates with deep biblical themes. In Deuteronomy, the first and second commandment, together with the Shema, say the same thing: submit yourself firstly, lovingly, and exclusively to God. Or in the Psalms where the action of the psalmists is to submit themselves and their situation fully to God—seeking no recourse of their own. It is God who will have to vindicate their cause. God, whose justice, power, and praise will be shown and known. Jesus does the same.

What does it look like for us to follow Jesus in this way of the cross in our relationships? What might it mean to make ourselves nothing, to humble ourselves, to make ourselves servants? That is, to let go of all our ability to control a situation, all our roles and titles, all our resources and assets, all our relational capital in friends, family, and networks of acquaintances?

This is not the sort of humility that denies having abilities, skills, relationships, or power. This humility looks with a clear eye at the rights, skills, relationships, and privileges we have and resolutely chooses not to use them for our own self—perhaps even choosing to give them up altogether.

This humility chooses not to seek another term; chooses not to step in and unduly influence an important decision; chooses not to purchase the expected property or possessions that social or economic peers have; chooses not to exact retribution; chooses to forgive.

We face variations on any of these examples from childhood on. Perhaps they sound less radical than we might expect. Yes, there are times that the call is to give up everything one has. More often we are called to give these things up slowly across a lifetime in the smaller, daily decisions of life. How might you take one step in this humble direction today? But why would you? Because, like Jesus, you trust God with your life.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.