Jesus Chose Servanthood Over His Divine Rights
Daily Scripture
Philippians 2:5-8
5 Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:
6 Though he was in the form of God,
he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
7 But he emptied himself
by taking the form of a slave
and by becoming like human beings.
When he found himself in the form of a human,
8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
The apostle Paul knew, and the Nicene Creed reflected, that Jesus was not the kind of “king” people expected. He was not the sort of “savior” human wisdom wished for. He was not “God with us” in the way we might expect. Today’s reading, likely from an early Christian hymn, did not fixate on Jesus’ power or majesty. It stressed that he was ready to “empty himself” (the Greek verb in 2:7) for us. Jesus could have clung to divine rights but didn’t. He came to serve, even to suffer.
- The New International Reader’s Version * used simple English to translate this hymn’s vision of the depth of Jesus’ descent: “He made himself nothing…. He appeared as a man. He was humble and obeyed God completely. He did this even though it led to his death. Even worse, he died on a cross!” Does that kind of “life path” strike you as a failure, or do you sense its power? How does this deepen your understanding of what it means to want to “be like Jesus”?
- Scholar H. C. Hewlett said humility means “the recognition of our true littleness as those dependent utterly on God.” ** That takes more than just yielding outwardly while being irate inside about someone else “winning” or getting a “perk” you wish for. How can Jesus’ type of true humility open your heart to valuing “God with us” in your own way of life? How did the Nicene words “For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven” reflect what Paul quoted?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, an old hymn says you could have called 10,000 angels to take you off the cross. But you chose to save me rather than cling to your own comfort or dignity. Grow your attitude in my heart. Amen.
GPS Insights
Janelle Gregory
Janelle Gregory, who serves the Resurrection staff as Human Resources Lead Director, wrote today's Insights. Janelle finds that her heart is constantly wrestling with the truth that she needs a Savior, and the times when she's at her very best are when she's just too tired to put up a fight.
Over Memorial Day Weekend, one of the most popular baseball teams in America descended upon Kansas City. It wasn’t the Yankees, nor the Dodgers, nor the MLB-leading Tigers. No, the team that played two nights to a sold-out Kaufmann Stadium was the Savannah Bananas.
Okay, so it’s not really baseball—it’s banana ball. But banana ball is based on baseball (pun intended). Some have said it’s the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball. There are dancing players, pitchers who walk on stilts, and the “Dad Bod Cheerleading Squad” (which is exactly what you might be picturing). It’s wacky, hilarious, and ridiculously fun.
At the heart of it all is the team’s owner, Jesse Cole. He’s hard to miss in his bright yellow tuxedo. His entire vision is centered on one idea–fan first. The
y even named their company “Fan First Entertainment.” Everything they do is through the lens of, “What will delight our fans?” Then, they try to plus it, make it even more personal, more surprising, more joyful. In their world, it’s not about winning games or stats. It’s about serving the crowd. Every moment is crafted for the people in the seats.
We see this kind of upside-down thinking in Jesus. Jesus didn’t exploit that status. He didn’t use his power to demand attention or to win. He stepped onto the field of humanity, not as a star player looking to rack up glory, but as a servant, living a “people-first” life all the way to the end. It wasn’t flashy. It was faithful. It wasn’t easy. It was costly. It didn’t always give “the crowd” what they wanted. It gave them what Jesus knew they needed.
We are called to have the same people-first mindset. In a world that tells us to fight for attention, platform, and position, Jesus shows us a different way. He came to serve, to sacrifice, to love deeply and humbly.
So maybe as Christians, we take a page from Banana Ball. We should be thinking in people-first terms. Not for show, not for applause, but because that’s the way of Jesus. Whether it’s in our families, our workplaces, or our neighborhoods. When we’re thinking that way and adding a plus to the experience, we’re showing others the love that Jesus shows us all.
© 2024 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* New International Reader’s Version (NIRV). Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission.
** H. C. Hewlett, “Philippians” in F. F. Bruce, general editor, New International Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1979, p. 1444.
