Philippians 2:6-11

Philippians 2:6-11 is a poem that reveals the heart of this letter. The poem tells the story of Jesus, the servant (see Isaiah 40-55), Adam, and God.

verse 6 tells us Jesus is divine. But unlike Alexander the Great or Caesar, he doesn't exploit his power.
"servant" is an important word in verse 7. Jesus is modeling a different way of being human.
the reversal of Adam's curse is in verse 8. Jesus was obedient to God even to the point of death. Why? To rescue humanity.
This Jesus way is the way to be genuinely human.
Bishop Wright makes a powerful point: "On the cross, the God who made the world comes to the place of shame, suffering, and death to take its full force upon himself in order to rescue the world. This is the heart of the gospel." And this is what the church has to learn to think through as it struggles to be the people of God in the face of the pagan world.

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Crossing Lines

Mark 5:25-29 in the Common English Bible (CEB) reads: "A woman was there who had been bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a lot under the care of many doctors, and had spent everything she had without getting any better. In fact, she had gotten worse. Because she had heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothes. She was thinking, If I can just touch his clothes, I'll be healed . Her bleeding stopped immediately, and she sensed in her body that her illness had been healed." This is a story that is sandwiched inside the story of Jesus healing Jairus' daughter. This is one of the characteristics of Mark : He intertwines stories that have a similar theme. In both of these stories, Jesus heals in ways that cross a line, and faith in Jesus is a shared theme. This woman is desperate. She's been bleeding for twelve years. She's spent all her income on doctors, to no avail. They haven't healed her. Her bleeding mak...

Philippians 2:19-30

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Ash Wednesday 2019

Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your hearts, with fasting, with weeping, and with sorrow; tear your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, very patient, full of faithful love, and ready to forgive (Joel 2:12-13 CEB) Today is a new beginning. A new season. And anytime we step into something new, we can feel vulnerable. We know our own brokenness. This is a season where we journey through the wilderness of our hearts and souls to the heart of God. This is a time that calls for us to walk carefully and to think deeply. And if we are to make progress on our pilgrim's path, then we must be willing to lay bare all that is hidden, buried, or repressed inside of ourselves. This path is uncomfortable. But if we want to move closer to God, then it is a path we must take. Lent doesn't make sense. It's counter-intuitive. We begin with death and move towards life. Today, many Christians will go to chu...

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