The
King of kings is our example of humility, as odd as that may seem. How does the portrait and imagery of a King serve as the ultimate
example? How do we cover ourselves in
humility when we are united with Christ?
Jesus
humbled himself. The King of kings, His
very nature God, became man. Philippians
2 paints a stunning picture of the extent that Christ humbled himself. It would be one thing for God to come to this
earth and rule as an earthly king but that is not how he revealed himself. He made himself nothing. He came and was not born in a palace but in
the squalor of a stable. He came and led
a life as a teacher and a servant, not a life of privilege. If that was not humbling enough he became obedient
to death itself. The next words in
Philippians are familiar but should not be read too quickly, “even death on a
cross!” We may miss the full weight and
impact of that statement. He did not
live a life as a servant and die just any death; he did not die in his sleep at
an old age. He humbled himself to die
the death of the cursed, to hang on a tree.
That
modeled humility is the perfect antidote to the self-serving attitude that can
creep into our lives. It provides a
stark contrast from the self-love that plagues humanity. It is a message we all need to hear; it is a
message our students need to hear. In a
society where people clamour for their “just” rights and entitlement Christ’s
example becomes counter to that culture.
He became nothing and forfeited much.
We also need to surrender our entitlement and our rights to follow the
example of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The
clothes of Christ, those are the clothes that I want my children to be wearing.
We pray that our students, throughout the
year, will practice clothing themselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience all bound in love, the perfect adhesive for the
community of Christ.
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