Scripture:
“Who, being in very nature, God did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”
– Philippians 2: 6 – 8 (NIV)
Society teaches us to climb the ladder of success, to “achieve something.” We believe that when we are successful, God is with us, and when we fail it is because we have gone astray. But Jesus showed us a different path, a path downward. God chose a poor girl from a small, insignificant people, through whom He became incarnate. Jesus was a refugee as a child. He chose simple fishermen as his disciples. He died a humiliating death outside the city gates. His path led from powerful to powerless. The Good News undermines the “gospel” of upward mobility in our society. We are tempted to see success as a sign of God’s presence. Do we dismiss the poor as people who have failed, or sinned, as lazy, or ignorant, … or do we recognize Christ’s path and Christ Himself in them? May we be willing to humble ourselves and become a servant to all.
Prayer:
Lord, help us to be free of the temptations that You Yourself experienced in the desert. Soften us to the path of downward mobility, the path of humility. Reveal Your presence to us in those who our society considers a failure. Give us eyes to see that when we make ourselves nothing, except our love for You, we find true joy and freedom.