Real relationship

Philippians 2:4-8

"4 let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.'

ESV

'Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.'

Message version

'5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6Who, being in very nature^a God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature^b of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross!'

NIV

These verses can seem confusing - that's why I've put three versions here. I find it helps me to figure out what's being said.

The first thing I realise as I read these verses is the reality, for Jesus, of the decision he made. He wasn't forced or coerced into doing this, living and dying the way he did. The incredible truth is that Jesus, who could have claimed the highest position in human history and rightfully receive the greatest glory, didn't. 

Instead, he was poorly treated, demeaned, humiliated, abandoned and tortured. Jesus chose that. 

He chose to give up his power and glory to suffer, be tortured and die. Why on Earth would he do that???

What an incredible man, what a humble, kind, generous, completely loving man to do that. To give up everything he had previously had access to. 

Jesus also had to let go of the perfect relationship he had with the Father. He had; awesome power, total glory, peace, love, equality. Everything we could hanker after Jesus had. Then he came into this world to experience humanity. He chose to put aside perfect relationship with the Father and experience what relationship with us faulty, selfish humans was like.

This is what these verses are actually about, relationships. Our relationships. The depth of the relationship God wants with us. The type of relationships that Jesus modelled.

The NIV says we are to have the same mindset as Jesus in our relationships. Firstly, he never considered his relationship with God to be a self-gratifying one. You know, a relationship where we are only in it for what we get out of it. A mindset which thinks that we can get God to do whatever we like and that we should get whatever we want. Jesus, who is God's own son didn't even think he could do that, so why do we think we can? 

These verses also consider our relationships with one another. Jesus modelled how to be in relationships. In fact, uncomfortably, these verses say that Jesus was a slave to others. He lived humbly, selflessly and obediently. Jesus didn't do what he wanted to do. The son of the almighty God, the one who is in all creation, who knows how many starts there are, he chose not to do what he wanted, but to do what was best for us. Us sinful, degraded, proud humans who walk around like we know it all and have no need of anyone else let alone some kind of God. Jesus demonstrated such great love for you and me, he gave up all he rightfully had to become what you needed him to be. How are you being what others need you to be?

You can't be Jesus, but what can you do?...

'Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.'

'let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.'

'In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus'