“[Jesus] made himself nothing, taking the very form of a servant….’” [see NIV footnote for “form”]

 If you ever wanted to keep up on the underlying philosophies in America, just watch some of the commercials on TV.  Especially those that appear during sporting events.  I like sports because they present a kind of miniature model of life.  It has a game that corresponds to life with rules (morals/ethics/laws), a certain amount of time (lifespan) and challenges (same) that require athletes to grow/develop/endure (same) with the hope of coming out a winner (same).  Team sports have the added dimension of players working together with teammates (Christian brothers and sisters) to gain victory (glorify Christ).  Many commercials contain various philosophies in the background while they market their products and services.  I remember one such commercial years ago showed a group of male executives working late into the night on a major client’s account.  A female executive out of that office, but no less involved in the process, suddenly gets an idea.  She hustles down the dark hall and leaps over a male janitor’s floor-waxing machine, the camera picking up her high heal close-up at floor level as it lands on the newly shined surface.  She then bursts into the office and says to her bewildered and exhausted colleagues, “Hey, I’ve got it!  What if we…”  And it fades off as a voice-over pushes the company’s marketing slogan.

True, the commercial promotes a product/service.  But what’s the hidden philosophy?  It is that women can do anything men can do.  It’s a female that comes up with the solution.  Why, she has such prowess that she can even land on one foot like a running back jumps over falling blockers in front of him! But she can do it with grace, fashion and dexterity: she sticks a steady high heal on a slippery floor!  Men can work in the office (executives) or clean them (janitor).  Not surprising that no female janitor is seen.  That’s because gender balance is not in view.  Female superiority is.  These clues are there to be found, but they’re subtle and real.  That’s the form of Hollywood and TV marketing in America.

 There is no such form with Jesus.  Speaking of Jesus Philippians 2:6 says, “but [he] made himself nothing, taking the very nature [“form” in the NIV footnote] of a servant”.  So what does this mean?  Was he really a servant or did he just take the form of one?  As we should know by now, there is nothing superficial with Jesus.  He is what he says and he says what he is.  He has integrity all the way through.  This applies also to whatever form he may wish to take.

 The bigger issue is how exactly did he take on this servant form?  The first part of the verse tells us: he made himself nothing”.  This wording is not exactly helpful.  If he made himself nothing, then when he is nothing, can he later make himself something again?  If so, in what way is he nothing?  See what I mean?  The Greek word for “made himself nothing” is kenosis.  It means he emptied himself.  But how did he do that?  And what did he empty himself of?

 Answers to these questions have driven a theological debate for centuries.  Some theologians said Jesus emptied himself of his divine attributes when he became a man.  Others say no, he only hid those attributes when coming to earth.  But this latter point, while much closer to the truth, doesn’t explain how or what was emptied.  The simplest answer, which also fits the context of his incarnation, is found only ten verses later.  Paul describes his own life as being “poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith”.  Clearly Paul’s life reflected a selfless commitment to live, and die if necessary, for other believers.  How much more so did Jesus empty himself as a man, pouring out his physical life, for us on the cross?  It was his humanity — his life, his blood, his energy, everything, not his deity — that he emptied out for you and me.  Servants live for others; Jesus lived and died for all others.

 Speaking of servants, Jesus told a parable of a servant in Luke 17:7-10.  After working in the field all day, the master doesn’t commend him for his work.  Instead, he tells him to fix his (the master’s) meal and stand by if he needs anything else.  Only after the master is done can the servant eat.  Jesus called this servant “unworthy” because he only does his duty.  There is no reward for that servant.  Not so with Jesus.  Philippians tells us Jesus received the highest exaltation (2:9) precisely because he was and is a form of worthy servant in all things.  And he rewards us, his servants, with heaven itself to be with him!  Are we worthy of that?  Do you see his grace at work in this?  Are you modeling his form of servanthood today?