Friday, May 10, 2013
Philippians 2:6-7 ... who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
THE MIND OF CHRIST: HE RODE IN HUMILITY
We see the same strange dichotomy both in the Palm Sunday account and in Paul's letter to the Philippians. While the kings of the earth made arrogant false claims of divinity, the One who actually had the right to claim divinity took the form of a servant. Jesus rode on a donkey, a humble animal, but one that had never been ridden on by a man in this way previously -- fit for a king. He rode without attendants or fancy clothes but with palm branches and people hailing him as they would a king. This is exactly as it was foretold by Zacharias (9:9), "Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass." Notice the same dichotomy. He is triumphant but humble. He is victorious but riding on a donkey.
The mind of Jesus does not ever deny the truth of who He is, but it always remains humble. There are many who with a sense of false humility will not defend the truth lest they seem arrogant. There are many who in prideful arrogance demand that their own opinions and thoughts be accepted as truth. How impossible it is to ride with Jesus in both humility and truth. What a wonderful blessing to know that the path which Jesus rode was not primarily for our emulation, but rather primarily for His substitution for us -- so that we might know that the mind of Christ covers our sinful thoughts with His righteousness.
