Christ's Humility

The book of Philippians tells us that Christ’s humility went far past the circumstances surrounding his birth to that of His willingness.







Philip. 2:5-8

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,he humbled himself
and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!


In order to bring salvation to us, Jesus was willing to make Himself “nothing” (for more on this see Neil’s blog entry “what is a nothing?”). He took on human form and humbled Himself to suffer in this fallen world and to die for us. It is amazing the lengths He went to. He put himself through hunger, thirst, temptation, pain and even death. That is the miracle of Christmas. That Jesus, God Himself was willing to say yes to all of that to reconcile us to Him.

Compassion means to get your heart in line with someone else’s. To laugh when they laugh and weep when they weep. Henri Nouwen (who perhaps not coincidentally worked with individuals with special needs) in his book Compassion writes that compassion requires “voluntary displacement”. Compassion requires being with each other. Jesus did not just minister to us from heaven. He was willing to lower himself to be with us. Ministering from a place of elevation is often referred to as pity. Compassion is what Christ brought. When He encountered the masses who were “like sheep without a shepherd” He had “compassion” (Mark 6). He felt for them.

As the Christmas celebrations approach I challenge you to think about the great sacrifice Jesus undertook to bring compassion to us. Think of how far He was voluntarily displaced. What gap seems too large for you to humble yourself to cross? Is it poverty? Uncleanliness? Sickness? Fear? Culture? Loss of Comfort? Loss of Status?


Is it the gap of being right? Not wanting to humble ourselves to forgive?

Jesus was willing to “not grasp” equality with God to be with us. What displacements are we avoiding that could bring Him glory and show compassion to His children?

I wrote the above blog (minus the picture) last year. I found it interesting reading through it again because this theme has stayed with me all year. I am blown away that God was willing to come and live among us. I was recently talking to a woman whose son is doing some work overseas. She was expressing that she is relived that her son is in the only country in the region without a travel advisory. I have many friends who are serving in situations that are less then what would commonly be described as “safe”. They are serving God where He has called them to serve.

Imagine the travel advisory Jesus would have received before coming to Earth. I can’t help but imagine the angels pulling Jesus aside and saying: “Are you sure you want to go down there? It is dirty. The people are evil. You could get sick. You could be killed. It isn’t safe.” Earth is not as it is described in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy “Mostly Harmless”.

Despite the “travel advisory” Jesus came to Earth. He didn’t come to avoid the risks. He came to die. He came to suffer as we suffer and more.

He left Heaven to serve the Father and save us. That is the miracle of Christmas.

I have trouble leaving a warm bed on a snowy morning.

Mark Wallace