Reflection for Wednesday 3 March 2021

DEATH ON A CROSS

Reading Philippians 2:1-11

"And being found in human form, he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death....even death on a cross."

In Philippians 2: 1-2 Paul makes an urgent, passionate plea to the Christian community in Philippi, which is just as applicable to us today as was then.

Be who you are.

Show love.

Regard others as better than yourself.

Exercise humility.

Look to the interest of others.

In short : Be like Jesus. Have the mind of Christ.

An impossibly high standard, and yet, the only standard to which we should aspire.

Jesus took looking to the interest of others to a new high, as he humbled himself to death on a cross.

Jesus calls us to himself, to follow.............. He who led by example, to take up our cross each day and follow in his footsteps.

When said quickly, it may seem simple, but as we know it means that we have to first put self to one side not such a simple task.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer had this to say,

“When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow Him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call.”

PRAYER

Lord, we will never ever have the same mind of Christ.

His sacrifice, love, and compassion can only inspire us to respond with humility, looking to the interest of others in ways that often feel trivial.

Yet, we trust that you will take whatever we offer in faith, bless, break and use it in ways that nurture others, bring joy, and show your love.

Amen.