“A revolutionary way of thinking”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation– Monday, January 1, 2024
Philippians 2:5-11 (Forward, p. 64) CEV p. 1229
For us who are Christians, it is far too easy to fall into a particular trap, especially when it comes to familiar pieces of Scripture. Take for instance, the much-quoted verse from the Authorized Version (KJV) of Philippians, Philippians 2:15, ‘let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus’. I’m afraid that it, and its surrounding verses, sometimes go right over our heads, seeing as they are so very familiar. It is here that other, differing translations can be of great help, opening our eyes and minds to fresh ways of looking at it:
“Have this same attitude in yourselves” (Amplified Bible);
“Adopt the same attitude” (Christian Standard Bible);
“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself” (The
Message);
“Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ”
(The Living Bible);
“You should think about things in the same way that Christ Jesus
thought” (Easy English Bible);
“As you deal with one another, you should think and act as Jesus did”
(New International Reader’s Version);
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as
Christ Jesus” (New International Version – UK);
These other versions or translations of that self-same verse seem to pick up on two things. Firstly, they touch on what our overall attitude to life should be—that is, how we think about ourselves. And secondly, they spell out how that overall attitude to life should impact how we treat and deal with others.
Some of the verses that surround verse 5 give further evidence to how this might look like in our lives:
“Don’t be jealous or proud”
“Don’t push your way to the front”
“Don’t sweet-talk your way to the top”
“Don’t live to make a good impression on others”
“Don’t demand and cling to your rights”
“Forget yourself long enough to lend a helping hand”
“Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead”
“Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others,
too, and in what they are doing”
All of this was lived out, exemplified, splendidly in the life of Jesus, but then the question must needs be raised—and answered, namely, “just how is this being lived out in our lives?” In our families, in our churches, in our communities, and in our general associations and casual contacts? Is our attitude the same as Jesus with those we rub shoulders with—and in particular those who grate upon us or rub us the wrong way, those with whom we feel vast differences of opinion, or those with whom we feel uncomfortable, or those whom we dislike or fear? I think that such questions are quite pertinent, especially so as we face into a New Year, a New Year just plum full of new and unexplored possibilities, opportunities and prospects.
Forward notes: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (verses 5,7-8).
“The apostle Paul beautifully invites us to emulate and take on the mind of Christ Jesus, which begins with humble obedience. But for many of us, obey can seem like a four-letter word filled with fearsome images. But it doesn’t have to be. With God, obedience is a doorway to freedom, transformation, purpose, and joy. Its Hebrew root is shema, which means to hear.
“James urges the early followers of Jesus to be not only hearers of the word but also doers (1:22). How do we hear and respond to God’s dream for us? Must we exhibit some superhuman, radical obedience to live into God’s dream? Thank goodness, the answer is no. To be radically obedient simply means to respond to the root of God’s dream in us, etched into our DNA. What makes an unwed young woman say yes when she hears she is to be the mother of the Messiah? She offers an authentic response to God’s dream for her. When we obey God’s dream, we, like Mary, become more authentically who we are meant to be.”
Moving Forward: “How will you respond to God’s dream for you?”
