I wrote this blog post for our bible reading plan at church. However, it’s something I often think about. Kenosis. It’s essential to our understanding as believers and as leaders. This is not specific to the polarizing political views right now. Though it can speak to these ideas, that is not what I am speaking about in this post.
This week when I was reading Hebrews 5:8 (ESV) “Although he [Jesus] was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered” I was instantly convicted. Jesus had to learn obedience through suffering. Jesus, who is 100% God, had to learn obedience through suffering. Oof!! What does that mean for me then?
I’m reminded of Philippians 2. “Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Chris is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (v. 6-11, ESV).
The phrase “something to be grasped” found in Philippians 2:6 (ESV) is an important phrase to understand Jesus and how he led. The best way to understand this portion of the text is that Jesus did not view equality to God as something to be exploited or used for selfish gain. But rather, Jesus emptied himself through kenosis, (translated from kenoo). This is to say Jesus laid aside his rights as God to become the world’s servant.
Jesus humbled himself, even to death on a cross to serve humanity. Death on a cross meant he was punished as a criminal. God himself, was being publically humiliated on the cross to serve humanity. Which leads to a crucial element in understanding Jesus’ kenotic leadership demonstrated through his life. Jesus set aside his own rights and privileges rooted in his Godliness, for the ones who have turned away from Him and rebuked Him. The world did not deserve this sacrifice, but Jesus still humbled himself to redeem humanity. And Jesus did this out of servanthood to God.
As believers, we are servants. We are servants to God, to each other, and to the world. We are servants so that everyone can know who God is. This servanthood will cost us greatly. Let’s pray about what this cost of obedience is for us. What does it mean for us to be servants of God? What can we learn from kenosis? What “rights” or suffering is God asking from us to learn obedience?
Elizabeth Horn 