Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death--
even death on a cross!
Philippians2:5-8
Sometimes we think that the start of Jesus' life was the birth in Bethlehem. But Jesus didn't "begin" at Bethlehem - He has existed eternally with the Father and the Spirit.
When the Creed tells us that "He was conceived by the Holy Spirit" this doesn't indicate His beginning but it tells us of His incredible sacrificial transformation. In military parlance, a soldier is "inserted" into the area where the rescue mission must be performed. Jesus becoming incarnated in Mary's womb was the start of the ultimate Rescue Mission.
Paul, quoting from an early church hymn describes it like this: "He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man..."
The writer to the Hebrews put it like this:
"Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: 'Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;'" (Heb10:5)
Do you remember the scene in the movie Aladdin, where the Genie describes having "AWESOME POWER!" (while he looms as a six story high giant) and then he shrinks and curls up inside the lamp and says "itty bitty living space!"
Think about Jesus (the co-creator of the universe who lit the fires of the sun and knows each star by name) who by the power of the Holy Spirit is stripped of glory, majesty and power and is implanted in Mary's womb: Limited, Vulnerable, Humble, and Fragile.
This is love!
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Theo Groeneveld theo @ emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at emmdev[dot]blogspot[dot]com/
