It
is February 15, 1921. In the operating room of the Kane Summit Hospital, Dr.
Evan O'Neil Kane is performing an
appendectomy, but this is no ordinary appendectomy. First, it marked the first
use of local anaesthesia in major surgery. Dr. Kane believed local anaesthetic
was much safer than general anaesthetic, and while many colleagues and patients
agreed with him, no one was willing to be the first person to have an
appendectomy under local anaesthesia. Because he wasn't able to find a
volunteer for the procedure, he operated on himself!
Dr.
Kane put his own well-being at risk to gain his patients' trust and show his
care for them. Jesus did the same thing. He humbled himself by taking on human
form and subjecting himself to a cruel, human death.
The
readings from Isaiah and Philippians talk about
how we are live like Christ, including suffering for our faith. The reading
from Luke's Gospel talks about how Christ suffered for us so we can have a
renewed relationship in faith with Jesus. Isaiah talks about the servant who
submits to the father's will. Paul tells us in Philippians to be like Christ.
Christ was the suffering servant Isaiah referred to-the servant who submits
himself to the father's will and a cruel, painful death to save us.
Suffering
tests our faith and our relationship with God. When we suffer, we often ask
ourselves why God is allowing us to suffer. In cases of accident or sickness,
we don't have any choice in the matter. The suffering servant is suffering
because he or she is God's servant. Somehow the suffering servant has heard
that his or her suffering is for the cause of right and therefore he or she
believes that God will not abandon the one trying to be faithful.
Christ
humbled himself and emptied himself of his deity to obey his father's will. He
emptied himself of his glory. He emptied himself of independent authority. He
released the voluntary exercise of his divine attributes. He gave up eternal
riches. He gave up his intimate relationship with God the Father
Obeying
God's will for his life also meant that Christ had to submit to the voluntary
humiliation of the cruellest form of torture known at that time-crucifixion. Crucifixion
was not simply a convenient way to execute criminals. It was the ultimate
indignity, a public statement by the Romans that the crucified person was
beyond contempt. The unbearable pain was magnified by the degradation and
humiliation. No other form of death could match crucifixion as an absolute
destruction of the person. It was the ultimate contrast to Christ's divine
majesty and therefore it was the ultimate expression of his obedience to God.
By
lowering himself, he was exalted by God. We must also submit ourselves to God's
will. Paul used Christ's example to teach us how to live the Christian life.
Because Christ was an obedient servant, he serves as a good example for us to
follow. When we become servants, we give up the right to be in charge of who
and what we serve. When we do, we will be free, but we will also be vulnerable.
Christ
calls us to service for three main reasons. First, he wants to rid us of our
human pride and selfishness so we can focus our lives on him. Second, by
serving others in humility we show our love for Christ. Third, God tests and purifies
our hearts through service.
Christ
is the ultimate example of selfless humility. He submitted himself to God's
will like a servant submits to the will of his or her master. Jesus calls on us
to deny ourselves and follow him through sacrificial service to others. Jesus believed in the Law, taught the Law and
lived the Law on the cross. In other words, he didn't just "talk the
talk". He also "walked the walk". Just like Jesus submitted
himself to God's will, we are called to submit ourselves to God's will by
worshipping him in true faith and by serving others just like Jesus served
others.
The
way we act reflects our faith. If we claim to be Christians, people around us
will equate our actions with Jesus. In other words we are to act like Jesus
would act. We are to follow the Golden Rule. When we lead lives of humble
servanthood, when we follow God's plan and direction, and when we bow down
before him we become the disciples that he wants us to be. Only then can we be
exalted by God. Only then can we build God's kingdom here on earth.
In
order to be like Jesus, we have to spend time with Jesus. The more time we
spend him by reading and studying his word and talking with him through
regular, earnest prayer, the more we begin to think like him. We also become
more like Jesus by studying what has been written by other Christian leaders.
For example, when I prepare homilies I always consult commentaries and other
articles written by pastors such as Dr. Charles Stanley, John MacArthur, Rick
Warren, Billy Graham, Charles H. Spurgeon and others. Finally, we can be like
Jesus by studying the Bible with other Christians. In my own life, I attend Trinity's
Monday night Bible study, and I get a copy of the notes from the Wednesday
morning Bible study thanks to Sandra,
our hard-working church secretary.
As
I mentioned earlier, when we become servants of God, we will be free, but we
will also be vulnerable. We can't please God if we don't have faith. That
involves taking risks. Peter took a risk when Jesus told him to get out of the
boat and walk to him on the water. He took a risk, and was able to do amazing
things. There is an old adage "No risk, no reward". If we are willing
to take risks, God can do amazing things for us, to us and with us.
When
we have a sense of Christ's love, we will be humbled. That doesn't mean that we
are weak. Jesus showed us that humility in fact requires great strength and
courage, both of which come from an unshakeable faith in God. When we are
determined to follow Christ's example, Satan becomes more determined to stop
us. He will use every trick he knows to divert us from godly pursuits. We must
be careful not to let interruptions keep us from our time with God.
Even
when we follow Christ, we can become discouraged when life deals us challenges.
When this happens, it can be easy for us to forget all the good things God has
done for us. The only way to correct this attitude of defeat is to do something
else Jesus did regularly-pray.
By
humbling himself, Jesus was exalted by God. Those who humble themselves before God
will be exalted by God. One day we will also exalt him by bowing down before
him, but right now we can exalt him by serving others in humility like he did.
We suffer and serve with Christ so that we may share Christ's glory. Those who
face the greatest struggles in life hold on to God with all their heart and
have the greatest confidence in sharing Christ's glory.
Nothing
is beneath us since Jesus humbled himself and served others. Christ taught us
this valuable lesson, so we would be well-advised to listen to him. We need to
have humble hearts. Christ valued humility and service, and this should be our
model for daily living.
Those
of you who are sports fans have seen how some players celebrate great plays.
They dance around in the end zone of a football field or get slapped on the
back by their fellow hockey players. Others simply toss the puck or the
football back to the referee and return to the bench or the sidelines without
any fuss. Some Christians are like that. They hope that the few big plays they
make in their walk of faith will earn them a spot on Jesus' team.
When
it comes to serving in the church, people rarely ask for positions where they
will go unnoticed. If they want to serve in the church, they usually ask for
positions of leadership. Now there is nothing wrong with serving in a
leadership capacity if that's what God calls you to do, but God calls us to
have a servant's heart. He wants us to glorify him and not ourselves. God
places us where he wants us to serve, and we must give our all in everything he
asks us to do. God wants our obedience and our best effort.
Our
congregation here at Trinity Anglican Church is full of examples of people who
serve in humility and to the best of their ability in the areas where God has
placed them to be. Our Sunday School teachers have
been given the job of teaching our young people how to walk in faith. Our
organist and choir serve faithfully by leading us in our singing. Shirley and
Marion serve the sick and shut-ins by visiting them and taking food to them.
Pam serves God faithfully by being our Primate's World Relief and Development
Fund representative-a position she has held for many years. In fact, when she
was recently made an Honorary Director of the National PWRDF, she gave the
credit not to her own efforts, but to the people of this parish. Our Altar
Guild members such as Barbara are the unsung heroes who make sure that our
hangings, silverware and altar are in tip-top shape for weekly worship
services.
Even
ordinary people can be humble servants for God in their daily lives, and there
is no greater example than mothers and fathers. The best example I can think is
my own mother. Many times she sacrificed her own
ambitions and goals to serve the needs of her own children and grandchildren.
Now that she is elderly and enjoying her golden years, her children and
grandchildren are returning the favour. I have been spending a lot of time
lately helping her as she recovers from her recent knee replacement surgery,
and for me it is a labour of love and humility.
Eventually,
every knee will bow before Jesus and confess him as their Lord and Saviour, as
Paul mentions in Philippians 2:10-11. At that time, people who have already
humbled themselves before him as a part of their daily lives will not hesitate
to bow down before him and give him praise. It will be like they have always
been there, and there will be no penalty for excessive celebration.
Bibliography
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ESV Study
Bible
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Dunnam, M.D.
& Ogilvie, L.J., The Preacher's
Commentary Series, Vol. 31:Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Collosians/Philemon (Nashville,
TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.; 1982)
3.
Dr. Charles
Stanley, "What is the Meaning of the Cross?" Retrieved from
Jesus.org@crosswalkmail.com
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MacArthur,
J.F. Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible, New
American Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publisher; 2006)
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Stanley, "Christians in the Workplace". Retrieved from
Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
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Tim Hall,
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Tracie Miles,
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Dr. Charles
Stanley, "The Call to Serve". Retrieved from
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Barlow Jordan, "Humility". Retrieved from
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