Adopting A Cruciform Mind (and heart)

Paul offers us a perspective that the Apostles didn’t have at the time. He encouraged the church to keep their eye on the cross, where Jesus emptied himself of all that he was, to show the world just how far God is willing to go to love and save us.

The first time I preached on Palm Sunday my brother and his family were in attendance. I was in seminary, learning the “real meaning” of Jesus’ infamous arrival into Jerusalem as he made his way to the cross.

I spoke of the political threat that Jesus was to the Roman Empire. And talked about his distaste for religious piety and power.

I also used big academic words and parsed the Greek to impress people with my newfound knowledge.

And it seemed to work. Everyone listened intently. Heads nodded in agreement. Even my brother seemed captivated. 

Whether or not it was a great sermon, my need to impress missed the point of what many believe this story is really about. ​

This entrance, although subversive, was not to make a political stance like I had argued. Or an affront to the people in power at the Temple of which he rode towards. Instead, this story teaches us an important lesson on how to live our life in a way that honors God and others.
 
But I had been so caught up in sounding smart that I overlooked the humility of Jesus that I was supposed to embody when he called me to deny myself and pick up my own cross. As we will see from Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, this act of self-emptying (or kenosis as it’s called in the Greek) reveals the depth of Christ's love for all humanity.

If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, assuming human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross. 

Therefore God exalted him even more highly and gave him the name that is above every other name, so that at the name given to Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.         Philippians 2:1-11

This passage seems like an unlikely reading for Palm Sunday. But with a closer look, we see a sober reminder of the suffering and humility Jesus will come to face in the days ahead.

Sure, Paul skips over the triumphant entry where Jesus was hailed by the crowds as the long-awaited Messiah. And doesn’t mention the palm branches or the shouts of “Hosanna!” But he does speak to Jesus’ humility. The kind of which our Lord demonstrated on that first Palm Sunday. Instead of riding a majestic steed as a conquering warrior, Jesus, the King of kings, chose to come as a humble servant riding a humble colt.
 
This is the kind of humility that Paul wants us to emulate when he wrote, “Let the same mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.”  Or, as the NIV has it, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”
 
Imagine how our lives would be if we all shared the same humility or mindset as Christ, who willingly set aside his own agenda and even gave Himself up to the point of death as an expression of his love for God and for us. Imagine possessing such a mind, or love for that matter.
 
I bet most of us, if given the choice, would rather be the one impressing people, riding on a mighty steed, bathing in applause and accolades. But again, that stands in sharp contrast to what Jesus told us to deny ourselves.
 
This past Wednesday, I did a little experiment. For one whole day I tried to have the same mindset and attitude of Jesus. I set out to put others above myself. To be inclusive. To love unconditionally. And if I’m being honest, the results were dismal.
 
It was easy to smile at people, offering a silent blessing or prayer as I did. But it was hard to not covet that beautiful Mercedes-Benz. Or set aside my jealousy because someone had the salary to afford one. It was difficult to practice patience without harboring judgment.

​Heck, I couldn’t even wash the dishes without feeling resentful to my own kids for leaving their dirty cups and bowls in the sink. So much for loving God, loving others, and serving both.
 
But as I have learned through all my many Lenten fasts and feasts, I believe our failures can be a strength if only because they can keep us focused on why we are feasting and fasting in the first place - to grow closer and closer to God by being more and more like Christ.
 
It was my inability to have the mind of Christ that kept my thoughts returning to him. And the longer our thoughts are focused on what Jesus would do, the more our mind begins to see and act like his. The same is true about our heart.
 
This silly experiment taught me a few invaluable lessons. First, adopting the mind of Christ involves recognizing our own limitations and inadequacies and embracing our humility.

​Jesus demonstrated profound humility throughout his life, prioritizing service over self-promotion.
 
Like Paul pointed out, Jesus willingly submitted himself to God’s will. He emptied himself, took on the form of a servant, and became humbled and obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross. He did all this to show us how to serve others with great humility and love.

Throughout the gospels we read how Jesus honored his love for God and others by consistently putting aside his own comfort and convenience for the sake of everyone else. Some of us might think that’s a little co-dependent and not very healthy for our self-worth. But Jesus turns that assumption upside down.
 
Think about all those times when Jesus just wanted to rest or needed to be alone with God, but people kept bringing the sick and dying to him to be healed. In each account, he set aside his personal needs because he had compassion for them (c.f. Mt 14:13-14).
 
Adopting the mind of Christ also requires us to cultivate a heart of compassion – especially for those who need our help.

​We must love others genuinely, without prejudice or discrimination, seeking their best interests above our own. This includes forgiving someone who has wronged you, prioritizing reconciliation, and making peace no matter the cost.
 
As Jesus demonstrated with his own flesh and blood, we must submit to God's will and trust God’s sovereignty so completely, even when it’s too difficult, inconvenient, or could get us killed.

Ultimately, embodying the mind of Christ involves allowing God’s love and grace to shape and mold us into the image of Christ, the very Word of God made manifest for all to see. Which is hard to do when you make yourself more important than the other.
 
During my attempt to embrace the mind of Christ, I was trying to make a left hand turn before the red light. But the woman in front of me was on her phone and not paying attention. I had somewhere to get to and so I lost my patience and honked at her. This caused her not only to flip me off, but to run the red light straight into traffic endangering herself and the cars who had the right of way.
 
Now here’s God at work. As I continued my journey, and still stewing from that experience, I found myself behind a car with a bumper sticker that read, “Practice Humility. Talk Less. Do More.” I couldn’t help but rephrase that to say: “Practice Christlikeness. Honk less. Love more.” I think that’s what sharing the same mind of Christ is about.
 
As we go out into the world, Christ calls us to let go of our ego and embrace a posture of humility and compassion so he can shine through each one of us.

This is just one of the ways God brings redemption and salvation into the world. You might not believe you are capable or good enough for God to work through you. But that’s your ego talking you out of doing the necessary work of adopting a cruciform mind.
 
But let’s be real. It’s really not that hard to be nice. Anyone can adopt a mindset of kindness and generosity through simple acts like smiling, or holding the door open for someone, or giving a compliment. And you can build upon that kindness by being generous with your time or resources. Volunteer at a local shelter or food bank. Donate to the church or some’s GoFundMe page.
 
Pretty soon, you might find yourself helping a neighbor. Or sitting with someone going through a difficult time; providing a compassionate ear with empathy instead of judgment. Again, the more we practice adopting a mind of Christ, the closer we get to perfect it. Before you know it, you will find yourself letting go of old grudges and resentments; extending grace liberally as needed.
 
Jesus gave us his life to help us to see the inherent worth of every individual, to welcome everyone and care for them as beloved children of God. The way to do this is to just get ourselves out of the way and let God do what God does best through us.
 
As we move into Holy Week, observing the movements of Jesus and his friends, Paul offers us a perspective that the Apostles didn’t have at the time. He encouraged the church to keep their eye on the cross, where Jesus emptied himself of all that he was, to show the world just how far God is willing to go to love and save us.
 
Jesus’ followers might not have realized it at the time. And who could blame them. The cross still seems foolish to many of us today. But like Paul stated in his beautiful exhortation, Jesus’ story does not end at the cross. His glory and kingship continues through Easter and beyond!
 
As we journey through Holy Week, reflecting on the humility and triumph of Palm Sunday, may we strive to embrace the cruciform mind of Christ, who by his death and resurrection, we have been granted eternal life.
 
Therefore, God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God Almighty.