more kenosis ..

ok ok .. i know .. i keep going here
..

in western Christianity at least, we make a mountain out of maintaining our dignity when someone unfairs or manipulates us ..

that coming from a religion named for the Christ ..

strange thing, that, for Philippians 2 poetically displays a radical descent, the humiliation, that of the GodWord, first to the state of servant, as a man, then, as Servant Human, to suffering, and finally torturous death of the cross ..
although he had control over that in the sense that he could have stopped it, he allowed it ..

we too can wield sticks and stones to break bones or, in our culture, Glocks and 357s to sling bullets in defense of our dignity in some form ..
more likely we use words to break ..

it bodes us well, I think, to remind ourself that God said " vengeance is mine; I will repay ", and to leave it at that ..

part of spiritual maturity is recognizing my day-to-day life is in God's hands .. and if God does not step in to a dignity-threatening situation for me, then so be it .. God will deal with it eventually ..
mine is to bear it and forbear in love..

`|`

when I sign-on with Jesus, I drop everything, give up my rights, relinquish my hold on my life, despise the suffering for righteousness sake (Hebrews 12:2) ..

so that when Jesus said to turn the face, offer the other cheek, he wasn't using social mores to defend and demonstrate personal dignity in the face of the offender, as some smart theologians teach (where, in that culture, a particular blow with a particular hand besmirched the striker in the eyes of society, making them an abuser and you the abused) ..
in the broader context of the other things he said at the time - going two miles rather than one for a friend; giving away a coat too, when someone asks for your shirt; etc., and especially loving your enemy - Jesus was teaching us to love, even when slapped in the face, even if it meant becoming virtually naked ..

pride is an exhibition of self and personal rights, and still leaves us in control ..
God says drop it .. I got you .. leave it to me ..
love your enemy ..

it is in this hard teaching particularly that we find the heart of godliness, we find humility, we find sacrifice for the other, even the enemy other ..
it is to this level Jesus is calling us, a ridiculous, scandalous, self-immolating suicide for the other ..
and until and unless i get there, i fall short as disciple

if Jesus requires that I forfeit my 'life' in order to find Life (and he does) - my lifestyle, my worldview, my priorities, my motivations, my life-loves, and even my own right to life itself - then, circularly, everything is disposable for the kingdom, for the King, and for God who, when all is reconciled and done, will be all, in all ..

somehow I have to see that as me ..
I have to see me there
I have to see that God is the issue, first and last, alpha-like, omega-like ..

one wise man put it this way - " I must decrease; He must increase "

the paradoxity is this - the way up is down;  the way of exaltation in God's eyes is humility, kenosis - emptying the self, pouring me out, wasting me, exhausting my life, pooring myself for the enrichment of others, bearing the burdens of the other, going the extra mile ..

.. turning my face and offering the other cheek
my other cheek ..

for Jesus' sake
and the sake of the Gospel, the very good news ..


peace to you