MEDITATING

Ruminate on the word you were drawn to in yesterday’s scripture passage (Philippians 2:5-11). What does the word or phrase you have chosen mean to you today?

COMMENTS

Yesterday I was drawn to the phrase “but [he] emptied himself.”  As I meditate on this passage, my mind is filled with all of the places throughout scripture where Jesus emptied himself.  It strikes me that the two most significant time of “emptying” was at the beginning and at the end of Jesus’ life.  He renounced the power and privilege that was rightly his as God to become a human being and live among us.  At the cross, Jesus emptied himself in death for the love of us.  The life of Jesus was lived in constant emptying.

What does this mean for us?  We know that sacrifice, humility, and “emptying” are all part of the Christian experience.  We can likely identify times in our life where we have done these things well.  But how can we go about our lives with a consistent spirit of “emptying?”  I think that it’ a matter of listening.  Are we quiet enough to hear God’s movements in our lives?  Are we observant enough to hear God’s voice speaking through other people?  If quiet ourselves, we can begin to empty ourselves for the love of God.

Chase M. Becker

© And Every Tongue Should Confess, Suzanne Moore, 2004. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.