Kenosis

We'll hear this point again in two weeks when the risen Lord Jesus appears to the disciples and does not just talk about his glory, but says to Thomas “see here the marks of the cross.”

That is why we read to much of the Gospel this morning, in order at the beginning of Holy Week to set all of its activities within the framework of the whole story.

And so what does the whole story tell us about Jesus and ourselves?

One of the key words that helps us understand is used by Paul in Philippians: kenosis, which means self-emptying.

This is one of the few passages that we hear every year in the lectionary.

Jesus did not regard his equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, as a human, Paul says.

He emptied himself.

All the generations of the church have wondered and marveled at this.

It is because of God's decision to be God for us that there is this kenosis, this self-emptying.

God could have decided otherwise, to be God without us.

In that case, he would have been a self-satisfied god, not Father,Son, and Holy Spirit.

He would have been one which would be hated and feared by any part of creation which he might permit to exist.

But instead, our Lord God gives himself completely to the love of those whom he makes.

He empties himself to show us that his power will extend over every enemy, even death, and to show us the way to that same victory over sin, death, and the grave.

What a marvel!

God's decision to be God for us is not like so many of our words, casually spoken and just as easily forgotten.

He empties himself because his resolve is firm.

He lets go of his rights and privileges in order to reach out to each one of us, and that has profoundly serious and wondrous results for us and in us.

It rescues us from our despair over the mess we have made of things, and the death that is inevitable.

But Christ's kenosis is also to be an example for us.

We, too, are to be letting go of things in order to hold onto what is most important.

When trying to carry too much in an armload and things begin to fall, we may be left with what was easiest to hold rather than that which was most important!

Remember the old fable about the monkey who reached into a narrow-necked bottle to get something but could not draw it out with it in his closed fist.

Even when danger approached, he could not let go, and so he was caught and killed.

What is it that we are holding so tightly that it may yet bring us to death?

For some it has been an anger that things don't work out as we think they should.

The call today is to give it up, to lay it aside, and focus on the great gifts that we have been given, and marvel at the the work of Christ reconciling the world to himself.[2 Corinthians 5:19]

For others, fear is eating away at life.

Illness, death, uncertainties about the future may reduce us to incapacitating tears.

We have the example of our Lord Jesus to lay down those fears as he does at the end of his prayer in the garden [Matthew 26:42] and in the psalm of trust he recalls even on the cross.[Psalm 22]

When fear and anger simmer together long enough, they can turn to hate.

The Lord had reason enough to hate: plots, malicious rumors, trials with lying witnesses, and more.

Yet he can still address Judas at the kiss of betrayal with an ironical “Friend, why are you here?”

The call to us today is to empty ourselves of anger, fear, hate, and all such feelings, emotions, and possessions that distract us from the important things.

Walter Burghart wrote: “Only by dying, not only to sin but also to yourself, can you come fully to life.

You don't forget all your yesterdays; they are a part of who you are today.

You simply refuse to live in them or wallow in them...

Let those yesterdays be yesterdays so that today you may listen to the Lord's voice, receive him for today's food and drink and tomorrow's hope, and live.”

What a wonder it is!

Christ empties himself to save us and become example for us. Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.