2009 Year B Sixth Sunday in Lent
PRAISE TO GOD
Philippians 2:6-11
Comparing with other religions, the most deceive different fact of Christianity is to believe Jesus as the son of God. The son of God means Jesus and God is one and the same in their nature. If Jesus nature is same with God then it also means Jesus is God. This is the reason that Judaism and Christianity don’t accept each other though they believe the same God of the Old Testament. Judaism doesn’t accept Jesus as God nor recognize him as Messiah. They are still waiting for the Messiah the savior.
Why Judaism doesn’t recognize Jesus as Messiah, God? On the contrary, why does Christianity believe Jesus as God? We cannot simply avert this question saying that we have faith but Judaism not. The Jews say that you have to show a relevant proof if Jesus is really Messiah. The stories written in the gospels cannot be a proof for them. The proof they are asking is the practical change of the world. The world seems not much change even after Jesus’ coming. The cheaters are living well and kidnappers also never disappear. The country with a strong military power rules over a week country. These things happened 2000 years ago and the same thing happens even today. There is some reason in their argument that the world should be changed if Jesus is true Messiah.
Even today Christians are asked from the world to prove the fact Jesus is the son of God. Facing this question, some Christian tries to give them a proper answer. They stand on their inner peace as a proof after believing Jesus. Or say prosperous of their business. Of course, it is very precious experience to live happy life after believing Jesus. However, such things are not much decisive thing for the reason to say Jesus is the Saviour. There are many happy people without having faith in Jesus. The followers of other religions also have a similar experience.
If these things cannot be the answer then what on earth what answer can we give them? How can we prove Jesus is Messiah, that is, God? In fact this is not the matter of proof. Suppose there is a poet. He lives by believing that for him poem is everything and his entire life is depended on it. However, for others poet doesn’t have an absolute meaning. How can the poet proof it? It cannot be solved by proof. Entering into the world of poem is the unique way to prove it. Likewise, the only way to prove Jesus is God is to enter into the faith of Christianity.
Today’s content, Philippians 2:6-11 correctly teach us the faith of Christianity. According to the Bible scholars this text was a doxology that was singing together by early Christians. The doxology of those days didn’t consist of a complicate melody of today but of simpler melody than Gregorian chant. It is similar of the apostle’s creed recitation of us. Paul quoted this well-known doxology when he wrote a letter to the Christian in Philippians church. We call this doxology as ‘kenosis’ which means ‘'self-emptying' of one's own will and to become entirely receptive to God and his perfect will’, especially applicable to Jesus.
Self-effacing God
Verse 6 express Jesus as follows. “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” Jesus was God in very nature but had taken the nature of servant. The word ‘nature’ used in verse 6 and 7 are ‘Morphe’ in Greek. Plato and Aristotle also used this term frequently. For Plato this meant an external form, shape and character while Aristotle Hylomorphism- the system of substance. In the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Hebrew Old Testament ‘Morphe’ rarely appears and it indicates ‘shape, image and expression’. Some theologian explains that the ‘Morphe’ here is exactly same as glory (doxa) seeing the visible shape of a divine existential form. The another theologian defines differently pointing out that ‘Morphe’ is not merely indicating the divine shape of Jesus Christ or his status or position as follows. “Morphe is the way of existence to prescribe existence from its nature. It is closer to nature but is not identified with nature.” (G. Gnilka, International Bible commentary, Philippians, p. 193) The more important point in this chant is not a speculative definition about ‘Morphe’ but the starting point of thought that Christ’s existing as the way of pre-existence. This thought indicates the salvation incident of Jesus Christ.
You feel difficulty to follow the above explanation due to its theological complication. It is because of my poor explanation but in fact it has very clear content. Here the meaning of ‘Morphe Deus’ which is the nature of God has not much weight. We cannot understand God’s Morphe demonstratively for it is another dimension of the world. The early Christianity tried to explain a certain substance which indicated God with a Greek word, “Morphe”. Instead of ‘Morphe Deus’ we knows ‘Morphe Dulus’, that is the nature of servant. Jesus’ shape, nature and existence that have lived in this world historically were ‘Morphe Dulus’. The chant of Christ sings like this. “…but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”(7)
Yes. Jesus lived as the same human like us. The very Jesus is God. Morphe Deus had taken the form of Morphe Dulus. He is the very Jesus. Jesus is human and at the same time he is God. So, early Christianity confessed Jesus as “vere homo, vere Deus”, a true man, a true God. We also are confessing the same.
The people in other religion and worldly people do not accept such confession. It is not because of they are strange people. Their response is so natural. Let’s see. God is heavenly God. He has an absolute power that man cannot even understand. He doesn’t exist the way of visible but transcend such visible world. Then who Jesus is? He lived in this world like us. He mingled with sinners and tax collectors and lived joyfully drinking wine. He lived completely depending on time and space as we do. He performed many miracles but didn’t do anything for himself. There was no divine power in his life that we usually expecting for. There was every reason for the Pharisees and the priests to accuse Jesus as a blasphemy. How Jesus who lived as the same human like us could be the son of God, Messiah and even God himself?
Based on the view of world we don’t have any way to prove Jesus as God. It is a similar case that Jesus wasn’t able to provide a proper answer to Jews who questioned the foundation of Jesus’ Messiahship. As I told you earlier, we have to enter into the world of poem in order to understand a poet’s world. Likewise we have to enter into the world of faith if we want to accept and believe Jesus as a true man and a true God. It also is similar case that we have to understand the conception of existence in order to understand Heidegger’s language ontology, “Language speaks.” We should experience the music world in order to understand the word of musician, “There is music world.” I repeated it again for it is very important in Christianity faith.
The early Christians who participated in singing a hymn of praise to God were experienced God’s humility on the Jesus’ crucifixion. Yes. Jesus who executed on the cross on the hill of Calvary is the very God who lowed down himself as the shape of servant. We see God on the cross. He is not the God who always is sitting on the noble and transcendental seat of heaven but the one who executed on the cross due to men’s pride and foolishness. He is not the existence being proud of supernatural ability but the one who was killed on the cross helplessly. This Jesus is the very God’s Morphe. If you think God as the Almighty one and omnipotent and omnipresence only, then you may never understand God who hung on the cross. Our God is Jesus who obeyed to God till the death on the cross. Yes. Jesus being the very nature of God humbled himself till the death on the cross, the lowest place in the world.
Ascended Christ
If Jesus ended with his death on the cross he couldn’t be called as the perfect God. Philippians’ hymn for Christ sings that God exalted him to the highest place. Look at verse 9. “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.” (9) Do not think the word ‘exalted’ as a term of space. You already know what exact it signifies. It signifies Jesus’ resurrection and his ascension. Resurrection and ascension originally has the same meaning. It means Jesus changed into true life. The change into true life is really ‘exalted’.
Think a little deeper about the meaning of ‘exalted’. It is not only applicable to Jesus but decisively important for us who believe Jesus as Messiah, Son of God and the Lord of judgment. For we also will be exalted through the last judgment. People used to think resurrection life as the extension of present life, exalted to the highest place. As we are living here well we may live well in the kingdom of God, the resurrection life. It is not. If it goes in that way we don’t need to be exalted. We just try to establish a paradise on the earth only. Such paradise on the earth may come to us gradually. When natural science develops up to the climax the span of life also can be extended by 1,000 years. The science may solve all hungriness and energy problem too by using solar energy. We may reproduce numerous descendants selectively by using our own clone. Everybody can be handsome guy and beautiful girl. The Bible doesn’t say such world. Read today’s content precisely. God exalted Jesus to the highest place. Not we to come up through a rope and enter into heaven but can enter only under God’s permission. The hymn for Christ in Philippians sings that Jesus already has exalted to the place through resurrection. We today also are having worship service with the heart of singing such hymn.
Glory to God!
Now Jesus position might be changed completely if he exalted to the new world of life from the cross, the most humiliated, the lowest and cursed place to the highest and the most glorious place. If we say the cross as a symbol of shame, curse and helplessness then exaltation is a symbol of pride, glory and power. So the content sings, “…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” The ancient people thought this world is divided into heaven, earth and under the earth. They thought the spiritual being reside in heaven, human on earth and evil powers under the earth. Every knee bow down before Jesus means Jesus becomes the center of universe.
You may yet really feel to sing such praising hymn for Christ. We don’t know the things happening in heaven and under the earth but the people living on the earth do not bow down before the name of Jesus. Rather the world seems against the name of Jesus. The power on the earth seems to be given to a power country like America or to the ultra-nation enterprises. Not only the power revealed but its inside also filled with full of violence and unrighteous rather than actualization of peace of God and righteousness. At this juncture, every knee bow down and sing a praise hymn to Jesus seems really unrealistic.
Dear friends, at this point we need Christian spirituality. We should see the world with new spiritual eyes. We should see it at two view points that every knee bow down before the name of Jesus. First, it is an eschatological view point. The evilness is rampant in the world yet. However, when the last come everything in this world shall be judged. Jesus will come as the Lord of judgment. At that time the universe will be completely rearranged by Jesus. Grain and chaff, sheep and goat will be separated and truth and false will become crystal clear. At this last moment of the world every knee should bow at the name of Jesus.
Second, it will be completed but already has begun. Those who has eyes to see enable to see. I don’t say unreliable thing to you like an itinerant trader. This world already began to fill with the love of God through Jesus’ cross and resurrection. Evilness already lost its power. Disappointment and meaningless of life have lost all its strength like the ray of sunset. It seems so powerful only for unbelievers. Now only one thing we can do. It is singing a hymn in verse 11. “…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
We who believe Jesus as Lord have a responsibility and right to praise God. Nothing is important than this in our life. With early Christians who sang a hymn to praise Christ, let us praise to God with all our soul.
PRAISE TO GOD
Philippians 2:6-11
Comparing with other religions, the most deceive different fact of Christianity is to believe Jesus as the son of God. The son of God means Jesus and God is one and the same in their nature. If Jesus nature is same with God then it also means Jesus is God. This is the reason that Judaism and Christianity don’t accept each other though they believe the same God of the Old Testament. Judaism doesn’t accept Jesus as God nor recognize him as Messiah. They are still waiting for the Messiah the savior.
Why Judaism doesn’t recognize Jesus as Messiah, God? On the contrary, why does Christianity believe Jesus as God? We cannot simply avert this question saying that we have faith but Judaism not. The Jews say that you have to show a relevant proof if Jesus is really Messiah. The stories written in the gospels cannot be a proof for them. The proof they are asking is the practical change of the world. The world seems not much change even after Jesus’ coming. The cheaters are living well and kidnappers also never disappear. The country with a strong military power rules over a week country. These things happened 2000 years ago and the same thing happens even today. There is some reason in their argument that the world should be changed if Jesus is true Messiah.
Even today Christians are asked from the world to prove the fact Jesus is the son of God. Facing this question, some Christian tries to give them a proper answer. They stand on their inner peace as a proof after believing Jesus. Or say prosperous of their business. Of course, it is very precious experience to live happy life after believing Jesus. However, such things are not much decisive thing for the reason to say Jesus is the Saviour. There are many happy people without having faith in Jesus. The followers of other religions also have a similar experience.
If these things cannot be the answer then what on earth what answer can we give them? How can we prove Jesus is Messiah, that is, God? In fact this is not the matter of proof. Suppose there is a poet. He lives by believing that for him poem is everything and his entire life is depended on it. However, for others poet doesn’t have an absolute meaning. How can the poet proof it? It cannot be solved by proof. Entering into the world of poem is the unique way to prove it. Likewise, the only way to prove Jesus is God is to enter into the faith of Christianity.
Today’s content, Philippians 2:6-11 correctly teach us the faith of Christianity. According to the Bible scholars this text was a doxology that was singing together by early Christians. The doxology of those days didn’t consist of a complicate melody of today but of simpler melody than Gregorian chant. It is similar of the apostle’s creed recitation of us. Paul quoted this well-known doxology when he wrote a letter to the Christian in Philippians church. We call this doxology as ‘kenosis’ which means ‘'self-emptying' of one's own will and to become entirely receptive to God and his perfect will’, especially applicable to Jesus.
Self-effacing God
Verse 6 express Jesus as follows. “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” Jesus was God in very nature but had taken the nature of servant. The word ‘nature’ used in verse 6 and 7 are ‘Morphe’ in Greek. Plato and Aristotle also used this term frequently. For Plato this meant an external form, shape and character while Aristotle Hylomorphism- the system of substance. In the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Hebrew Old Testament ‘Morphe’ rarely appears and it indicates ‘shape, image and expression’. Some theologian explains that the ‘Morphe’ here is exactly same as glory (doxa) seeing the visible shape of a divine existential form. The another theologian defines differently pointing out that ‘Morphe’ is not merely indicating the divine shape of Jesus Christ or his status or position as follows. “Morphe is the way of existence to prescribe existence from its nature. It is closer to nature but is not identified with nature.” (G. Gnilka, International Bible commentary, Philippians, p. 193) The more important point in this chant is not a speculative definition about ‘Morphe’ but the starting point of thought that Christ’s existing as the way of pre-existence. This thought indicates the salvation incident of Jesus Christ.
You feel difficulty to follow the above explanation due to its theological complication. It is because of my poor explanation but in fact it has very clear content. Here the meaning of ‘Morphe Deus’ which is the nature of God has not much weight. We cannot understand God’s Morphe demonstratively for it is another dimension of the world. The early Christianity tried to explain a certain substance which indicated God with a Greek word, “Morphe”. Instead of ‘Morphe Deus’ we knows ‘Morphe Dulus’, that is the nature of servant. Jesus’ shape, nature and existence that have lived in this world historically were ‘Morphe Dulus’. The chant of Christ sings like this. “…but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”(7)
Yes. Jesus lived as the same human like us. The very Jesus is God. Morphe Deus had taken the form of Morphe Dulus. He is the very Jesus. Jesus is human and at the same time he is God. So, early Christianity confessed Jesus as “vere homo, vere Deus”, a true man, a true God. We also are confessing the same.
The people in other religion and worldly people do not accept such confession. It is not because of they are strange people. Their response is so natural. Let’s see. God is heavenly God. He has an absolute power that man cannot even understand. He doesn’t exist the way of visible but transcend such visible world. Then who Jesus is? He lived in this world like us. He mingled with sinners and tax collectors and lived joyfully drinking wine. He lived completely depending on time and space as we do. He performed many miracles but didn’t do anything for himself. There was no divine power in his life that we usually expecting for. There was every reason for the Pharisees and the priests to accuse Jesus as a blasphemy. How Jesus who lived as the same human like us could be the son of God, Messiah and even God himself?
Based on the view of world we don’t have any way to prove Jesus as God. It is a similar case that Jesus wasn’t able to provide a proper answer to Jews who questioned the foundation of Jesus’ Messiahship. As I told you earlier, we have to enter into the world of poem in order to understand a poet’s world. Likewise we have to enter into the world of faith if we want to accept and believe Jesus as a true man and a true God. It also is similar case that we have to understand the conception of existence in order to understand Heidegger’s language ontology, “Language speaks.” We should experience the music world in order to understand the word of musician, “There is music world.” I repeated it again for it is very important in Christianity faith.
The early Christians who participated in singing a hymn of praise to God were experienced God’s humility on the Jesus’ crucifixion. Yes. Jesus who executed on the cross on the hill of Calvary is the very God who lowed down himself as the shape of servant. We see God on the cross. He is not the God who always is sitting on the noble and transcendental seat of heaven but the one who executed on the cross due to men’s pride and foolishness. He is not the existence being proud of supernatural ability but the one who was killed on the cross helplessly. This Jesus is the very God’s Morphe. If you think God as the Almighty one and omnipotent and omnipresence only, then you may never understand God who hung on the cross. Our God is Jesus who obeyed to God till the death on the cross. Yes. Jesus being the very nature of God humbled himself till the death on the cross, the lowest place in the world.
Ascended Christ
If Jesus ended with his death on the cross he couldn’t be called as the perfect God. Philippians’ hymn for Christ sings that God exalted him to the highest place. Look at verse 9. “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.” (9) Do not think the word ‘exalted’ as a term of space. You already know what exact it signifies. It signifies Jesus’ resurrection and his ascension. Resurrection and ascension originally has the same meaning. It means Jesus changed into true life. The change into true life is really ‘exalted’.
Think a little deeper about the meaning of ‘exalted’. It is not only applicable to Jesus but decisively important for us who believe Jesus as Messiah, Son of God and the Lord of judgment. For we also will be exalted through the last judgment. People used to think resurrection life as the extension of present life, exalted to the highest place. As we are living here well we may live well in the kingdom of God, the resurrection life. It is not. If it goes in that way we don’t need to be exalted. We just try to establish a paradise on the earth only. Such paradise on the earth may come to us gradually. When natural science develops up to the climax the span of life also can be extended by 1,000 years. The science may solve all hungriness and energy problem too by using solar energy. We may reproduce numerous descendants selectively by using our own clone. Everybody can be handsome guy and beautiful girl. The Bible doesn’t say such world. Read today’s content precisely. God exalted Jesus to the highest place. Not we to come up through a rope and enter into heaven but can enter only under God’s permission. The hymn for Christ in Philippians sings that Jesus already has exalted to the place through resurrection. We today also are having worship service with the heart of singing such hymn.
Glory to God!
Now Jesus position might be changed completely if he exalted to the new world of life from the cross, the most humiliated, the lowest and cursed place to the highest and the most glorious place. If we say the cross as a symbol of shame, curse and helplessness then exaltation is a symbol of pride, glory and power. So the content sings, “…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” The ancient people thought this world is divided into heaven, earth and under the earth. They thought the spiritual being reside in heaven, human on earth and evil powers under the earth. Every knee bow down before Jesus means Jesus becomes the center of universe.
You may yet really feel to sing such praising hymn for Christ. We don’t know the things happening in heaven and under the earth but the people living on the earth do not bow down before the name of Jesus. Rather the world seems against the name of Jesus. The power on the earth seems to be given to a power country like America or to the ultra-nation enterprises. Not only the power revealed but its inside also filled with full of violence and unrighteous rather than actualization of peace of God and righteousness. At this juncture, every knee bow down and sing a praise hymn to Jesus seems really unrealistic.
Dear friends, at this point we need Christian spirituality. We should see the world with new spiritual eyes. We should see it at two view points that every knee bow down before the name of Jesus. First, it is an eschatological view point. The evilness is rampant in the world yet. However, when the last come everything in this world shall be judged. Jesus will come as the Lord of judgment. At that time the universe will be completely rearranged by Jesus. Grain and chaff, sheep and goat will be separated and truth and false will become crystal clear. At this last moment of the world every knee should bow at the name of Jesus.
Second, it will be completed but already has begun. Those who has eyes to see enable to see. I don’t say unreliable thing to you like an itinerant trader. This world already began to fill with the love of God through Jesus’ cross and resurrection. Evilness already lost its power. Disappointment and meaningless of life have lost all its strength like the ray of sunset. It seems so powerful only for unbelievers. Now only one thing we can do. It is singing a hymn in verse 11. “…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
We who believe Jesus as Lord have a responsibility and right to praise God. Nothing is important than this in our life. With early Christians who sang a hymn to praise Christ, let us praise to God with all our soul.
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