When you think about a king, what sort of character traits come to mind? Chances are that humility isn’t at the top of your list. One reason is because we so often don’t see an abundance of humility in earthly rulers. Another reason is because, deep down, we might even think that we don’t want leaders who are too humble. Too much humility might mean that he lacks conviction, or resilience, or a fighting spirit. If he is too humble, he might also be weak.
In Philippians 2:3–4, Paul reminds us about the importance of humility. He writes, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” The message is clear enough. Don’t be too full of yourself. Honor those around you. Serve their needs. But it’s what Paul writes next that ought to really make us stop and think. Because instead of giving us an example of a humble servant, he points to the example of the King of Kings—who was also a humble servant!
Philippians 2:5–11 is often referred to as one of the four great Christological texts in the New Testament, along with John 1:1–18, Colossians 1:15–20, and Hebrews 1:1–4. Many scholars suggest it was originally a hymn—perhaps even written by Paul himself—that was incorporated into his letter to the Philippian church. If that is correct, we might consider it one of the earliest hymns about the incarnation, making it especially suitable for us to reflect on as we celebrate Christmas.
Paul argues that Jesus is the example whom we should follow as we cultivate humility. In his incarnation, the eternal Son of God became a man. In doing so, he voluntarily set aside all the glory that was due to him as Creator and took upon himself instead the lowly state of a creature. The One who is worthy to be served by all instead humbly became a servant to others. His humble service was evidenced in his obedience to his eternal Father and in his sacrifice on behalf of his fellow men.
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