Re:Verse passage – Philippians 2:5-11 (day seven)
” but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant” vs 7a
We are nearing the time of year when Hallmark Christmas movies will be on repeat as we prepare for a holiday season. I have learned the plot lines to these love stories well. A young successful woman is forced to move to the country side, falls in love with a local man, and finds herself enjoying this new way of life. They kiss, it snows, and we assume they live happily ever after!
These are the types of love stories that we expect in modern culture. When was the last time one of these movies was about a King who willing set aside His royal privileges to become a slave so that He could die? This is not the love story we expect. It is a story of sacrifice. It is a story of submission. It is a story of surrender. It is a counter cultural love. This is a true love story!
I share your observations. Even old stories like the one about the bee bee gun for a Christmas gift shares nothing of the Christ Child, the one who came to save the world!
No wonder there are groups who point their fingers at us and say we’re celebrating a pagan holiday when we celebrate Christmas! We even try to incorporate an evergreen tree into the scene when its origins are clearly pagan! The central theme should always be the Son of God who was born into the world (some time, not necessarily on 12/25) to basically come to our rescue in our hopelessness. That is a love we still seem to dilute in our interpretation and understanding. I rejoice at seeing mangers and shepherds along with Joseph, Mary and the Baby; certainly not santa clause.