Humility and Obedience: The way of the Cross, pt. 2

So Paul makes a summary statement in verse 5: "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."  Like that should be an EASY task!!!

He gave up...
             ...equality with God.

So
      ...no rights or sense of entitlement!
      ...no clinging to things
      ...open hands not tight fists!
      ...no demands or conditions or expectations...
      ...just a flat out..."Here I am, I'm yours."

Made himself... nothing.


Now...hang on a second...I don't like how this is sounding!
      ...made himself nothing by taking the nature of a servant!
      ...SERVE OTHERS...no rights...no union...
      ...humble, faithful, dutiful, obedient,
      ...submissive...dirty jobs...no glory...
      ...lousy pay and working conditions and abuse and a lack of recognition...no gratitude...

But wait a minute...taking on the nature of a servant being made in human likeness...so that's humbling...for us!  He did all of this being like ME!

FOUL!  Not fair!  Jesus...you were still God (even though man!) You had an unfair advantage!!!
      ...No wait a second...what else did Paul say in describing Jesus?
      ...he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross.
      ...Okay...I take it back...you had no advantages.
      ...You had the same conditions that I do...you had to humble yourself...live like me...submit like me...eventually die like me...NO WAIT...I don't have to die like you...on a CROSS!

YOU DID THAT FOR ME!

The way of the Savior...is humility...submission...surrender...obedience...service...sacrifice...death.
All just because?  No!  BECAUSE OF ME.

You walked the way of the Savior...for ME!

You took my place...you bore my cross...you died my death!

WOW!