but focusing on the needs of others:
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus...
...then the passage highlights how Jesus laid down His life, humbling Himself before death. We can become so self-absorbed sometimes; looking out for ourselves, placing our needs above all others, allowing ourselves to be so blinded by selfish ambition that we fail to see the needs of the people around us. We can trust the Lord and be conditioned to step up when we see injustice, when we encounter hurting people, when people are less fortunate and need encouragement or even material resources. As we place our eyes on Christ, He enables us to see the world and its inhabitants through His eyes.
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Jesus, before He gave His life on a cross, talked about "taking up" a cross - to live a life of humility
and sacrifice. He taught in Matthew 16:
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Two names for you today: Destinee Mangum and Caleb Edwards. Somebody stood up for them and those brave heroes are no longer alive.
Destinee is 16 - according to a CNN story, she was riding a train in Portland the other day when a man started ridiculing her and her Muslim friend; both were wearing hijabs. Another man stepped forward to rebuke the one who was making the rude comments. An argument ensued, then a fight...then three men were stabbed, two of them fatally.
Those who intervened were a 53-year-old military veteran, Ricky John Best. 23-year-old Teliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche was also stabbed. Both of them are dead. 21-year-old Micah Fletcher was hospitalized with a "visible neck wound."
These are the heroes - no one should be publicly shamed because of their appearance, or their nationality, or the way they choose to live their lives.
Eight people died in Brookhaven, MS, over the weekend. A gunman, apparently spurred on by a domestic dispute, went from house to house, three total. According to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Caleb's brothers Jordan and Austin were visiting a cousin's house when the rampage came their way. They had been alerted, but the armed man brutally shot his way into the house and took the lives of 11-year-old Austin and 18-year-old Jordan, who, according to the story "died a hero." He was shielding Caleb, who was grazed above his eye during the incident.
These two stories paint a picture of heroism, of self-sacrifice, of people who were willing to "get their hands dirty," who placed themselves at risk for the sake of another. While both these stories, occurring within days of each other, certainly enrage, we can also be thankful that there were those who were willing to give of themselves.
Jesus told a story of a man who had been attacked and left on the side of the road. A priest and a Levite saw the man and "passed by on the other side." Another, a Samaritan, took care of the man's wounds on site and brought him to an inn for care. We hear a lot about this man, known for ages as the "Good Samaritan." But, think about these two men who did not want to become involved. For whatever reason, they were not moved with compassion; perhaps consumed with their own self-preservation or their busy schedule. This can provide caution for us - to not become so self-absorbed that we are insensitive to the needs around us.
Jordan Edwards, in a moment of danger, with death staring him in the face, was not self-absorbed. Neither were Ricky, Teliesin, and Micah. I don't know if any of these men had a faith component, or relationship with Christ. But, they were certainly, in that moment, driving by something bigger than themselves. We can ask ourselves: in the moment when we are called to step up, do we have the inner motivation to actually do it, to sacrifice something or perhaps even our lives for the sake of another? We possess the Holy Spirit, who will give us that motivation and empower us, but we must be willing to activate His power.
Finally, we think about the One who modeled the true meaning of sacrifice, our Lord Jesus. He was willing to suffer intense pain, humiliation, and shame; He gave His life for the sins of the world; He laid down His life so that each of us could have eternal life. Now, He calls us to lay down our lives - to surrender completely to Him, to experience death to self. And, I believe He will direct us to walk free of self-absorption so that we will be ready to answer His call - to sacrifice, to humble ourselves, and to bring honor to His name.
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