These very words, with which the apostle Paul begins to speak of the self-emptying of the Son of God, express the essence of what “life according to the Gospel” means. At first sight, this may seem very simple and, so to speak, down-to-earth. But the apostle says that this is the path by which...
These very words, with which the apostle Paul begins to speak of the self-emptying of the Son of God, express the essence of what “life according to the Gospel” means. At first sight, this may seem very simple and, so to speak, down-to-earth. But the apostle says that this is the path by which we follow Christ Himself, the path of self-emptying. It turns out that the meaning and substance of life lie in giving: not acquiring, not accumulating, and not using things for our own benefit, but giving away the gifts with which God Himself has endowed us.
It is also very important to pay attention to the word the apostle uses. The Russian Synodal translation renders it very precisely, and it means constant care. This is not merely giving alms or sparing someone a minute left over from more important matters. It means caring for others continually, labouring for them, and emptying ourselves just as Christ did for our sake. Remarkably, in practice this alone gives a joy that no one and nothing can take away.
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2:4 Aim not every one at his own things - Only. If so, ye have not bowels of mercies.