2026 Lent Devotions
Friday, March 27
Philippians 2:5-11
5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
8 he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
9 Therefore God exalted him even more highly
and gave him the name
that is above every other name,
10 so that at the name given to Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
“… 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. …”
For me, this is one of the most telling lines about who Jesus is. He is the Son of God. He is the Anointed One – the Messiah. He is the Holy One of God, Son of Man, Prince of Peace – the list of names and titles goes on. Yet, despite all the wonderful accolades and royal monikers, Jesus obediently humbles himself and dies the death of a heinous criminal. That’s humility personified.
Unfortunately, many of us forget that critical aspect of our lives when it comes to God and our neighbor. Rather than humbling ourselves before the Lord by hearing and heeding God’s will in our lives, we assume we are in charge – that we have the last say. Humility before God admits that God is God and we are not – and that God’s will directs our lives. Humility allows us to submit to God’s will.
Similarly, we forget humility before others. We forget that we are all created in the image of God. The passage in Genesis is a reminder that, before God, we are all the same. No one is higher or lower, held in esteem or in contempt. Rather, we all stand before God on equal footing. Humility reminds us of that fact. Humility before others enables us to see the other person as God sees them – and to love them as God loves them.
Jesus’ humility reminds us of our need for humbleness in our lives – before God and before others. When we recognize true humility, we begin to understand better our relationship with God and with others. We find ourselves on the road to loving God and loving our neighbor, just as the Scriptures command.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for showing us the way of humility. Help me to see, recognize, and live each day in humbleness before You and others that I may grow in love for You and all people. Amen.