LENT: WHY HUMAN FRAILITY IS GOOD

Lent is a good time to be frail.  Jesus is God become frail.

The frailty of Jesus.  My church has been preaching a series on the humility of Jesus using the first part (vv 6 – 8) of an early church hymn/poem (vv 6 – 11) in Philippians 2:

Who [Jesus], being in very nature God,
        did not consider equality with God
            something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
        by taking the very nature of a servant,
        being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
        he humbled himself
        by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross! (Phil. 2:5 - 8 NIV)

[Note:  The introduction to the hymn, verse 5 is a command, not a suggestion: “Have this disposition in you as Christ Jesus!”]

The humility Paul commands here, which is found in Christ, is not what people generally extol as the “virtue” of humility, a mere non-prideful attitude.  The humility of Jesus means that he accepted frailty.  What do I mean by frailty?  It is the opposite of the self-reliance and self-effort toward self-motivated ends.  The acceptance of frailty is the recognition of absolute weakness apart from God.  The Incarnational, self-emptying of the essence of God in Jesus meant that he shared in human frailty.  However, in the frailty of human form and nature, Jesus was completely obedient.  Jesus became dependent on his Father.  In doing so, Jesus became the “new Adam” (Paul’s analogy in Rom 5:15; 1Cor 15:45) who ushered in a new era of God’s life and grace.  In the frailty of human form and nature, Jesus conquers sin and death.

Application:  Why is humble frailty a good disposition?  It leads us to dependence on God and obedience.  Following this hymn/poem of 2:8 - 11, Paul reminded his “saints at Philippi” that in their obedience God was enabling them to will and act according to his purposes (2:12 – 13).  That is what I want in my life.

The “test” of life is whether I live for my own desires by my own strength or whether I live as a created person dependent on my Creator.  This test is not a final examination; it plays out daily.  I read a statement a few days ago, “The greatest teacher of God’s presence in our life is our life.”*  What struck me in reflection is that my life is a constant testimony to me – as much or more so as to anyone else.  When I accept my frailty, I seek to be near my God.  I experience increased order in my life, the peace that comes from the Presence of God.  I witness it.  When in my “strength” I seek my own way, there is more chaos in my life.  I can testify to that as well.

For Paul frailty was quite personal:  At one point in his life, Paul pleaded for God to take away some physical frailty, a “thorn in the flesh” (2Cor 12:7 – 8).  In response, God told Paul: “Sufficient for you is my grace; for [my] strength is made complete in weakness” (2Cor 12:9).

Lord, help me to see clearly and accept fully my frailty so that you might enable me in my weakness through your Spirit to be of real service in your Kingdom.  Amen.

*James Finley as quoted in Rohr’s Daily Meditations, 3/15/24.