And being found in human form, he humbled himself…(Philippians 2:8, ESV)
It was great to see the U.S. win the Ryder Cup last year by such a large margin. While the dominant team-play was impressive, the team’s unity and focus were even more inspiring. I heard the comment made a few times that a player would gladly exchange lost matches for a U.S. victory. Apparently, each player’s personal achievement and glory mattered less than the team’s success. The highest value for the 2021 U.S. Ryder Cup squad was clear: team first.
The idea that one would set aside his or her own self-interest for the sake of the whole isn’t new, but it is certainly less than popular in Western culture. In the West, the individual reigns supreme, and the aim is to be the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) in any endeavor. Everyone understands that those who are less than the best will quickly fade from public memory, their names lost in the trash heap of sports statistics. In contrast, it’s the athlete with the highest ranking that will be lauded as the greatest in their sport and remembered in the annals. Consider these names: Jack Nicklaus, Michael Jordan, and Tom Brady.
Each is arguably the G.O.A.T in their chosen sport with high name recognition that will last for some time.
In Philippians 2, the Apostle Paul proclaims that God has given Jesus the name that is above every name; God has exalted Jesus to the highest position in all of human history. Paul names Jesus the G.O.A.T.—his name preeminent over all of creation and even beyond time into eternity.
Paul’s claim is made with a few presuppositions in support of his argument. First, that there is a God that exists outside of time and space who is exercising authority over His creation (Genesis 1:1; Ephesians 4:6). Second, God orders His creation hierarchically, exalting and demoting created beings based upon what God values most (Ephesians 2:8-9). So, what does God value most? One thing is for sure. God holds humility in high, high regard. Consider the Apostle Paul’s instruction in Philippians 2:5-11:
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, 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! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Paradoxically, in God’s established hierarchy, the way up is down, and the way down is up. Those who humbly descend to serve others for God’s greater purposes and glory ascend in God’s Kingdom. The ego-centered, the proud, and the arrogant, however, are brought low.
When we see an individual sacrifice for the well-being and success of others in any arena, great or small, we can’t help but admire the humility it requires to put others first. The beauty of the Ryder Cup victory last year was that it was team first—the individual served the whole. This Ryder Cup team value is only the faint echo of a more profound and ancient prescriptive (see Isaiah 53) lived out flawlessly by Jesus Christ 2000 years ago. According to God the Father, Jesus’ unmatched humility and unfathomable sacrifice for the sins of the world make him, undeniably, the greatest of all time.
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Boo Arnold
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at linksplayers.com.