Let the same mind be in you...

Agape Love is a tall order.  It is easy to understand, just not easy to practice.
This active commitment on behalf of the other, even stranger and enemy, and especially the most vulnerable that Jesus COMMANDED, Jesus also modeled for us, according to the Gospel witnesses.
Paul got it very right in the letter to the Philippians, in one of the most elegant and powerful theological expositions on Agape Love that we have, or could ever need.

Though Agape has nothing to do with feelings directly, Paul wrote about consolation, compassion and sympathy because the readers of this epistle are very often motivated by feelings.

When Jesus gave us His new commandment (a new iteration of Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18), as we have that offered to us in Matthew 22:34-40, it was with one's whole heart, soul and mind that Jesus commanded we love God, and that we love neighbor as we love ourselves.

With a nod to the heart here in consolation, compassion and sympathy, and acknowledging that this is a spiritual exercise in our soul's loving relationship with God, still it seems to be the LOVING GOD WITH OUR WHOLE MIND that is neglected most often.

If we rely on our passions, our actions will be inconsistent at best, and at worst radically polarized according to our emotional state, especially in reaction to the words and actions of others.

We are very adept at turning our mundane thoughts, words and actions into spiritual activity, at least in our minds and in front of others around us.  "Radical Christianists", in fact, spiritually justify all manner of evils to others.  We also practice "spiritual escapism" when we don't want to be bothered by anyone else's problems or "supernatural rescuism", offering prayers when our active commitment is needed.  In all these things, we believe ourselves to be quite clever, though by practicing these we have not engaged our minds faithfully in the loving command.

Jesus lived Agape Love.  Paul uses in Philippians 2:1-11 Jesus' example of how to fulfill this commandment of our Lord in our lives. 

We must be of the SAME MIND -  have the SAME LOVE (Agape, which is not a feeling), be in FULL ACCORD with one another in our active commitment to each other and of ONE MIND, all in agreement that Agape Love is a better way for us to live as followers of Jesus - People of the Way of Jesus.

Beyond that, we must have the SAME MIND IN US that was IN CHRIST JESUS...
   Loving God with our whole mind,
      Knowing that Agape Love is a better way than fear, hatred, apathy, complacency or selfishness.
   We do nothing from Selfish Ambition that would allow us to hurt or neglect sisters and brothers
      around us for the sake of our own gain in wealth or power, and thus destroy the world in which
      we all live together.
   We do nothing out of conceit, the desire for Status over others because it leads to divisions and
      a lack of well-being in community which is not sustainable in the long term.
   We must be humble and live Agape - even to self-sacrifice for the sake of the other, unconditionally
      committed to his/her/their well-being, even recognizing that our own well-being depends on
      theirs being intact.

Jesus is our example, according to Paul.
We must follow Jesus in how we live in THIS PART of God's Kingdom, here and now.
We must love God, not just with our hearts and souls, but with our MINDS, exercising wisdom and
    sound judgment in how we live with one another AS our expression of love for God.
It will lead us where Jesus has gone - to the Cross, to self-denial and sacrifice.

Oh, I know you have skipped ahead to verses 9-11, to see what we get for all the trouble.
But the Glory is reserved for God.  Our glory is in the Cross, going to it willingly by living the Agape Love that Jesus COMMANDED us to live, and being with God in the Kingdom, here and now.  The redemption and salvation of God is a gift.  The living of Agape Love is our RESPONSE to the gift.
 
When I survey the wondrous Cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it Lord, that I should boast save in the death of Christ, my God; all the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.
Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a tribute far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my SOUL, my LIFE, my ALL.

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus - that led the Son of God to empty Himself for us, humble Himself for us and even die for our sake.  To follow Jesus means to do the same for one another - THAT is loving God with all we have, by loving Neighbor as Self.

ALL the Glory belongs to Jesus because of it, not to us - we are already recipients of His Grace!
Seek not glory for yourself, but faithfulness in following the Lord of Agape Love and Grace.
Love God with all your heart, soul and MIND.  God gave it to you to be used here and now, in THIS PART of God's Kingdom.

Pastor Jamie