Mild He lays His glory by… (Hark the Herald Angels Sing, by Charles Wesley)

I imagine Charles Wesley was moved to write “Mild He lays His glory by…” by Paul’s observation that Jesus voluntarily set aside his status as God to become one of us (see Philippines 2:6-7).

Being demoted from a position of honor is a big step down. Perhaps it happened when you were an only child and then a baby brother or sister arrived. Or when you found yourself lost in the crowd at university after being a big deal in your high school. Or when you were fired from your enviable job. Or when your grandchild outgrew the stage of wanting to be with you a lot.

Now, rather than thinking of those things just happening to you, pivot to thinking of willingly choosing to let them happen to you.

Multiply that by infinity and we come to what Jesus—the King of Glory--chose to do when Mild He lays His glory by.

This is the point at which we learn what ultimate humility looks like.

We learn it doesn’t look like thinking negatively of ourselves. In fact, we see it is the opposite of weakness. It is strength. It is choosing to act in a way that puts the welfare of others above our own, no strings attached. 

The proud go to great lengths to retain their power status because their focus is on themselves. They live for “glory.” 

Jesus just “mildly lays His glory by” because His focus was, and is, on others. On us. On Father God and His will for us. 

Let’s think through what we know of the way Jesus’ life played out from the time He laid His glory by. He whom the cosmos cannot contain chose to reduce Himself to fit within a young woman’s womb. He was born helpless and needy to a young mother and a father who had to navigate treacherous times and places. His was a lowly life lived in a land dominated by a hostile superpower.

His family would take a long time to understand Him, as would His disciples and the crowds. Some would never come around. Some would betray Him. Some would crucify Him.

Yet, Mild He lays His glory by. And, thereby, the first step was taken to bring the Kingdom of God to earth.

Whenever one of us engages humbly in this weary world we are quietly proclaiming that God’s Kingdom is in our midst. 

What current weary world situation could benefit from—maybe even rejoice because of—your humble engagement? (A great place to begin, btw, is at home!)