Violent Love

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.    And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  - Philppians 2:5-8

Making violent love. 

Hold on, don’t think this is a racy or edgy thing here, get your mind out of the gutter.  My wife has been reading Jane Austen books, “Pride and Prejudice” and “Emma” to be exact.  Times have changed, much to the worse since then.  The phrase, “making violent love” had an entirely different meaning that it does today.  Back in Jane Austen’s day, the phrase meant to make a declaration of love without regard to public decorum or social status.

Here’s an example, my wife through her father’s line is descended from the British Royal line through Mary Queen of Scotts and King James.  While my wife has blue blood in her, she does not have any claim to the throne or a title.  Why?  Somewhere in my wife’s lineage, there was a an heir to the monarchy who fell in love with a commoner.  He had no regard for his claim to the throne, but rather made a declaration of his love to her, in other words, he made violent love to her.

Now consider this, Jesus did not consider His status as the Prince of Heaven when He chose to be born.  He had every right to come as the reigning King, but He instead came as a servant.  Rather than being waited on hand and foot, He stripped himself of His robe, tied a towel around His waist and washed the dirty feet of the disciples (John 13).

Rather than live in a palace; He had nowhere to lay His head (Matthew 8:20).

Rather than sitting upon a throne in a royal court; He took a place between two thieves on the cross.

Jesus had humbled Himself with no regard to His status to make a declaration of love to the world (John 3:16).  He made violent love to us.