Years ago, I came across a book whose message could be summarized in two unforgettable words: die empty. Basically, don’t get to the end of life only to realize how much you could have done but didn’t. Millions of people are carrying around unwritten books, unspoken encouragements, and abandoned callings because they aren’t sure how to pour out, or they’re afraid to.
This idea of dying empty has a theological concept that is a bit similar: kenosis. Kenosis is about emptying, but it’s also about doing so through humility and love. The Greek word kenosis, used in Philippians 2:7, describes Christ “emptying himself.” I don’t want to diminish the weight of what kenosis entails, because its theological depth can’t be understood. In his book, Divine Humanity: Kenosis Explored and Defended, Brown explains that one commentary on Philippians 2:7 “speaks of the passage as the Mount Everest of Philippians study.”1
I don’t have time to climb theological mountains today, so I’ll keep this short.
The modern world trains us to accumulate. Consumerist culture is real in all aspects: more things, more money, more knowledge, more influence and followers, and so on. However, kenosis points the believer in an opposite direction; it’s not about accumulation; it’s about emptying. To sum it up scripturally: a man’s life doesn’t consist in an abundance of things… and it’s better to give than to receive.
When the apostle Paul describes Christ in Philippians 2, he points to Christ’s voluntary self-emptying. The eternal Son did not cling to His privileges but willingly took the form of a servant. His greatness was revealed not through self-promotion but through self-giving. That’s something that believers can imitate.
Brown, David. Divine Humanity: Kenosis Explored and Defended, Scm Pr, 2011, 5.
Kiah Wakefield 