One of the major breakthroughs as we enter 2023 is the increasing accessibility to AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology, especially for writing and painting. Many of you have heard in the news lately that you can type a subject or headline on the computer, and it will write a pretty well-researched essay for you. That means you can ask AI to write an article or a blog post virtually in seconds.
My son told me that AI could probably write my sermons for me, but I doubt it because I write my sermon based on my personal enlightenment from the scriptures through prayer and meditation. I get the message directly from the Head Office. But if what he said were true, AI could replace me, and I will be out of my job soon!
You have heard that AI will soon replace many jobs, including drivers and even doctors. AI will affect everybody’s life, and your life will never be the same because of it.
The next car you buy might drive by itself. You get in the car, maybe in the back seat without a driver in the front seat, tell it where you want to go, “Hey Car, take me to the church,” and just sit and read your book or chat with someone, and soon you are at your destination. Would that make you nervous or give you peace?
For peace of mind, I decided to try it out to see if AI could really write a sermon for me. So, this week, I typed in the subject of my sermon on OpenAI, “How to empty yourself.” Immediately, a blinking cursor appeared as if it was thinking and researching from millions of sources on the Internet. I was extremely excited as I waited for the outcome.
Unfortunately, it stopped and spat out a question saying, “I’m not sure what you mean by ‘empty yourself.’ Could you provide more context or clarify your question?” I was both disappointed and relieved. Disappointed because I thought it could assist me with my sermon research and save me time every week. Relieved because I realized I am still not replaceable by AI. It has no access to the Head Office.
Now, I have peace! (You know I am kidding!) Actually, I have no worries at all because AI can research for knowledge but cannot replace our wisdom. It can give us information but not maturity. It can think for us but cannot attain enlightenment on our behalf because it has a brain but not a spirit. As we discussed last week, true peace comes from the Holy Spirit, not from data.
Today, I am sharing with you the second secret to inner peace. I began this new sermon series on “How to Cultivate PEACE Within” starting last week. There are five pillars of inner peace, and I am using the word PEACE as the mnemonic acronym to help you easily remember them. I hope this will kick off our new year on the right foot and probably make the rest of your life the best of your life.
P – Protect God’s Presence in You
E – Empty Myself
A
C
E
Last week, we shared that the first pillar of inner peace is “Presence,” by which I mean “God’s Presence” and that we must “Protect God’s Presence in Us at all costs.” If you have God’s presence, you have peace. We looked at how Joseph protected little Jesus from getting murdered by the tyrant Herod as an allegory for defending God’s presence in us. For us, God’s presence is the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Today, we will learn the second pillar of inner peace from Jesus. The Bible reveals that Jesus maintained his peace by “emptying himself.” (Philippians 2:7). What does it mean, and how does it help you maintain your inner peace? AI doesn’t have the answer, but the Bible does. So, let’s discover the secret.
[Hi, in case we haven’t met yet, I am Sam Stone, the Lightkeeper—you are the light of the world, and I am the keeper! (No pun intended). It’s my calling to help you shine your brightest so that God is glorified in you and you are satisfied in God.]
Today is the First Sunday after the Epiphany and also the day to commemorate the Baptism of the Lord. The Scripture lesson for today is from the Gospel according to Matthew 3:13-17. [Listen to the Word of the Lord!]
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:13–17).
[Blessed are those who delight in God’s Word. Thanks be to God!]
Jesus kicked off his ministry by receiving baptism from John the Baptist. John’s baptism is known as the baptism of repentance, but Jesus had no sin and nothing to repent from, so why did he receive baptism? John was startled when Jesus came forward to be baptized by him. So, he asked,
“I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. (Mat 3:14b).
Previously, John told people he was not worthy of even untying Jesus’ sandals. He expected Jesus would baptize him instead of the other way around. After hearing Jesus’ explanation, he consented. But, scholars over the centuries have been trying to figure out what Jesus meant by “for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”
We understand Jesus came to fulfill all righteousness on our behalf because we have failed to satisfy it. But why is it necessary or “proper” for him to get baptized? Isn’t his crucifixion on the cross the crux of our salvation? What role does his baptism play in his mission on earth?
When we put this in the context of the entire Bible, we have discovered that from that moment forward, Jesus was about to face some severe storms of life. The Eight Winds from eight corners will hit him hard. If he lost his peace, he might not accomplish the mission impossible. This fallen world is harsh on the prophets that bring change. It’s even harsher on the Son of God.
I have previously talked about the Eight Winds of life. I won’t repeat it here, but it’s crucial to be aware of the storms of life. (You can search that message in the archives.) The point is that anyone trying to do the right thing in this fallen world will face the most severe storms of life. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated; Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered; Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, and you name it. That’s the nature of the beast that resists change.
If we want to maintain our inner peace in this fallen world, we must understand the mind of Christ and have the same mind as him. The Bible repeatedly encourages us to have the mind of Christ. It seemed John understood what Jesus was thinking, so he consented to baptize him. If you have Jesus’ mind, you have Jesus’ peace that enables him to stand still in the storms.
What was Jesus thinking? We often say WWJD—What Would Jesus Do? But the Bible seems to teach us HWJT—How Would Jesus Think? If you know how Jesus thinks, you know what he would do. The Apostle Paul described Jesus’ mind in a beautiful poem that also helps us interpret Jesus’ baptism. Paul said,
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross. (Php 2:5–8).
Paul said, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,” and described his mind in three verses. Paul was talking to a group of believers in Philippi, getting attacked for doing the right things. He wrote this to teach them how to maintain peace in the storms by having the mind of Christ. It also reveals why Jesus came to receive baptism and said, “for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”
Since baptism involves water, it reminds me of what Laozi said, “The highest righteousness is like water.” You might have also heard Bruce Lee famously say, “Be like water, my friend.” Water illustrates the secret to maintaining peace as we navigate the stormy sea of this fallen world. Let’s look at how water symbolizes Jesus’ mind and teaches us to empty ourselves.
1. Empty My Pride
“though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,” (Php 2:6).
Jesus was God who became human, just like water that springs from the highest places on earth or from the clouds in the sky but flows to the lowest places. Jesus’ baptism symbolized emptying his godly pride and privileges and assuming human status. Pride can make us confrontational and disrupt our peace.
Remember the way water flows. When it encounters an obstacle, it goes around it instead of hitting its head against the wall. Water adapts to the shape of the environment. When you put the water in the cup, it takes the shape of the cup. When you put it in your palms, it takes the form of your palms. Water has no pride even though it comes from high places.
As children of God, we have reasons to be proud, but if we are not careful, we could become like the Pharisees. They believed they were people of the untouchable upper class as descendants of Abraham. Their pride destroyed them and made them peace-breakers rather than peacemakers.
Pride also takes away our sense of humor. Children don’t have pride, and that’s why they are funny and peaceful. One of the reasons Jesus wants us to be like children is to maintain inner peace by keeping our sense of humor and being funny.
2. Empty My Ego
“but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,” (Php 2:7).
Jesus didn’t just assume human status but became a slave to serve humans. Slavery is the lowest human status. In the same way, water doesn’t just flow down but stays at the lowest places. Oceans are the lowest places on earth where the water makes its home. Similarly, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, taking the form of a slave.
If you assume the status of a slave, nothing can disturb your peace because you have no ego, no expectations, and no sense of entitlement. When Jesus wants us to become children, he wants us to become egoless like them because, most often, the older we grow, the bigger our ego as well.
I know it’s not easy to attain egolessness because I also have an inflated ego. Over the years, I have discovered a secret. Fasting can deflate our ego. It’s both historically and scientifically proven, and I have told you about this before. After baptism, Jesus went to the desert to fast for forty days. We will talk more about this during Lent, but just remember that fasting is the most effective way to crush your ego. Most importantly, it strengthens your inner peace.
You know I fasted for forty days last year and years before, and I will do it again if circumstances permit. It’s hard to set aside forty days as Americans because there always seem to be reasons to eat. There’s always a lunch meeting or a dinner party to attend. You have to be disciplined to make it happen. (But don’t do it at home without consulting your doctor.)
Jesus said,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 5:3).
The word “poor” here is translated from Greek, πτωχός (ptōkhós), which means more than poor. It means destitute and empty that you must bag for your next meal. So, it might be more accurate to translate it as “Blessed are empty in spirit.” The outcome is “ for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” An empty ego is a key to the kingdom. What is the kingdom? A place of peace.
3. Empty My Limit
Once you don’t have the ego, what’s left? What’s left is your limit. Sometimes, we try to be loving, patient, humble, and egoless. However, at some point, we might say, “Enough is enough. I am fighting back.” That’s where your peace ends. Our love, patience, humility, and egolessness have a limit, but here’s Jesus’ limit:
“he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.” (Php 2:8).
If death is your limit, your peace is unlimited. At his most painful moment on the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive the perpetrators. That means his thought was lucid despite the most severe pain any human could endure. What an amazing peace! The Roman Centurian who saw the entire thing said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39). After they took his life, he rose again from the dead.
When death is the limit, you transcend death and become limitless. Water is limitless. When you boil it, it turns into vapor. When you freeze it, it turns into ice. It doesn’t limit itself to one form of existance.
If death is your limit, even the devil can’t do anything about you. If death cannot steal your peace, nothing else can steal your inner peace. After Jesus emptied himself in the water, the Bible said,
And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. (Mt 3:16).
The moment you empty yourself, you become a sanctuary for God’s Spirit to dwell. A life walking in the Holy Spirit is a life living in heaven on earth because the presence of the Holy Spirit is the presence of God’s peace, based on what Jesus revealed in John 14:26-27. Then it says,
And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:17).
Jesus’ baptism pleases God because it symbolized victory over ego and maximized his chance to accomplish the mission impossible to save humanity from this sea of suffering. Through what Jesus has done for you, you know you are also a child of God. As you claim the mind of Christ and empty yourself like him, God also says to you, “This is my Daughter or Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
There we have it! Three steps to empty yourself to cultivate peace within:
1. Empty My Pride
2. Empty My Ego
3. Empty My Limit
A simpler way to practice this is “be like water.” Observe the way water behaves. Flow like water, live like water, and transcend like water! Let’s cultivate peace within to make the rest of our lives the best of our lives.
That’s it for today. I hope you find this message illuminating as much as I enjoy receiving it from the Head Office. Until we meet again, keep your light shining brighter and broader, and harvest the fruit of profound freedom and happiness.
Amen!
Bye now!
