Paul ties “not pleasing ourselves” to Christ’s humiliation, suffering, and Gethsemane prayer (“not my will, but yours be done”); what does this suggest about the cost God expects unity and neighbor-edification to require, and how does that compare to modern expectations of comfort, preference, and “my rights”?
Another way to ask: Paul links “not pleasing ourselves” to Jesus’ suffering and “not my will, but yours.” What does that say about how costly unity and building up others can be, compared to today’s focus on comfort and “my rights”?
Direct Answer
Based on the lesson, unity and edification may require real self-denial—following Christ’s example of giving up comfort and even embracing humiliation—rather than insisting on personal preference or “rights.”
Support from Transcript:
The principle is stated: “even Christ did not please Himself.”
David Bercot explains the depth of that: if Christ had thought of Himself, “he would never have left heaven.”
He adds Christ’s willingness to suffer: Jesus allowed Himself to be “humiliated, tortured, and put to death on the cross.”
Gethsemane shows surrendered will: “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.”
Paul’s ethic mirrors this: “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good to his edification.”
The underlying target is self-interest: “Because he looked to our good, he neglected his own interests.”
Discussion Follow-ups
Where do you see discomfort as a sign something is wrong, rather than a normal cost of love? What preferences might you need to “empty” for the sake of unity?
