Kenosis

Christ "emptied Himself" (Philippians 2:7)

NPN1-06C - Augustine, Sermons on Selected Lessons, Sermon 38, pt. 11 (Sage)

11. Attend now, dearly Beloved. The Lord was "passing by," and the blind men "cried out." What is "was passing by"? As we have already said, He was doing works which "passed by." Now upon these passing works is our faith built up. For we believe on the Son of God, not only in that He is the word of God, by whom all things were made; for if He had always continued" in the form of God, equal with God," and had not "emptied Himself in taking the form of a servant," the blind men would not even have perceived Him, that they might be able to cry out. But when He wrought passing works, that is, "when He humbled Himself, having become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," the" two blind men cried out, Have mercy on us, thou Son of David." For this very thing that He David’s Lord and Creator, willed also to be David’s Son, He wrought in time, He wrought "passing by."