This one stands on its own, Arsenios. Good on ya!
Despite its depth, this is simply the Orthodoxy 101 understanding of kenosis and robbery...
I would only say that we ought to at least hold loosely the idea of exploitation in this passage,
as that is what our examples of the verb's usage indicates.
It is built in, and is a manner of expression, perhaps:
"He thought it not robbery - eg He was the Rightful Owner..."
And He would not think it exploitation either...
But in His human nature, He set His Divinity aside
for the sake of His Hypostatic union with His humanity,
which is a union of Person with person in a relationship of the obedienc
(of the new creation, the Son of Man to) the direction of the Father...
He simply could not come in His Divine Nature
to direct this new creation during the Incarnation
for the reason established -
eg
It is the person, which IS who each of us also are,
who establishes the new nature,
and not special powers which we do not have...
And yet, it is the Divine Nature of which we partake
upon entry into the Risen Body of our Lord...
We eat His Body and drink His Blood unto Communion in Him...
Without which we have no Life WITHIN us...
Hence we attain by Grace that which Christ WAS by Nature,
and in this is the Life of the Saints
who have Holy Powers to heal and direct souls
and, say, appear on the road to the Ethiopian,
catachize him, and baptize him in the river where they were,
and then disappear...
Where the shadow of Peter healed the sick...
These kinds of things have been taking place since Pentecost
within the Body of Christ...
In 45 minutes, we begin the Service that leads us into the Pascha [Easter] Service at Midnight,
and we will end our 54 day period of fasting, including the Great Lenten Fast of 40 days,
in celebration of the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ...
This is our most blessed and holy Service of the entire year...
And it has been one very exceptional Season for me at least...
So thank-you... We should drift off into snooze around 4AM...
People are already arriving, and the "Table" is set...
Soon all the lights will be out,
and in the black darkness a single candle will be lit at the Altar,
and the Priest will begin the slow keening of the Chant:
Come...
Receive the Light...
From the Light...
That is never overtaken...
By night...
https://video.search.yahoo.com/vide...fr2=p:s,v:v&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=mozilla&tt=b
And later, the Troparion:
Christ...
Is risen...
From the dead...
Trampling down death...
By death...
And...
Upon those in the tombs...
Bestowing Life...
God bless you on this Great and Holy Day, my Brother...
Christ is Risen!
Truly He is Risen!
Arsenios