How much property and value did a slave have in ancient times?
In that era, a slave had none of this world's goods and no property. His life was considered worthless; he might be here today and gone tomorrow, and he owned absolutely nothing of material value to call his own at all.
Les explains that the better term for "servant" in this context is "slave." He asks how much material goods a slave in antiquity had, and the answer is none. A slave's life was worthless; he might be here today and gone tomorrow. Les illustrates this with the rowers in the ships of those days, who were slaves in the lower, hot areas of the ship and rowed until they died, after which they were pitched overboard. They had none of this world's goods. Les then applies this to Christ, who took Himself to the depths of being a slave, with absolutely nothing of this world's goods to call His own. From the exalted area of the Godhead, He came down to be nothing more than a human being like the rest of us. Les says this is unbelievable from the human side and he cannot comprehend it, but it is what the Word declares: the Almighty God Himself in the person of Christ became a slave and was made in the likeness of men.
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: