The Genuine Disciples of Jesus Christ

                                              We are interested here in deciphering the requirements for a person to be a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ. In the Bible we find three connected terms: follower, disciple and Apostle. A follower is one who is attracted to a leader whom he or she would like to imitate, whereas a disciple is one who is totally attached to a master from whom he or she would like to learn and live accordingly. An Apostle is a messenger, officially sent by one who holds authority, to deliver a message or teachings. An Apostle has to be a disciple and a disciple has to be a follower of the leader in order to be a genuine Apostle or disciple.
                                             A disciple of Jesus Christ  has to first listen to the Gospel and understand the implications of the Good News proclaimed by Jesus. The Good News is rooted in the promise made by God to Abraham: "And through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me" (Genesis, 22:18).People who fight over Isaac or Ismail as the promised issue think only carnally and not spiritually. Jesus Christ is the spiritual issue bringing salvation and blessings to all peoples and all Nations. This promise, therefore, is fulfilled in Jesus Christ whose disciples we want to be. Jesus started with the first level of discipleship, i.e., to be his follower: " If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me" (Mark, 8:34). He gave a stunningly shocking reason for this stringent condition: " For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel's will save it" (Mark, 8:35).
                                            More is, however, required from a disciple of Jesus by way of self-transformation. This is a transformation from the present world-view we hold to the one held by Jesus in order to be a new person through conversion (repentance).As a result, a disciple is able to follow the new commandment: " I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John,13:34-35). The Apostle Paul reminded us about this transformation when he wrote that the disciples should not be conformed to this world, but should be transformed by the renewal of their minds. As for their bodies, offering them as living sacrifices is their spiritual worship (Romans, 12: 1-3).
                                           The earth-shaking demands of Jesus to hate one's own father and mother etc. (Luke, 14:26-27) are precisely that in order to shake us out of our lethargy resulting from our attachment to the world. This and similar passages are meant to wean us out from undue attachment even to our loved ones through practice of detachment (See our Post on 'Detachment'). We might wonder how to live in the world, society, family etc.if we strictly follow the words of Jesus wishing to lead a peaceful life. This is the crux of the problem: what we now consider as peace is no peace at all, but only adjustments by mutual give and take for maintaining a sort of materialistic life. Unless and until we shake off our present mode of thinking and living, we shall never be liberated from the shackles that bind us to our harmful self-love making us slaves to our desires driving us into unhappiness in due course. This is why Jesus said that trying to save one's own life is to lose it and losing it is to save it!
                                            What is the way out then to be whole and lead a full life in our day-to-day life in the world? It is possible through self-mastery practiced by means of self-control in order to conquer not only ourselves but also the world. For this the most apt means is to be a genuine disciple of Jesus who conquered the world by conquering himself (John, 16:33). The natural reaction of anyone with human nature to the tough conditions Jesus imposed on those who want to follow him would be: why should I? The simple answer is that there is no other way for our real well-being both in this world and in the world to come. Jesus differs from every other human being by becoming what he professed and preached and thus turning out to be the way, the truth and the life (John, 14:6).
                                             The core of self-control may be summarized in two types of actions performed by us. 1. As we cannot escape from the world and the things therein even in our spiritual life, in engaging and enjoying the world we have to take care not to be controlled by our passions as well as the attractions of the world. We should not be their slaves, but masters and enjoy the world on our own terms. We enjoy life in the world on our own terms when we live according to our true nature that is the source of our happiness and not when dictated by the world. 2. We have to curb our 'ego' that is the despoiler of all right relationships with God and people around us. The practical way of doing it is to deny our self-importance and be ready to serve in humility as Jesus has shown by washing the feet of his own disciples. Let us be genuine disciples of Jesus Christ in order to reign with him in his glory.    

The Persecuted and the Kingdom of Heaven

                                            "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew, 5:10).
The first and the last of the beatitudes promise the kingdom of heaven and that too indicating the reward starting to be bestowed already now in this world. This shows how the Kingdom of God (heaven) is planted and nurtured in us even now to be gradually developed and enjoyed hereafter in the life to come in full measure. For the blessings of the other 6 beatitudes, we have to patiently wait till they are accomplished in the new heavens and the new earth (Revelations, 21:1). St. Augustine considered the first and the last beatitudes as really one because of the similarity of the reward of the kingdom of heaven. However, they cannot be identified as one because of the first parts in each of them: poverty in spirit for the first and persecution because of righteousness in the last. We have already seen the explanations for "poverty in spirit" and " righteousness  because of persecutions" in our previous posts.
                                           Jesus challenges in the Beatitudes our concept of blessedness consisting of bodily health and material wealth. He reverses the present world-order that heavily depends on our perception of well-being based on matter, body, senses etc. in favor of our real well-being based on the spirit, soul and the mind consisting of our intellect and will power. Jesus initiated the proclamation of his Gospel with this idea in mind by saying: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is now close at hand" (Matthew, 4:17). The early martyrs who suffered persecutions and death for Christ and the present persecutions of Christians in certain parts of the world are counted as blessings in this spiritual sense. Let us hasten to add here that our spiritual self is the deepest truth in us and not merely something peripheral and ornamental. If only persecutions, seizure of possessions, torture and death are taken as means to become like Christ along with righteousness, love, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, they are a blessing! If our world-view and life are governed by greed for material possessions as well as bodily indulgences to the point of neglecting our spiritual well-being, persecutions etc. are a complete disaster for us. However, how to live in the world of matter acquiring wealth and living a happy life etc. is to be learnt from the first Beatitude that is about poverty in spirit.
                                         Why is the Kingdom of Heaven inevitably persecuted by the kingdoms of the world? It is due to the gulf between matter and spirit, body and soul, the earthly and the heavenly. Paul says in Galatians 4:29 that he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according  to the Spirit, even so it is now. In John 15:18-21 Jesus spoke about the inevitability of persecution for those who really grasp the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven, its nature and powers and live accordingly.
                                         Persecutions need not necessarily originate from the enemies of Christianity or from those who are ignorant of Jesus Christ. It may co-exist with so-called belief in Christ where brother may betray brother and so-called disciples of Jesus Christ may try to pull down other disciples out of jealousy etc. In this context, we may recall the homily by Pope Francis on the 19th of November 2014 at Casa Santa Marta where he mentioned about a sort of 'comfortable spirituality' that is actually a state of sin. The Pope's reference was to chapter 3 of Revelations dealing with the lukewarm Church of Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22). Thus there are various degrees of persecutions even within the Church of Christ because of a distorted view of discipleship in such persecutors (See next post:: 'Genuine Disciples of Jesus Christ'). Paul himself advised Timothy, his assistant and a true disciple of Christ, that all who desire to live a holy life united in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Timothy, 3:12)  Persecution of any type from anyone is a golden opportunity to bear witness to Jesus Christ and we will be given a wisdom our enemies are unable to contradict (Luke, 21: 12-19).
                                          So, how should we face persecutions? It is an opportunity for the true disciples of Jesus to grow in love, joy and peace. Let us remember that these three are the first fruits of the Holy Spirit out of the nine mentioned by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23. Heaven is nothing but true love, joy and peace all of which experienced now will be completed in our life to come. Suffering persecutions willingly for the sake of Jesus Christ is a sign that our faith is real and deep and we don't go by a comfortable spirituality. We are really the salt of the earth and the light of the world reminding us at the same time that we are serving a kingdom not of this world! " Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew, 5:16). 

Relationship of peacemakers to God

                                        " Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons(children) of God" (Matthew, 5:9). Jesus who made this promise is the perfect model of true peacemakers, having shed his own blood to reconcile the sinful human race with God (Colosians, 1:20). Those who bring reconciliation to broken relationships, in one's own case or that of others, are peacemakers. It is all the more praiseworthy to forestall conflict situations and try to prevent the breaking of ties. This cannot be done unless our relationship to God is set right as "there is no peace for the wicked" (Isaiah, 48:22). Real peace is the restoration of right relationships among men and women, personally and socially, based on the restoration of relationship with God. Real peace and unity have to proceed from the inner recesses of the soul to be lasting as against their mere semblances set to crash any moment. It is a matter of justice and righteousness, not just absence of conflicts. Real peace creates harmony among people and makes life complete and fulfilled.    
                                         How does peace come about? In the Old Testament, prophet Jeremiah warned people about the appearance of peace when there is no real peace. " For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain. And from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely" (Jer., 6:13). They say "peace", "peace", but there is no peace (Jer., 6:14). Peace can come to people not by merely announcing it, but through the action of peacemakers. They take action to resolve conflicts and promote peace actively, not satisfied with being merely passive and peaceful people. A peacemaker has to be honest about the prevailing situation in the community or among people and never gloss over the cracks and the weak spots before they do full damage. The prophet Ezekiel in 13:10 warned the  people not to cry "peace" when there is no peace. To do so is like covering a flimsy wall with plaster that is going to fall.
                                       It takes effort to make peace and to maintain it. Paul advised the Christians to make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace (Eph., 4:3). In Romans 14:19, Paul writes that every effort should be made to do what leads to peace. Romans 12:18 cautions people that if it is possible, as far as it depended on them, to live at peace with everyone. A peacemaker's character should be filled with godly wisdom, pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere attitudes. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness (James, 3: 17-18).    
                                      Peacemakers know that real peace is costly. It requires self-sacrifice and humility from the part of the peacemaker. Peacemakers have nothing to depend on except the grace of God. He or she offers himself or herself as an instrument in the hands of God  An instrument has nothing to boast of and is totally pliable in the hands of the user who may throw it away after making use of it. An instrument cannot claim rights and privileges and cannot hope to share the fruits produced. What is more, a peacemaker may be made to bear the weight of the guilt incurred by the warring parties, thereby exonerating them of their guilt. It adds to the righteousness of the peacemaker, just as in the case of Jesus, making him or her thereby a son or a daughter of God as the case may be. After thoroughly executing the job at hand, peacemakers should say:: " ... we are unworthy servants; we have done only that which we ought to have done" (Luke, 17:10).  
                                     How are the peacemakers called sons of God? They will be sons or daughters (children) of God in virtue of the new creation effected through God's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Let us remember here that Jesus Christ is not restricted to the realm of the Church alone, as he is the head of the entire Universe, visible and invisible, besides being the head of the Church. It is essential, therefore, for us to be completely transformed into new creatures for which the beatitudes show us the way. John, 1:12 and Galatians 3:26 tell us that we become sons of God through our faith in Jesus Christ. Only when we attune our character to that of the Father in heaven can we become sons of God who is a "God of peace" (Rom., 16:20; 1 Thessalonian 5:23; Hebrews 13:20). "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them" (2 Cor., 5:19). God reconciled to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven and thus made peace by the blood of Jesus poured out at the cross (Col., 1:20). On a daily basis, we are led by God's Spirit, a Spirit of peace, and thus making us sons of God (Rom., 8:14).
                                     Peacemakers who are called sons of God start living a heavenly life already now here on earth. This is so because the peace enjoyed by the peacemakers is not like the peace we may receive in and from the world (John, 14:27). The world can give only temporary and superficial peace as it is derived from external and contingent factors on which we have no control. The peace Jesus gives is from above and is eternal and permanent being inserted into our hearts welling up into eternal and heavenly life. Peacemakers are truly called sons (children) of God.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

The Pure in Heart will See God

                                        " Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew, 5:8). The two important words that need explanation in this context are "pure" and "see". Both of them may be used in two senses each; one material and the other spiritual besides shades of meaning in between. The Greek word used in the New Testament for 'pure' is 'katharos' and that too 27 times in various contexts. The clean cloth used for wrapping the body of Jesus for his burial (Matthew, 27:59) indicates its material sense. When Jesus said that his disciples were clean but not all of them meaning his betrayer (John, 13:10-11), he used the word in its spiritual sense. Shades of meaning in between these two poles of material and spiritual senses are to be seen in the psychological sense of the healing the possessed (Matthew, 12:22). The word is also used in curing diseases like leprosy (Luke,17: 11-19) where again different senses apply.
                                         The Greek word for 'see' is 'horao' and is used 449 times in the New Testament. It also has two senses: literal and figurative. The literal sense refers to seeing with our physical eyes as when Jesus asked for a coin to see whose inscription was on it (Mark, 12: 15). When figuratively employed, it means to "to perceive", "to understand", "to experience" etc. In Romans,1:21b it is used in the sense of understanding or knowing God. It is used in the sense of  'experiencing' in John, 3:36, where it is said that he who refuses to obey the Son will not 'see' life. "Seeing" and "entering" the Kingdom of God (John, 3:3-5) are to be understood as experiencing and living in the Kingdom.
                                         Moses, who was privileged to speak to God face to face just as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus, 33:11), was not allowed to see His face as no man could look upon the glory of God and live ( Exodus, 33: 19-23). The Apostle John testifies that no one has seen God  at any time except the Son who is in the bosom of the Father (John, 1:18; 1 John, 412) If so, what is the meaning of the promise in this beatitude? The ' heart' referred to in this beatitude has nothing to do with the physical organ pumping blood to all parts of the body. It refers to the center of our personality, the essence of our individual existence around which our entire life turns like in a fulcrum. Spiritual purity of this center devoid of evil thoughts like murder, adultery, fornication, idolatry, impurity, enmity, anger, envy, hatred, lust for power, sex, greed, drunkenness etc. is presupposed before we are able to see God by living in His Kingdom. Mere legalistic and ritualistic approaches cannot please God, let alone the chance of seeing Him.
                                       Purity of heart means that we are in conformity with God's ways of thinking and acting as King David was able to do. In this respect, even the great and wise King Solomon, son of King David, failed due to which God gave, after his death, a major part of his kingdom to his servant Jeroboam. Thus Solomon's vast kingdom was divided into Israel, under Jeroboam, and Judah, under Rehoboam, Solomon's son. Thus the division of original Israel, consisting of 12 Tribes took place; 11 Tribes with Jeroboam and one Tribe (Judah) with Rehoboam. Even this small portion was allowed to be kept back for the sake of David (1 Kings, chapters 12-16). King David was totally faithful in keeping and observing the commandments and statutes set by God and was considered as one after God's own heart. For his personal failure, David was ruthlessly punished by God to reform and renew him.
                                     How should we conduct ourselves in order to be pure of heart? A divided heart may be a sign of an impure heart. It is impure without singleness of purpose. The double-minded person tries to serve both God and Mammon. Mammon stands here for money or wealth of this world. Jesus gave the reason for this sort of impurity as none can serve two masters at the same time (Matthew, 6: 24). The pure of heart has no hidden agenda. There is no ulterior motive in serving the Master other than glorifying His name This glorification is not divorced from the well-being, consisting in the enhancement of God's image, of the servant who glorifies God's name. As we cannot walk physically in both directions at the same time, we cannot reach our spiritual goal without singleness of purpose.
                                    How, then, can we live in this world of material necessities, societal obligations, personal competitions etc. without compromising on the purity of our heart? It is possible to enjoy this world and all the avenues of life here and now if we practice detachment (see the post on 'Detachment'). It means to say that we need not be unnecessarily attached to persons and things in this world and thus keeping ourselves away from the poisonous elements contained in them. Our addiction to and abuse of persons and things gives a clear idea of what harm is hidden in an attitude of undue attachment. In order to keep a clean and pure heart we must surrender ourselves to the Pure Being (God) to whom we try to conform ourselves in our everyday life. A form of meditative prayer (contemplation) would help us to connect with that Ultimate Being in whose presence our life in the world will be fulfilling.    

Mercy for the Merciful

                                    ' Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (Matthew, 5:7). The first 4 beatitudes naturally lead to the fifth one of being merciful to the disadvantaged, weak and marginalized people. For, we are exactly in the same situation before God by being poor in spirit, mourning, by being meek and hungering and thirsting after righteousness. We who receive gracious and merciful bounty from the King are required, in our turn, to be gracious and merciful to our less privileged brethren. This is exactly what Jesus taught through the parable of the unforgiving and unmerciful servant who was liberally forgiven and set free from his debts owed by him to his master (Matthew, 18: 21-35).
                                     The merciful are blessed because they forget about their own rights and needs and show kindness to others and heal their wounds. This is done not because they naturally like it, but because they are conscious of the fact that they themselves are forgiven and shown mercy by the Lord. Because they are merciful to others now, they will be shown mercy not only now but also in the future life to come.
                                      Acts of mercy can arise only from a loving heart. It is an overflow of love that is usually hidden and finds an opportunity to express itself in acts of mercy. When it proceeds from love, our attitude to the beneficiary of our merciful act would be one of respect and humility. A condescending and superiority-complex driven act of mercy deprives the benefactor of all merit and reward due to the wrong motives of the action performed. It also humiliates and demoralizes the beneficiary of the act of mercy who has a right to the dignity of his or her person. Empowering others by our acts of mercy pertains to its substance over and above any material or physical assistance rendered. Empowering a person belongs to the sphere of the Spirit and is essential for the spiritual life of both the benefactor and the beneficiary.
                                     The motive for showing mercy to others is that we have been shown mercy by God in so many ways and in several instances. If God were to extract retribution for our acts, we would not have been alive today and alive in the way we seem to thrive in the world! Since God needs nothing from us, what we can do to show devotion to God is to show mercy and assist the unfortunate ones in place of God. This very attitude is highly recommended by Jesus by proclaiming that whatever has been done for these little ones has been actually done for him (Matthew, 25:40). We have an important duty to God to show our gratitude for all the good things he has bestowed on us. This obligation is eminently fulfilled by showing mercy to the underprivileged and the weak for the sake of our love of God. Our intention and motives should be highly pure in helping others since we deal with God when we deal with our neighbor.
                                     Besides material assistance to the needy, we can show mercy in innumerable ways that are directly connected to our spirit. Willingness to forgive others when they offend us in any manner is but a corollary to our general attitude of tolerance of others when their behavior in general is not palatable to us. Very often, the dislike we feel for others is due to difference of temperament, cultural background, education, view of life, personal circumstances etc. For the same reasons, others may not like our behavior and attitudes. Tolerance, understanding, dialogue, mutual respect and trying to learn more about others to appreciate their ways of acting etc. are part and parcel of being merciful.
                                    Very often, people feel that condemning others for their wrong doing will justify them before the society. On the contrary, it is the guilty who is usually quick to condemn the wrongdoer. Jesus graphically portrayed this attitude in the case of the woman caught in the act of adultery (John, 8:1-11). As per the Jewish Law, the woman was to be stoned to death and they came prepared with stones to trick Jesus into giving an opinion.  Jesus gave his opinion by asking the one without sin to cast the first stone. The crowd melted away within no time, the stones slipping from their hands, beginning with the eldest leaving the woman alone with Jesus! This shows that they had a conscience at least that was able to prick them when confronted with reality. Would it be the same if we were to face such a situation? If not, are we hypocrites, instead of being merciful?    

What Is Righteousness?

                                        Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: " Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied" ( Matthew, 5:6). Like many passages in the Bible, we think that we know the meaning of 'righteousness', but in fact we don't. Usually, we hunger and thirst for food and drink to satisfy our bodily needs. Here hunger and thirst are for righteousness, which, therefore, must be from our soul. Soul being spirit in the body must be longing for spiritual food and drink. Righteousness is that spiritual food and drink combined as a gift flowing from God to those who hunger and thirst after it.
                                      That it is not a product of our actions is clear from what Jesus says: " For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew, 5:20). Righteousness implies our right standing before God for which we are incapable unless we receive it as a gift from God. It does not consist in good actions we perform nor in rituals of sacrifices and offerings we make to God. The essence of righteousness consists in taking upon ourselves the punishment for the wrongs others have committed while we remain innocent. It is most repugnant to human nature to undergo this ordeal and yet is possible in union with the one who conquered the world by conquering his own self. This is what God did in Jesus: " God made him who had no sin be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" ( 2 Corinthians, 5:21). Our righteousness, therefore, is through our participation in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, who alone is righteous in his own right before God. Subsequently, our good actions, sacrifices and offerings are acceptable to God.
                                       All our good actions, sacrifices etc.offered to God  should follow on the basis of this righteousness for which we should hunger and thirst. If so, we shall be able to control our impulses to kill as well as our tendency to get angry. We should be able to reconcile with anyone who has anything against us before our display of devotion to God in public. We shall understand that looking at a woman with the eyes of lust is committing adultery with her in our heart. In marriage, there can be no divorce according to our whims and fancies. Forget about swearing, one has to be so honest and trustworthy that there is no need of any swearing.  Instead of "an eye for an eye", " a tooth for a tooth", we have to turn the other cheek too. If someone sues us for anything, give him or her double of what they ask for We should not turn away anyone empty-handed who asks us for some help. Even people who ask for a loan should not be refused. On top of everything, we have to love our enemies as well as our friends.
                                    Is it practical to live like this in this world? In order to follow these principles, we have to first understand them correctly. A literal interpretation of the texts in all cases may not bring out the intended meaning.The social situation in each age, human tendencies to be lazy and to take advantage of others, the need to uphold the dignity of everyone including our own etc. should be taken into account to properly understand each case. Within this framework, it is practical and possible to live by those principles if we can follow the instruction of Jesus: " But seek first God's Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew, 6:33). These things are our daily needs like food and drink and clothing etc. for which we anxiously labor every day. If so, how much more will be the gift of God that fulfills our spiritual needs! Seeking God's Kingdom and his righteousness implies that we start with the beatitudes whereby we are in the right frame of mind to put into practice the instructions of Jesus and be his disciples. The beatitudes (Matthew, 5:3-12) and all the instructions that follow (Matthew, 5:13-48) are specifically addressed to those who would like to be the disciples of Jesus. The following chapters 6 and 7 expand the theme in the same spirit. A disciple is empowered from above to put into practice the instructions of Jesus. The disciples of Jesus are extremely happy people because of the influence of the beatitudes (Matthew, 5:3-12) in their life.  
                                  The happiness that starts in the life of the disciples in this very life will be completed in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the hope we live by everyday. People like the pharisees and the doctors of the Law among the Jewish people during the time of Jesus were extremely legalistic and were slaves to the Law. In their condition of slavery they were not fit to understand the freedom offered through the beatitudes and the meaning of righteousness before God. This is why Jesus discounted them from entering the Kingdom of God. The righteousness acceptable to God did not arise from the observation of the Law but from the promise made by God to Abraham and fulfilled in Jesus Christ. It is, therefore, essential to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. A nominal Christian may not qualify while a true disciple of Jesus from any religion, being truly righteous, may enter heaven before many others. St. Augustine has given a reason for this paradox by saying that there are some who think that they are in the Church who may really be outside it while there are others who think that they are outside the Church who may be really in. The ultimate mystery is that true righteousness being identified with Jesus Christ, anyone who participates in the  one does so in the other too.