Is it possible to lose our birthright to perfect happiness? It is possible because the right to manage it is put into our hands and if we mismanage our life, we may lose it. We see in the Old Testament story of Esau and Jacob how the former sold his birthright to the latter as the first born for a little red broth to save his life from hunger (Genesis,25: 29-34). The reasoning of Esau is typical of anyone immersed in gaining material benefits alone neglecting the overall benefits one might lose in the process. For, Esau thought to himself: "What benefit is it to me to keep my birthright if I am going to die of hunger here and now?". This instance may be considered as a prototype of the general spiritual principle Jesus enunciated: "Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it" (Matthew, 16:25). From the last Post on our 'false and true self', we know that this saying of Jesus may be translated into: "Whoever gains their false self will lose their true self and whoever loses their false self will gain their true self". Jesus adds the condition "for me" to indicate the purest motive needed and it means gaining 'perfect happiness' or the 'Kingdom of God' as we have already seen in the last Post.
Perfect happiness or the Kingdom of God is virtually the birthright of every person born into this world. However, no one is immune to losing this right as is taught by Jesus: "Many, I tell you, will come from east and west to feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven. But those who were born to the Kingdom will be driven out into the dark, the place of wailing and grinding of teeth" (Matthew, 8: 11-12).
This solemn pronouncement by Jesus was occasioned by an interesting incident reported by the Evangelist Matthew (Chapter, 8: 5-10). At Capernaum, where Jesus shifted his abode from Nazareth of Galilee, a centurion approached him with a request for curing one of his servants who was paralyzed and in pain. Jesus volunteered to go with him to his house when the centurion declared his unworthiness to receive such an august guest under his roof. Besides, the centurion professed his unswerving faith in the efficacy of the word of Jesus uttered from anywhere, near or far from his servant. What astonished Jesus was the depth of the blind faith of the centurion for which he adduced reasons from his own experience how things worked. He was also a man in authority who could command at will to his servants to do whatever he wanted done and it was immediately executed. The implication was that Jesus being in authority over everything and everybody could do the same, illness and pain included, by a mere word. Jesus asked the centurion to go home telling him that let things be according to his faith and at that moment the servant was cured (Matthew, 8:13). That those who were born to the Kingdom or perfect happiness were unworthy of the same due to their lack of genuine faith was the first lesson to draw from the incident. The second lesson was the fact that the Kingdom of God or perfect happiness is not restricted by the limitations of religion, race, caste, creed , language etc. It is accessible to everyone who is open to it without prejudices.
Here we have to be clear about the connection among perfect happiness, the Kingdom of God, Jesus Christ and his disciples. How can one be a disciple of Jesus without being baptized with water and Spirit and be reborn as a member of the Church? The Church answers this difficulty with the provision that a well-meaning person seeking justice and righteousness may be considered as baptized by desire (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1260). The reason for insisting on the necessity of baptism is that the happiness we long for is perfected in the Kingdom of God that is identified with Jesus Christ who is our righteousness before God (See our Post on ' What is righteousness?). Anyone, therefore, who stands for righteousness is thereby a disciple of Jesus and a member of the Church through baptism of desire. Similar is the case with baptism by blood for those who have undergone martyrdom for the sake of faith (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1281). Union with Jesus Christ is necessary for receiving the free gift of salvation effected in and through him by the power of God. This is why even the infants who die without baptism are entrusted to the mercy of God by the Church in their funeral rite (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1283).
The ultimate reason for the identification of righteousness with Jesus Christ is in what he did with his life in accordance with the Father's Will. Jesus became Christ through his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead thereby becoming the head not only of the Church, but of the entire Universe. Specifically, Jesus became the anointed (meaning of 'Christ') through the Holy Spirit at his resurrection. He became the very principle of righteousness, setting the relationship between man and God right and anyone whose actions even approximate to what Jesus did is his disciple. All are, therefore, called to be disciples of Jesus Christ, irrespective of their various affiliations and interests in the world, through the quality of their life. All rituals and sacrifices performed should affect our lives positively to turn us into living sacrifices before God in order to be perfectly happy!
Perfect happiness or the Kingdom of God is virtually the birthright of every person born into this world. However, no one is immune to losing this right as is taught by Jesus: "Many, I tell you, will come from east and west to feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven. But those who were born to the Kingdom will be driven out into the dark, the place of wailing and grinding of teeth" (Matthew, 8: 11-12).
This solemn pronouncement by Jesus was occasioned by an interesting incident reported by the Evangelist Matthew (Chapter, 8: 5-10). At Capernaum, where Jesus shifted his abode from Nazareth of Galilee, a centurion approached him with a request for curing one of his servants who was paralyzed and in pain. Jesus volunteered to go with him to his house when the centurion declared his unworthiness to receive such an august guest under his roof. Besides, the centurion professed his unswerving faith in the efficacy of the word of Jesus uttered from anywhere, near or far from his servant. What astonished Jesus was the depth of the blind faith of the centurion for which he adduced reasons from his own experience how things worked. He was also a man in authority who could command at will to his servants to do whatever he wanted done and it was immediately executed. The implication was that Jesus being in authority over everything and everybody could do the same, illness and pain included, by a mere word. Jesus asked the centurion to go home telling him that let things be according to his faith and at that moment the servant was cured (Matthew, 8:13). That those who were born to the Kingdom or perfect happiness were unworthy of the same due to their lack of genuine faith was the first lesson to draw from the incident. The second lesson was the fact that the Kingdom of God or perfect happiness is not restricted by the limitations of religion, race, caste, creed , language etc. It is accessible to everyone who is open to it without prejudices.
Here we have to be clear about the connection among perfect happiness, the Kingdom of God, Jesus Christ and his disciples. How can one be a disciple of Jesus without being baptized with water and Spirit and be reborn as a member of the Church? The Church answers this difficulty with the provision that a well-meaning person seeking justice and righteousness may be considered as baptized by desire (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1260). The reason for insisting on the necessity of baptism is that the happiness we long for is perfected in the Kingdom of God that is identified with Jesus Christ who is our righteousness before God (See our Post on ' What is righteousness?). Anyone, therefore, who stands for righteousness is thereby a disciple of Jesus and a member of the Church through baptism of desire. Similar is the case with baptism by blood for those who have undergone martyrdom for the sake of faith (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1281). Union with Jesus Christ is necessary for receiving the free gift of salvation effected in and through him by the power of God. This is why even the infants who die without baptism are entrusted to the mercy of God by the Church in their funeral rite (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1283).
The ultimate reason for the identification of righteousness with Jesus Christ is in what he did with his life in accordance with the Father's Will. Jesus became Christ through his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead thereby becoming the head not only of the Church, but of the entire Universe. Specifically, Jesus became the anointed (meaning of 'Christ') through the Holy Spirit at his resurrection. He became the very principle of righteousness, setting the relationship between man and God right and anyone whose actions even approximate to what Jesus did is his disciple. All are, therefore, called to be disciples of Jesus Christ, irrespective of their various affiliations and interests in the world, through the quality of their life. All rituals and sacrifices performed should affect our lives positively to turn us into living sacrifices before God in order to be perfectly happy!
No comments:
Post a Comment