Sijo Chemmannur
Member
- Aug 21, 2014
- 34
- 24
"I must decrease" John 3:30
Renunciation is an act of willful rejection or avoidance of things which previously gave pleasure or happiness. Most religions teaches about renunciation to avoid over-attachment to the wordily affairs and propose a state of transcended human-being with values that are embedded with attaining enlightenment or better human. John Ruskin, in his book "Unto this Last" tells that 'The ultimate renunciation is of self, one's separateness from others and the world'. This and many other writings inspired religious thinkers and philosophers to rediscover the need of renunciation.
Jesus Christ taught us the way of self renunciation. 'He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross' (Philippians 2:8). In all His acts, we can observe an underlining idea of wordily renunciation. He used to separate from all and spend time in meditation (prayers) with the God on a daily basis. Sometimes He spent the entire night in prayers (Luke 6:12). That connection with God is never lost during all His life time. Jesus Christ taught us the way of selfless service to everyone. He Himself told that He came to serve (Matthew 20:28). Many circumstances, we will be surprised to see Jesus Christ standing for the sinners and prostitutes. He was severely criticized by the Jewish authorities that a Rabbi (Jesus) is talking, dining and even sleeping in tax collectors and other sinners houses. When it was questioned, He answered "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick" (Luke 5:31). He transcended the idea of sin from the act of doing to the thought process which is generated in the human hearts. "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" (Matthew 15:19). The tax collectors and prostitutes 'knew' that they were sick and they were longing for the doctor. The realization from the heart is the first step to repentance, which in turn leads to the fellowship of Jesus Christ. On the contrary, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law thought they were right and 'healthy' even though they were not.
Jesus Christ was willing to sacrifice His life for us. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). He is the greater leader in the history of humankind not because of His rhetoric speeches, but because He practiced whatever He preached. To the fullest extend, even it costed His life on the cross. That is the stumbling block (cross) for all the people who wants to follow Him. To put to practice the life of Jesus Christ in our life. We know all the scriptures, we read it again and again, from the start to the end, but fails to apply in our life. Then we are sure that we are following something other than Jesus Christ. He said "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). And "anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:38; Luke 14:27). We are called to bear Jesus Christ in everything we do because He has set us an example to follow (1Peter 2:21).
The self realization of John the Baptist is the superior understanding of following Jesus Christ. "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). A daily death in Jesus Christ and live in the spirit of His resurrection (Romans 6:8). We should give space for Jesus Christ to grow within us and the realization that we are no longer living for ourselves, but for Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15). We should grow to that state to nurture Christ within us and to grow in His stature and fullness. Then, then only we'll become a true Christian.
Renunciation is an act of willful rejection or avoidance of things which previously gave pleasure or happiness. Most religions teaches about renunciation to avoid over-attachment to the wordily affairs and propose a state of transcended human-being with values that are embedded with attaining enlightenment or better human. John Ruskin, in his book "Unto this Last" tells that 'The ultimate renunciation is of self, one's separateness from others and the world'. This and many other writings inspired religious thinkers and philosophers to rediscover the need of renunciation.
Jesus Christ taught us the way of self renunciation. 'He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross' (Philippians 2:8). In all His acts, we can observe an underlining idea of wordily renunciation. He used to separate from all and spend time in meditation (prayers) with the God on a daily basis. Sometimes He spent the entire night in prayers (Luke 6:12). That connection with God is never lost during all His life time. Jesus Christ taught us the way of selfless service to everyone. He Himself told that He came to serve (Matthew 20:28). Many circumstances, we will be surprised to see Jesus Christ standing for the sinners and prostitutes. He was severely criticized by the Jewish authorities that a Rabbi (Jesus) is talking, dining and even sleeping in tax collectors and other sinners houses. When it was questioned, He answered "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick" (Luke 5:31). He transcended the idea of sin from the act of doing to the thought process which is generated in the human hearts. "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" (Matthew 15:19). The tax collectors and prostitutes 'knew' that they were sick and they were longing for the doctor. The realization from the heart is the first step to repentance, which in turn leads to the fellowship of Jesus Christ. On the contrary, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law thought they were right and 'healthy' even though they were not.
Jesus Christ was willing to sacrifice His life for us. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). He is the greater leader in the history of humankind not because of His rhetoric speeches, but because He practiced whatever He preached. To the fullest extend, even it costed His life on the cross. That is the stumbling block (cross) for all the people who wants to follow Him. To put to practice the life of Jesus Christ in our life. We know all the scriptures, we read it again and again, from the start to the end, but fails to apply in our life. Then we are sure that we are following something other than Jesus Christ. He said "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). And "anyone who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:38; Luke 14:27). We are called to bear Jesus Christ in everything we do because He has set us an example to follow (1Peter 2:21).
The self realization of John the Baptist is the superior understanding of following Jesus Christ. "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). A daily death in Jesus Christ and live in the spirit of His resurrection (Romans 6:8). We should give space for Jesus Christ to grow within us and the realization that we are no longer living for ourselves, but for Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15). We should grow to that state to nurture Christ within us and to grow in His stature and fullness. Then, then only we'll become a true Christian.
