Identifying with the life of Christ Stephen Isaac

Dec 24, 2009, 12.00am IST

For me Jesus is one of the most important spiritual masters, and his life and teachings are instructive.


In my later years, when reading the Bible, I found that the Old Testament clashed with the New, where the subject of survival was concerned. The Old Testament says, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,” whereas the New Testament says, “If your enemy strikes you on one cheek, offer him your other cheek.”

So who is this man who single handedly came to have a big impact on our lives. We know almost nothing of him till he is baptised by John the Baptist in the River Jordan at the age of 30. That he grew up with good parents is evident in St.Luke’s Bible chapter that says: “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the Grace of God was upon him” In St. Mark, we are told: “And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness ... And he was there in the wilderness 40 days, tempted by Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him”.


This happens after the baptism. So why was Jesus tempted by Satan for 40 days? Why was a man, that we believe to be the son of God on Earth in human form, struggling so hard to come to terms with the path he was destined to walk?


For 30 years he went through the same joys and sorrows, sickness and healing, doubts and worries that any average human being goes through in a lifetime. God did not send him as a super hero, totally immune to the weaknesses that we are susceptible to. Jesus had to overcome these weaknesses to cross the line, to become to one of the greatest masters to have ever lived. And to make that decision it took him 40 days when he fasted and prayed, and meditated.
And Jesus took the decision, even though he realised that it would bring unimaginable pain and sorrow to his personal self.

Till the end, there must have been many occasions when he would have preferred to give up. Before he was arrested by the Romans, he had prayed three times: “Father all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt”. Here was a man filled with the fear of what lay ahead. But once arrested, the fear vanishes to be replaced by a calm of immense proportions, despite which for one last time he falters, when he is on the cross and cries out: “My God, my God, why Hast Though forsaken me?”


None of his apostles had a clue as to what was happening, even though he had warned them of what lay ahead. Peter even tried to dissuade him from talking about his death. They all vanished when he was arrested, though Peter hung around, vehemently denying that he knew Jesus when confronted by a temple maid. And the compassionate and enlightened Jesus forgave them because he understood their fears; he was able to relate to their fears.

I can relate to this Jesus who healed, taught and fed thousands of people, asking nothing in return except that they follow the path of Truth. Jesus was the Son of God, just as you and I are the children of God, and we are all called upon to make the same decision he made, to follow and spread the message of Truth.