15th Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 18 (year C)

Throughout his ministry, the historic Jesus focused on mankind's deliverance from the slavery and exile of sin, God's requirements for true discipleship and effective kingdom living here on earth [Mark 1:14-15, Luke 17:20-21]. In today’s Gospel reading Luke 14:25-33, Jesus uses four parables: the family, the tower builder, the warrior king and the cross bearer to discuss how believers should follow him in living the Paschal Mystery. The requirements for true discipleship and kingdom living are fulfilled when humans live the Paschal Mystery.

In Luke 14 verses 27 and 33, Jesus declared that whoever does not carry their cross and follow him daily couldn't be his disciple. His parable about a person carrying one's own cross to the site of one's execution was a familiar sight in Jesus’ day. Hundreds were previously crucified in Galilee for their rebellion under a revolutionary named Judas. Before Jesus’ crucifixion, death on a cross was considered a curse.

After Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and ascension however, the symbolism of the cross to the Christ-centered believer gathered a new divine meaning. It has evolved to be the noblest symbol of repentance and the victorious life of deliverance from the exile, bondage and slavery to sin. It is the symbol of God's forgiveness of the repentant sinner guilt from the past, alienation in the present and fear of the future.

What did Jesus mean when he insisted that no person could be his disciple unless one carries one’s own cross to the site of one’s own crucifixion and follows him? Does Jesus want us to teach and apply the parables of the family, the cross bearer, the builder, and the warrior king literally or symbolically? Are these parables not designed by Jesus to be interpreted, taught and applied metaphorically, metaphysically and mystically?

When we search the Holy Scriptures, we find that the place of Jesus’ final crucifixion was Golgotha. Golgotha in Aramaic and the Hebrew languages means place of the skull. The skull is symbolic of the superconscious, conscious, subconscious and unconscious minds. These four states of human consciousness are present and active to different degrees within every person. These four different levels of human consciousness affect human feelings, experiences, actions and thoughts.

Jesus of Nazareth saw himself as the image and likeness of God. Yet he did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited. As a human being, the historic Jesus obeyed God by fully emptying himself of the destructive ignorance, pride and sins of the mind of the flesh [mortal mind]. Through Christ-centered spiritual mindedness, he discerned, sought, served and revealed the Christ of faith, the hidden image and likeness of God in the spiritual body of all humankind [Luke 19:9-10].

The true disciples of the historic Jesus have a new Christ-centered, Holy Spirit based identity. Jesus' disciples must choose to live lives of repentance. They must recognize and reject the growing exile, bondage and slavery to sin of the human race, because they have chosen to live under the dominion of the mind of the flesh. The must discern and cast out the useless and unnecessary suffering, conflict, devastation and destruction of inappropriate right brain hemisphere dominion.

In the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the true disciple of the historic Jesus chooses to willingly love and submit to the authority, will and control of the indwelling Christ of faith, just as Jesus did. In this new Spirit-based identity the follower of Jesus learns, grows and matures in the virtues of love, faith, trust, humility, obedience and service by imitating Jesus as the way, the truth and the life. It is through the processes of repentance and turning within to the Christ of faith that the crucifixion of the mind of the flesh and final overcoming and dominion of the mind of Christ can be attained.

In Matthew 11:28-30, while responding to skeptical, carnally minded and spiritually blind religious authorities Jesus stated, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me: for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”.

Today’s Gospel encourages all people to contemplate not only the cost of sin but more importantly, the cost of true discipleship. Jesus’ yoke is symbolic of his wise teachings and personal example of love for and serving the Christ of faith, within himself and in the all persons. By following the historic Jesus in living the Paschal Mystery all persons can cast aside the heavy burdens of slavery to sin and our bondage of ignorance, guilt, alienation, anxiety and fear created by our choosing mortal, carnal and worldly mindsets.

Jesus invites his disciples to take the vital human initiatives of crossing out the dominion of the mind of the flesh and then take upon themselves his yoke and his light burden. Let us continue to tactfully admonish and support each other in the primary importance of the disciple’s love and reverence for the Christ of faith in the spiritual body of all people. Let us steadfastly take up our cross daily and follow the historic Jesus in kingdom living here on earth as it is in heaven.

Virtue of the week: ‘Detachment’

Prayer of the week: ‘Reclaim your wholeness in the Christ of faith’