Need of a Savior
We hear multitudes of individuals today claiming that Jesus Christ is their personal lord and savior, and this sounds like a beautiful thing. After all, if we are not seeking a right relationship with Jesus then we will never reach the fulfillment of happiness and peace our hearts desire. We need guidance from the one who is himself the source of all love, peace, and happiness if we are to experience the fullness of life God offers us – we need guidance from Jesus Christ.
In light of the common proclamation that Jesus is our personal lord and savior, I have a question for you to ponder. If so many individuals are seeking Jesus today; then why do we judge, why do we hate, and why do we fall short of God’s plan for our lives? Some say it is our sinful nature, and they are partially correct. However, there is more to it.
To begin, make no mistake about it, multitudes upon multitudes are seeking Jesu Christ today, regardless of what lies the media is feeding you. Peoples across the globe are looking for a savior to come and rescue the hurting world. Yet, these very multitudes are still not living in a manner most pleasing to God. Reflecting on our first reading from Saint Paul to the Ephesians, I invite you to analyze our current state of affairs. Looking around we must admit that mankind is not overwhelmingly humble, we are not very patient, and as a whole it doesn’t look as if we are striving to love one another and preserve unity of spirit among us. So what are we missing?
Hidden Wounds
I write extensively about hidden wounds in my book, Understanding The Jesus Code. Wounds that hold us back from becoming the loving, humble, and patient sons and daughters of the one true King, live inside each and every one of us. Wounds that are the manifestation of original sin, which we are all subject to. Given these hidden wounds, we will never be pure enough to stand in God’s holy place on our own – we need a pure and all-loving savior to carry us there. A savior who will heal our every defect and transform our inner darkness into radiance for the glory of God the Father. Through Jesus Christ we will become a race who receives the blessing of God.
But how? How do we accomplish such a feat and surrender to the will of Christ. Well, we can, and must turn to sacred scripture as part of our journey. In Luke today we see evidence of our sinful nature and hidden wounds. However, we must remember that no one judges and hurts another who has not suffered internal pains and hidden wounds himself – hurt people hurt other people. When we judge another we create walls of separation between ourselves and our brothers and sisters. You are there, I am here, and there is distinction between us. Yet, is this distinction true? Can we really create such walls and separation? No, we cannot – they are an illusion. In Christ Jesus we are one body.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (RSVCE)
Our Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ
In order to fully life a life of love, peace and happiness we must become free of the burdens we carry. Burdens of judgement, hate, anger, revenge, violence, unforgiveness, and loss of hope all interfere with happiness and peace. Further, they are tools the Evil One uses to distract us and hide from us the truth God constantly reveals. God continually tells us that we are unconditionally love, adored, wanted, and we all matter.
Through Jesus Christ, we will receive all the support and guidance we could ever need so that we will become free from the bondage our hidden wounds create within our hearts. Because after all, it is through Jesus Christ that all good things come. So how do we have this personal relationship with Jesus Christ and expereince all the happiness and peace our hearts desire?
To begin we must understand that our personal relationship with Jesus Christ is anything but a one-on-one relationship. While it feels very personal at times, like a relationship with a best friend, it is much more. We are created in the image of a communal God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and given this we are also created to live and love in a community.
We will find our relationship with Jesus Christ in our relationships with our fellow brothers and sisters in the world. When we love one another, we experience the love of Christ. When we, out of faith and love for God, practice Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy in this world, we will enjoy the deep and profound love relationship with Jesus our hearts cry out for.
In order to experience such love with Jesus we must take the steps necessary to heal and transform our hidden wounds. As we work to heal these wounds we become free. Remember, the tools the Evil One uses to thwart our loving others are lifted when we move closer to Jesus Christ. Our hidden wounds must be transformed into instruments for God – instruments that contribute to the beautiful orchestra of divine melodies.
Instruments of God
As we walk into a deeper relationship with Jesus our hearts and souls will long to spend time with him – the one who is the well of all life. We will be drawn into deeper prayer, reflection, and participation in the Sacraments. And yes, this will feel very personal and one-on-one. However, Jesus Christ is bigger than this – he is found in our brothers and sisters. He IS the love we share with them.
No More Judgement
When we forgive and love, no longer can we judge another and allow the illusion of division it creates to enter into our collective hearts and souls. Just as our right hand cannot condemn our left hand, we can no longer condemn another who is also the Body of Christ. At some point on our journey we will begin to see those around us for who they really are – fellow members of the most sacred body. How blessed are we to be members of such a beautiful creation.
Transforming This Hurting World
In this hurting world we must work together, “striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace; one Body and one spirit” remembering that God is God and Father over all and through all. I believe forgiveness is a central piece on our collective transformation journey. In my book Understanding The Jesus Code, I reveal the power of forgiveness in our lives. Please allow me to share a portion of it here.
However, before I share this with you, I would like to first share with you the reason I wrote this book. My heart deeply desires to reveal to individuals, like you and I, a way to find freedom from heartache and pain so that together we can serve Jesus in greater measure. I so wish this book was in the hands of multitudes across the world – all in God’s time I guess. If you would like to download a free copy of the first four chapters I invite you to click here. Hopefully you will find what I have written helpful on your life journey. If you would like to purchase the Kindle version or the paperback please visit my website here for the appropriate Amazon link for your country.
Excerpt from Understanding The Jesus Code by Carolyn Berghuis, MS, ND, CTN
JESUS AUTHORED FORGIVENESS
Jesus is the one who authored forgiveness for the world. We can look at some of his last words on the cross to see its importance. When you understand and recognize that when another harms you, they truly do not know what they are doing, it becomes easier to forgive. I can hear you now. You may be saying, “Wait a minute. When Sally gossiped about me, she knew she hurt me. She knew what she was doing, and it’s not right, it’s not fair, and I’m hurt, and I’m angry.” However, if Sally, within her heart, really understood the pain she inflicted on you, she could never have done the things she did. Because after all, we are all one body in Christ, and in being so, to harm another also inflicts pain upon us.
Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.
– 1 Corinthians 1:10
You can look to the Lord’s Prayer to further understand the importance forgiveness holds. In it, Jesus says, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Many (most perhaps) Christians upon reading this line believe they are going to God asking for forgiveness in equal measure to their mere ability to forgive. If this is indeed the case, then it is as if we are saying to God – “God only forgive me as much as I forgive others who have hurt me.” Yet, God always forgives in greater measure. Our humanity dictates that we cannot forgive to the measure that God forgives. If we ask God for forgiveness in equal measure to the forgiveness we extend towards others where does that leave us? In a dismal state I fear.
How could any human being ever forgive as much as God forgives? There is no way you could ever love as much as God loves, and there is no way you could ever forgive as much as God forgives. I believe Jesus is giving a very literal interpretation here. He is instructing us to go to the Father and ask him to forgive our trespasses as we are forgiving those who trespass against us. Meaning, we are forgiving as best we can, we are trying to forgive others, we are growing in the grace of forgiveness. God then pours his forgiveness and mercy over us.
In the end, you will discover that as you grow in forgiveness, your heart will experience greater love, happiness, and peace. Because after all, with forgiveness, anger leaves, and love rushes into your heart. You must persevere and grow in forgiveness. In turn, God will heal your heart through Jesus Christ. Now the work begins. Yet how can you start the process? A good first step is to pray and bless those who have harmed you. Something beautiful happens to your heart when you do this.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
—Romans 12:14
THE JESUS CODE CONNECTION
Forgiveness – True Power
WHAT FORGIVENESS IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT
To begin, forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. Forgiveness is not about the person who has hurt you, and it is not something you give to another. Yes, by extending forgiveness, the one who has harmed you will benefit in some way because they will receive forgiveness and love from you instead of unforgiveness and anger. This is God’s will, my friend. Isn’t this exactly what Jesus called you to do when he told you to love your brother as yourself? By extending forgiveness, it is your heart that becomes more Christ-like as you model Christ for others to see. Further, by embracing forgiveness, you must face your sinful part in the relationship—even if your only sin is holding unforgiveness in your heart. Once you surrender to forgiveness, you open yourself to God’s mercy and aid. Harboring unforgiveness takes a lot of energy—energy you could use in areas of your life that offer fulfillment and happiness.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight.
—Psalm 51:3-4
Remember, forgiveness does not give another person permission to hurt you again. If someone is hurting you, then you become the victim, and they become the wrongdoer. In both cases, neither person is living a life fully alive as God intends. God doesn’t want you to be a victim any more than he wants the other to be the wrongdoer. Sometimes the best thing we can do for the one who is harming us is to let them go, providing we walk away with love and forgiveness in our heart and pray that they find their way to Jesus Christ.
I hope you find your way home towards Jesus Christ – the one who is love himself. May you speak and think words of love, forgiveness and mercy as you sing and praise of God’s glory! – Carolyn
Sacred Heart of Jesus – have mercy on us.
Mother Mary – pray for us.
Saint Paul – pray for us.
Today’s Readings Ephesians 4:1-6, Psalm 24; Luke 12:54-59
