Lesson 6

THE STRUGGLE WITH SELF

In our effort to MEET CHRIST in these lines we have seen a number of incidents and heard a number of stories that He narrated. But we have also seen that He has come into the world from His Father for one purpose, to deliver mankind from the slavery of sin, which is slavery to self.

The chains of our selfishness, however, are strong. They are not broken easily, as we know from our own experience. And so we need not be surprised to find Christ meeting bitter opposition from those who were unwilling to make the effort to overcome their own selves.

In the following extracts from the Gospel, we see how insistent Jesus was on the importance of self-conquest. But Christ did not stop merely with words and parables. He demanded action. He Himself set us the supreme example of self-conquest when He sacrificed Himself for us on the cross. Like the Good Shepherd, He not only cared for His flock, but actually laid down His life for His sheep. In the words of St. Paul : “he loved me and sacrificed Himself for me” (Gal. 2, 20). And He demands the same of His followers.

A SIMPLE PIECE OF BREAD

The Gospel story is full of surprises, and one of the greatest of these is the importance given by Christ to a simple piece of bread, and the difference it will make to our eternal destiny.

One day He described that terrible moment that will come to us immediately after death – not someone else’s death, but our own.

What will be the test by which I shall be judged? The length of the prayers I have said? The pilgrimages I have made? The ritual baths I have taken?

No, it will be a simple piece of bread! But let us listen to Christ’s own words :

“When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, he will sit down on the throne of His glory, and all nations will be gathered in His presence, where He will divide men one from the other as the shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on His right, and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those who are on His right hand, `Come, you that received a blessing from my Father, take possession of the kingdom which has been prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you brought me home, naked you clothed me, sick and you cared for me, a prisoner and you came to me.’

“Whereupon the just will answer, `Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and fed you, and thirsty and gave you drink? When was it that we saw you a stranger and brought you home, or naked and clothed you? When was it that we saw you sick or in prison and came to you?’