THE TRUE GAIN IN LOSING ONESELF!

MARCH 10, 2011

LUKE 9: 22 - 25

By Lorenzo S. Centino, Jr.

22 "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." 23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED THURSDAY TO ALL!

Our present generation is a generation of massive CONSUMPTION. There are many forces in our society that influence us to become INSATIABLE. We do not just consume, but we consume in LARGE amount. Yet, even if we get the largest amount, we still continue experiencing the sense of emptiness and lack. The fast changes and modifications of electronic gadgets, for example (cell phones, laptop and computers, music players, etc.), subliminally manipulate us to be always feel discontented and dissatisfied with what we have at present for tomorrow anything will be outdated and outmoded and be considered old-fashioned. This culture of consumption drives us to posses everything that is new and latest. We are then driven to FOCUS on THINGS! However, this will just create in us a more chronic discontentment and dissatisfaction.

Chronic DISSATISFACTION and DISCONTENTMENT will happen when we put the MEANING and PURPOSE of our existence in the accumulation of THINGS! If things will be the center of our consciousness and endeavors, life becomes barren of its sublime meaning and purpose. And so, in the Gospel of today, after we celebrate the Ash Wednesday as the first step of our Lenten journey, the Lord Jesus has this to say: “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” Indeed, what PROFIT will there be if we have accumulated all the THINGS of the world but have NOT GAINED OURSELVES but, instead, LOSE it?

As we celebrate Lent, we are REORIENTED again to focus our mind and heart unto Jesus who seemed to lose everything on the CROSS but gained EVERYTHING for us in his RESURRECTION. The followers of Jesus must have been perplexed and disheartened upon Jesus pronouncement that he will SUFFER many things, be REJECTED, and be KILLED. They could have ponder upon the thought of what a tragic end would it be, and a waste of time, following someone who claim to be THE SAVIOR, the MESSIAH, but be killed!  And so Peter has expressed at certain time, and for sure the other close friends of Jesus must have thought and feel the same, that he will not allow something bad to happen to Jesus and that he is willing to defend Jesus. To fulfill this promise, during the arrest of Jesus, Peter had drawn his sword to defend Jesus and cut the ear of one of the arresting party. This would show that the close friends of Jesus had not truly understood yet the full meaning and import of Jesus’ suffering and death. But by what will happen to Jesus three days after his death they would come to know that Jesus death, losing himself, that he will gain NEW and EVERLASTING LIFE for all.

What is more perplexing is the demand of Jesus on how we can avoid losing or forfeiting ourselves. Jesus is asking us to DENY ourselves and TAKE UP our CROSS DAILY! And the goal of doing this is to FOLLOW HIM. This would mean that the MEANING and PURPOSE of our existence is to LIVE the WAY JESUS LIVED! This can be done only if we refocus ourselves from being so concerned with THINGS to being concerned with PERSONS, especially JESUS! Jesus’ entire life is characterized by pure concern for people than with things. That is why Jesus has only one commandment for us if others would know we are his disciples and that is to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. But this can be achieved only if we first LOVE HIM who calls us to love others.

To love others is to carry our daily cross. To carry our daily cross requires dying to ourselves. We need to detach ourselves from material possession to make it available to others in great need. We need to deny personal comfort to make others comfortable. We need to face death, if needed, so that others will live. We need to undergo suffering so that others will find well-being and security. All of these will not make us to be fashionable and on trend with the world, but it will surely bring us to REAL CONTENTMENT and AUTHENTIC SATISFACTION. Real contentment and authentic satisfaction happen when we serve the purpose and meaning of our existence which is to become like Jesus. And so Lent reminds us to journey each day carrying our cross of SELF-EMPTYING so that Jesus will fill us with the true riches that only God can give! As what Jesus had said, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.” So the more we become like him, the more we GAIN OURSELVES for we will truly become an IMAGE OF GOD.