My heart’s love and adoration, my countless crores of humble and devout prostrations again and again at the blessed feet of Lord Jesus, Divinity incarnate upon earth, for the redemption of man and for showing man the path to supreme blessedness, bliss and Highest Atmic Illumination. Worshipful salutations to Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, the radiant exemplar of a Divine Life in this world. Blessed indeed am I, a humble servant of His sacred feet to have this privilege of dwelling upon His sublime Personality and life.
Nearly twenty centuries ago, upon the holy and auspicious day
of Christmas, the Grace and Compassion of the Almighty Being descended here upon
this earth in the form of a Divine Being, Whom we now adore as Lord Jesus the
Christ. He is God’s Love embodied in human form. The glory of Divinity shone
through this wondrous Personality. That solemn night a great stellar light
illumined the eastern skies to herald the descent of this Parama-Jyoti, this
Divine Ray of the Supreme Light of lights, the Atman, which was to illumine this
terrestrial globe for all times. Ah! how blessed indeed, most blessed indeed is
that great day when this earth became hallowed by the sacred presence of this
Divine incarnation. Rejoice, O humanity, rejoice that you have this Supreme
Light that illuminates and guides you upon the path to the Blissful Realm beyond
all sorrow, pain and mortality.
Rejoice that you have a Divine Friend,
Philosopher and Master, who teaches you through His sublime life precept and
personality, the secret of Supreme Blessedness.
Lord Jesus came to teach us the way to attain the joy and perfection of the Divine Kingdom. He lived and taught us to find out the Kingdom of Heaven that is within ourselves. His inspiring call to man was for the renunciation of the low and petty things of this perishable, physical world and to strive for the attainment of the lofty spiritual ideal of Divine Perfection, perennial Bliss and Immortal Existence. He taught that the realisation of the Atman is far, far more than the entire wealth of all the world put together. ‘Attain first the Kingdom of Heaven and ye shall have all things added unto you.’ ‘What availeth it a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his Soul?’ For, this indeed is to be known that the Atman is the Supreme Treasure more precious than all earthly treasure. The Atman is imperishable, everlasting, supremely Perfect and of the nature of infinite Bliss. Having come upon this earth, abandon all foolish pursuit after perishable objects of this mortal realm and seek the imperishable, everlasting, the Supreme. Herein lies blessedness. Herein lies bliss. Thus taught Jesus.
Therefore seek ye first the Kingdom Of God. Live like Christ. Abandon completely all the trifling objects of this transitory world. Renounce all desires and follow the Lord. “Unless a man forsakes all” said Jesus, “he cannot be my disciple.” Remember His admonition to the rich young ruler, “There is one thing more—sell all you have and give to the poor. Then take up your Cross and follow Me.” Then again, “No man who looks back once he has put his hand to the plough is fit for God’s Kingdom.” Renounce everything and thou shalt attain all.
By His life the Blessed Lord has taught us that to die in the lower life of the flesh is verily to be reborn into the glorious life in the spirit. We have His significant saying, “He who loses his life for My sake shall find it.” To annihilate the impure ego, to eradicate all desires, to root out lust, destroy all falsehood and give up all attachments of the flesh is the way to blossom into the Life Spiritual. The life of Tapasya and Titiksha, of self-denial, sacrifice, hardship and penance is the taking up of the Cross in order to follow Him unto glory. Humility, righteousness, compassion, purity are the portals to the Blissful Kingdom of Heaven.
Let us be with the Lord for just a while and let us see how He taught this holy path to blessedness and glory. It is on a holy Sabbath day. The place is blessed Capernaum. The Lord has preached and taught in the Synagogue and later repaired to Peter’s house. It is evening. Great crowds of all manner of people have gathered about Him. Jesus is blessing, healing, curing and consoling. The crowd increases. Seeing the multitudes, behold Jesus going up into a mountain, the people closely following Him, and there He turns round and addresses them. There standing on the crest of the Mount, behold how He looks thrilling, inspiring and radiant, framed against the crimson and gold of the glorious evening sky. Spiritual brilliance shines from His face. His entire Being is radiant with an ethereal Light. And thus He speaks to them all and delivering Himself in sweet accents full of compassion He says unto them:
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
And after this manner you should pray:
“Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom,
The power and the Glory,
For ever and ever, Amen."
This is His Sermon, the Sermon that shall endure as long as man is. In it we have the essence of all scriptures and all the religions. Herein you have the heart of the Vedas and the Upanishads, expounding the royal path to Godhead, by dying to the lower self to live the Divine Life of utter egolessness, humility, purity, righteousness, compassion, devotion and surrender. Ah! Blessed Gospel, how greatly blessed this world would be if Thou wert enshrined in the hearts of all men!
Jesus has spoken. It is for us to act. The Light shines and it illumines the path. It is for you, and for all of us, to tread along upon the path and uttering “Thy Kingdom come” to enter joyously into the Realm Divine. ‘Give us this day our daily bread’ is really a prayer for the spiritual food, the Divine Manna of Sadhana Sakti and Yoga. ‘Deliver us from evil’ is not indeed so much external, but rather a prayer to safeguard us from the Shadripus (lust, anger, greed, deliberate attachment, pride and jealousy) and save us from Maya, the Supreme Illusion. To live in the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount is to imitate and to follow Christ in the truest manner. To follow Him is to ascend into blessedness. He who follows Jesus faithfully shall ascend from the unreal to the Real, from darkness into Eternal Light, from mortality to Immortality. If you live in the spirit of the Lord’s Sermon, then your prayer ‘Our Father Which art in Heaven, THY KINGDOM COME’ shall be answered forthwith and the Kingdom of Heaven will be manifest to you here and now. Joy, peace and blessedness will prevail in your life.
Sweet Jesus, Blessed Lord, grant this slave’s humble prayer that Thy Presence within the heart may inspire him to follow in Thy glorious footsteps. May we all be blessed with Thy Grace to turn away from this fleeting world of vanishing names and forms and to seek first the Kingdom of God! Give us the strength to be man and live like man with the true heroism of Inner Spirit. May we carry our Crosses with courage and joy and face life as You have shown us to face it! Grant that we may lead the Divine Life and attain the true goal of Divine Perfection!
Glory be to Lord Jesus, the Prince of purity and peace, the Messenger of mercy, the Lord of Love, Divine Deliverer of mankind, God incarnate, Who dwelt in flesh and showed by His life the path to perennial Bliss and Spiritual Glory! Hail Jesus, hail Mary, Mother of God! Hail Almighty, Thy Kingdom come!!
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This article is taken from the book "Life and Teachings of Lord Jesus" by Sri Swami Sivananda |
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