Convenient Jesus

For the last fifty years relativism has grown up very strong in our society. I am laughing that we replaced thinking with feelings. I believe "How do you feel about something?" is the most common question. Relativism replaced reason with emotions. It is a tragedy, but what if this tragedy comes to our personal faith?

It always comes to me that Jesus Christ asked his disciples: Who do people say I am? He didn't ask what they felt about Him, but specifically he asked what they thought about who He is. This is a very important difference that effects our faith. An emotional approach to faith creates an imaginary Christ, who can be changed any time because our emotions are changing. There are no consequences and there is no follow-up. Today I like Christ like this and tomorrow I will like Him a different way. This is what I call a convenient Jesus.

Our faith requires a conscious decision of faith. It it a decision that carries consequences and responsibilities. We learn this from our Savior. He made a decision to became a man and then he followed all the consequences related to this decision. These consequences placed Him on the cross, but at the same time the consequences brought Him back to life by His resurrection. The same applies to us. It is our decision to follow Christ which brings us to salvation in Christ. Our emotions don't have responsibility because they are always changing.

I will show you a general example. Many people travels in summer time. They go camping. Now there is a decision to be made about Sunday Holy Mass. The emotional part will say, I will not go to Mass because we are camping, we have to rest, it is too far, too complicated. The reason will say, if I do not attend the Mass I will have a mortal sin, I will lose my friendship with Jesus Christ, I will sell Christ for convenience.

As we come closer to the Holy Triduum we have to look at this situation of our soul. Do we follow a "convenient Jesus" or the real Jesus? I encourage you to look at the cross and ask your self: what would happen if Jesus had been looking for the convenient you, the easy one, free from sin in paradise? Would he die for you on the cross?

But because he followed the reason of the necessity of Him becoming man for us, he also taught us to follow Him with the same love he has for us. So, can you give up convenience in your faith and replace it with a choice of being with Christ in easy and difficult times?