The Spiritual Path of Jesus

The Spiritual Path of Jesus
(Taken from the Journal of Contemplative Reflection, Vol. 2, Issue 2, September 1999)

Something of great value has not only been hidden from us in modern Christianity, but has also been stolen away from us (and from the many who would find it if they could) by institutional guardians of the faith. 
To use Jesus' sharp words about this thievery,

"Woe to you, religious leaders, you pretenders. You lock the doors of the kingdom of heaven before all human beings. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you allow access to those who seek entrance" (Matt. 23:13).
The spiritual path of Jesus was aimed at something far higher than the perpetuation of institutional religion or theological dogma. His work was about something revolutionary and transformative. It was about finding the way to that transformation. Those drawn to the spiritual path of Jesus throughout the centuries have intuitively known that this was so. It was not extraneous dogma or the institution which drew them, but the possibility of some form of transformation or spiritual evolution.Many people today who are spiritually alive and searching do not know if they can (or are willing to) trust in the name, teachings, or even the concept of Jesus. Their distrust is largely due to no fault of their own. The Jesus they know is owned by the "corporate franchise," the Church, which mantles him in a theological garment that makes him seem remote and inhospitable. For many, the Jesus they know is certainly not a being of compassion, but a stern judge who demands from them a sterile conformity they cannot give. He appears ungenerous, angry, ego-driven and protective of his religious turf, all things that seem to violate the very person Jesus was in his own day.

In light of this it is important for those who follow him, and name allegiance to him, to look at his spiritual legacy in a new light and perhaps then speak gently of what they see. It is a curious fact, however, that many of those who claim to be the spiritual descendents of Jesus are content simply to honor his virtual memory as a theological construct instead of actually following his spiritual path. 
As Richard Rohr, the Franciscan monk, has recently said, "It seems that we Christians have been worshiping Jesus' journey instead of doing his journey." More pointedly, another monk, Willigis Jaeger, made a similar observation, "We have turned Jesus Christ into a cult object. We have declared him an object of faith and, by means of dogmatic theology, we have ascribed to him various precise functions. "
Jesus Christ has become too much a religious subject and hardly the actual subject of an internal process, a becoming filled with divine fullness.... Jesus has not called on us to revere him, there is more at stake than that. 
We are to follow him, to become like him. 
His form of being is our form of being. 
He is the firstborn of this creation. 
We are his brothers and sisters.
These two quotes not only raise questions (and perhaps difficulties for some) but also possibilities which we are obligated to pursue. 
There is still some vast treasure, a hidden secret, a pearl of immense wealth buried in the spiritual legacy of Jesus. 

We, his modern students, are the seekers and searchers, the miners of that wealth. We are being enticed, pushed (perhaps even driven) to search and to find it, and not to stop until we do.

Note: I rediscovered this article from some of the writings of my spiritual grandfather(the Spiritual Director of my Spiritual Director), Lynn Bauman. I share this with interest in your reaction. 
If this piques your interest, email me.
Sam



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