JESUS' MODEL

Abstract: A culture of life has to be promoted in this world. This is a culture of love taught by Jesus. It is the challenge of a true disciple to promote this culture of love. For this one has to make Jesus as his role model. This makes one to love, serve, forgive, surrender and undertake sufferings like Jesus for the love of God and neighbour and become HIS model in this world. A true disciple of Jesus is other oriented. He has to shed his self-centredness and fill his heart with love for God and love for neighbour. This is the beginning of a new culture, a culture of love, in fact the culture of life. This can bring real transformation in this world.

Modeling is an important profession these days. It gives handsome perks and publicity. A lot of young people are interested to build a career in this field. Many a people are fascinated by models. They try to dress and groom themselves like these models. Many of them follow these models blindly. Have you ever thought of Jesus to be role model in your life? Some frown at the very thought of it. Does he got that style, that glamour and charm to be a model? These thoughts come because you might not have experienced him...you might not have followed him.... or you might not have understood him. Pause for a moment to have a recollection. It will be good when you become aware that it is time to renew your life by turning back to your Lord. Try to understand Jesus as a person who likes to have a good relationship with you and try to experience His loving care and compassion towards you. Take up the challenge of following Him as a disciple. His life is always a challenge for His disciple who wishes to follow him closely and enact Him in this world with a vision. The vision to transform the culture of this world from a culture of Death to a culture of life.. a culture of Love.

Jesus challenges all of us to enact Him.... Just as HE has loved..Just as He has served..Just as He has forgiven..Just as He has prayed.. Just as he has accepted the sufferings... all for the benefit of THE OTHER. This is the core of Christian living. A living is a life centered on Jesus as one’s role model.

Love of Jesus is self emptying and unconditional. He teaches his concept of love through his words “No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.”(Jn 15/13).He not only teaches by his words but also practices this by his deeds through his ultimate sacrifice on the cross. Jesus was aware of his mission. He came not to be served but to serve others even to the extent of offering his life as a ransom to redeem us. For the Son of man himself came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.' (Mk 9/45). He teaches the importance of service in the life of a Christian through his high drama at the last supper where he humbles himself to wash the feet of his disciples before the last supper. Jesus’ message was always centered on compassion and forgiving love of God the Father. He exhorted his disciples to forgive the trespass of others so that God forgives our trespasses. “give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, ⁴ for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us.” (Lk 11/3-4a). Jesus practices his teaching on the cross where he begs his Father to pardon those who offended him (Lk 23/34). Jesus throughout his mission seeks and does the will of the father unto the last. At Gethsemane we see Jesus in great trouble. Mental pain of Jesus is revealed here. Even at this moment his prayer is Lord your will be done not mine. “Father,' he said, 'if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, let your will be done, not mine.' ” ( Lk 22/42). This is Jesus attitude to prayer, always accepting the will of the Father. Jesus is aware of the sufferings he has to undergo in his mission and its culmination. It is through the sufferings that He undertakes he redeems the humanity. The concept of suffering servant of God depicted in the book of Isaiah (Is 53/3-12) is revealed through the life of Jesus. We find Jesus offering his life of suffering, passion and finally his sacrificial death on the cross to the redemption of humanity. Jesus’ self emptying love, self giving service, forgiving love, surrendering to the will of the Father and sacrificial suffering are the challenges that one has to undertake when one accept Jesus as a role model.

Accepting Jesus as our role model entrusts us with the duty of modeling Jesus in this world, the world we live. This is our greatest challenge and responsibility. We should be the models of his self emptying love and self giving service, forgiving love, self surrendering prayer and sacrificial suffering for the benefit of others. We should be able to manifest this all through our life. All this happens when we shed our self-centredness and fill us with love for God and love for neighbour and there by become other oriented. This is the beginning and blooming of a new culture, a culture of love, in fact the culture of life. This will bring real transformation in this world.