Christians always read or hear that we should be just like Christ or imitate Christ. Well what exactly did Christ do during his lifetime here on earth that we should pattern our life? We know so little about his life, especially his childhood years, to give us direction. We know that Mary and Joseph brought him to the temple when he was seven or eight days old and offered him to God. He was circumcised. We know Paul always preached that circumcision was a Jewish law which need not be followed by the Gentiles who believe in Christ. Paul said take it or leave it. Well if Christ was circumcised, then all males should be circumcised. We also know that Christ studied the holy writs, the laws and scriptures of the Hebrews at a young age, twelve years old. He was found in the temple with the Pharisees studying when his parents returned to Jerusalem looking for Him. So we must study and read the bible to be like Christ. And we must encourage our children to read the bible at a young age. As soon as they can begin to read, they must be exposed to scripture in a children’s format of course. Christ was baptized by John. We must get baptized, men, women and children alike. Christ called disciples and preached repentance. We don’t need to have disciples of our own but we do need to share the gospel with others and offer to others the repentance won by Christ. Christ attended a wedding at Cana where wine was consumed. Christ obeyed his mother and publicly performed His first miracle even though His time had not yet come. Christ changed water into wine. When His time did come, He changed wine into His blood and bread into His body. We must participate in the Eucharist. We know that Christ, Paul and the other apostles performed miracles. This gift was given to these men directly from Christ. Man cannot perform miracles any longer. But miracles still happen today. A person may completely recover from inoperable brain cancer after prayer to God or a saint. But a living human being did not miraculously cure the cancer. Some people claim they have the gift of healing physical ills. That claim remains to be proven. Miracles were performed during the days of Christ so a religion could be founded and a belief in Christ and God established. We no longer need miracles to establish our faith. The power of the Holy Spirit will cause you to believe. When the spirit resides within, your body becomes a holy temple for the Trinity. Pursue the Spirit Christ offers. Christ forgave people. We can and must forgive all who have transgressed against us. Christ healed and cured people, clothed the naked and feed the poor. We must do likewise. Christ suffered. He lived without a home of his own during his preaching and was feed by the generosity of others. He was tortured severely by the Romans after his arrest and went through agonizing mental and physical abuse with a joyful heart. We experience physical and emotional pain, but we must do it freely and lay the burden on the shoulders of Christ who will bear the load for us. Christ died on a cross for our sin. We must die to self and be reborn in a new life with Christ. This dying to self is the hardest challenge we humans face in the imitation of Christ. We seek to satisfy our own personal needs and desires in the pursuit of power, possessions and pleasure and fail to notice the Trinity standing right beside us who can overcome these unhealthy desires. Christ was resurrected from the dead. He conquered death for us, a death which previously resulted in eternal punishment. Therefore we must prepare ourselves in this life to visit Christ in the next. Our preparation requires us to rid ourselves of a long list of vices: abuse, addictions, adultery, aggression, agitation, alcoholism, aloofness, anarchy, anger, animosity, apathy, approval-seeking, arrogance, avarice, backbiting, bigotry, blasphemy, boastfulness, brutality, callousness, capriciousness, celebrity, chaos, chauvinism, complaining, conceit, condescension, conflict, confusion, conniving, contempt, contradiction, control, corruption, criticism, cruelty, cunning, cursing, cynicism, deceit, deception, delusion, derision, desecration, desire for fame, desolation, despair, deviance, discord, disrespect, disobedient, dominance, doubt, dysfunctionality, eccentricity, egotism, elitism, embarrassment, enmity, envy, evil desire, exaggeration, excessiveness, exploitation, extravagance, extremism, faithlessness, fame –seeking, fatalism, fear, fixations, folly, forgetfulness, fornication, frailty, futility, gambling, gaudiness, gluttony, gossip, greed, grudges, guilt, hard-heartedness, hate, hatred, heresy, hoarding, hostility, humiliation, hypocrisy, hysteria, idolatry, ignorance, impatience, imprudence, impurity, inattentiveness, incontinence, indecency, indecision, indifference, ingratitude, insatiability, insecurity, insidiousness, insult, intolerance, intimidation, intransigence, irresponsibility, irritation, jealousy, judgmental, know-it-all, laziness, lecherousness, lethargy, licentiousness, lies, loneliness, love of money, lust, lying, machismo, madness, maliciousness, malignancy, manipulation, masochism, materialism, meanness, mediocrity, mercilessness, misery, moodiness, naiveté, narcissism, nastiness, neediness, negativity, neurosis, nihilism, obsessive, obstinacy, oppressive, ostentatious, patronizing, pensiveness, perversion, pessimism, pettiness, pomposity, pornography, prejudice, presumption, pretense, pretentiousness, pride, procrastination, profanity, promiscuity, quarrelsome, racism, rage, rape, rapacity, rashness, recklessness, regret, rejection, remorse, resentment, revenge, ridicule, rigidity, rudeness, rumor spreading, ruthlessness, sarcasm, scandal, secrecy, seduction, self-centeredness, self-destructiveness, self-doubt, self-hatred, selfishness, self-pity, self-righteousness, sensationalism, sexual lust, shame, shamelessness, shyness, sin, skepticism, sloth, snobbery, spite, stinginess, stubbornness, stupidity, superficiality, superiority, suspicion, temper tantrums, terror, theft, timidity, torment, torture, treason, tyranny, ugliness, unkindness, unfaithful, uncharitable, vanity, verbosity, vindictiveness, violence, weakness, worry, wrath, xenophobia, yelling, and zealotry. Christ was none of these things. He was perfect and we must strive to be the same, perfect just like Christ. This change is no easy task. Somehow we acquired some or all of these vices throughout our lives so we can rid ourselves of them. But it takes conscience effort every minute of every day. One thing is for sure. With Christ all things are possible.
But what else can we assume Christ did? We know that he loved people. In fact he preached that we must love our neighbor as ourselves. Christ loved all of humanity to the extent that he allowed himself to be put to a painful and physical death for us. Who is your neighbor? Is it just the family living next door to you in your neighborhood? Is it your extended family members and close friends? Your neighbor is every human being on this planet and you must love them as you love yourself. You might think that such love would be impossible. It wasn’t for Christ in his human nature. You can love a complete stranger just as easily and as much as you love your father, mother or child if you practice and condition your mind and heart. Christ loved everyone as much or more than He loved himself. The imitation of Christ can be achieved because He did it in human form yet we make it so difficult. We find it difficult to relinquish the misconception that our life revolves around our self in our own tiny, feeble world, when in fact we are but a whiff of smoke that quickly disappears in the wind. Begin your journey of love and in the process, shed those vices so as to imitate Christ.
But what else can we assume Christ did? We know that he loved people. In fact he preached that we must love our neighbor as ourselves. Christ loved all of humanity to the extent that he allowed himself to be put to a painful and physical death for us. Who is your neighbor? Is it just the family living next door to you in your neighborhood? Is it your extended family members and close friends? Your neighbor is every human being on this planet and you must love them as you love yourself. You might think that such love would be impossible. It wasn’t for Christ in his human nature. You can love a complete stranger just as easily and as much as you love your father, mother or child if you practice and condition your mind and heart. Christ loved everyone as much or more than He loved himself. The imitation of Christ can be achieved because He did it in human form yet we make it so difficult. We find it difficult to relinquish the misconception that our life revolves around our self in our own tiny, feeble world, when in fact we are but a whiff of smoke that quickly disappears in the wind. Begin your journey of love and in the process, shed those vices so as to imitate Christ.
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