The spiritual pilgrimage

Alleluia! The Lord is risen! Alleluia!

The Christian way of life is modelled on the life of Jesus, the risen Son of God, and enabled through the generosity and presence of the Holy Spirit. This way of life or pilgrimage is rooted on our response to God’s call. In Mark 8.34, we read, “Den Jiizas kaal di kroud a piipl an im falara dem an se tu dem se, Ef sumadi waahn fi ton wan a mi falara dem, dem afi figet bout wa dem waahn, tek op dem kraas, an fala mi” (translation - ‘He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” ‘

Our text points to the fact that the pilgrimage is a journey that requires constant renewal and recommitment.

We also find the text a bit unusual, in that, here our Lord reverses the order of the way He normally calls people to follow Him.

Earlier in Mark (1.16-18), Jesus walking along the Sea of Galilee and seeing Simon and his brother Andrew, who were fishermen, simply said, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” Scriptures record that they “immediately left their nets and followed him”. In the encounter of Jesus with the tax collector Levi, we read “as [Jesus] was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed Jesus.” (Mark 2.14).

Now, in Mark 8, we note that Jesus is speaking both to the crowd and his disciples. In other words, these are persons who have embarked upon a new spiritual journey with him.

We may say that they were people who first heard the call to follow him; but Jesus does not just accept a ‘first conversion experience’ of those who wish to follow him. There must come a time when one must add value to the spiritual walk through renewal and recommitment.

THREE MOVEMENTS

There are three movements involved in our spiritual pilgrimage: a. “to count the cost”, b. “to take up the cross”, and c. “follow me”. However, I will reflect on the first, “count the cost”.

Our Lord said, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves ... .”

The best way to understand the concept of denial of oneself is demonstrated in the story of Abraham and his son Isaac.

In the story, we hear how God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only heir, the child of promise in whom the people’s future would be realised. It is a story that we are familiar with but, in the English translation, we somehow miss Abraham’s struggle.

In Genesis (22.2) ‘And he said, take your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac’. Or, as in the NRSV, “He said, take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love.”

If the issue were only a matter of identification, just the name Isaac would have been sufficient. But the issue, we are told explicitly in the first verse of the story, is the test. In verse two, we find a fourfold, heart-rending identification that creates the background for all that is to come.

Here, we see that Abraham did not just hear the voice of God and got up early in the morning to go and sacrifice his son, but that Abraham struggled with the command, “your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac.”

Abraham’s unquestionable obedience only arose when he renounced self-centredness, the desire to have an heir, and can only understood against this background: “Your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac.”

In our spiritual pilgrimage, we, too, like Abraham, must let go of those things that seem very important, that cause our self-centredness, and are seen in God’s eyes as stumbling blocks.

On our path, we must struggle ... . And then the miracle happens!

In the story of Abraham, Yahweh provided a ram and Isaac was restored to his father. In Jesus’ resurrection, his self-emptying and death opened new opportunities for humanity.

When we let go of our self-centredness, we come to understand God as “The LORD will provide” (Genesis 22.14).

Dudley McLean is executive director of Asociación de Debate Xaymaca (AdebateX), which convenes debating in Spanish for high schools. Send feedback to dm15094@gmail.com.