© 2009 Luis Coll
© 2009 Urantia Association of Spain
In this world of great conquests and conquerors there was only one victor, and this victor is He who knew how to overcome evil with good. This is the greatest of all conquests.
Throughout the history of this world, there have been many conquerors, who conquered nations, countries, and lands. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, and a whole gallery of figures paraded through history. But these conquerors carried out their exploits by means of the sword or the rifle, by force and forcing other nations to submit under their feet, or by giving bread and food to the people, and in all their glory and conquests, they could never offer this world a hope of life, of eternal life, of true peace and happiness, and long-term freedom. Conquests by the sword or rifle can only bring temporary freedom to some and enslave others.
If one man is to be absolutely free, then another must become an absolute slave. (UB 134:6.1)
Of all the glory and triumphs of these great conquerors, what remains today of those great figures and conquests? Only a few ruins and monuments for the delight of tourists.
But there was a man in Nazareth who, working humbly in his carpentry workshop, began to teach and formulate the greatest teachings the world has ever heard, and which changed the course of history. Much has been said about Jesus, books and philosophical treatises have been written, films have been made, commentaries, documentaries, drawings, paintings, etc. Jesus Christ has been talked about almost more than any other character in history.
¶ The death of a hero
When we look at the cross of Jesus, we should look at the death of a hero.
Too many times and for too long, we have been presented with that withered, sad, and grieving Christ on crucifixes in some gloomy corner of a church, or with all that morbid exhibitionism in the streets, presenting that sad, bleeding, and grieving Christ. This spectacle can only produce in the poor minds of children and some people a sense of judgment, fear, and terror.
Let’s stop once and for all with all this exhibitionism of crucifixes and processions…because the darkness is passing and the true Light is already shining. (I John 2:8) The Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church, which is supposed to be the spearhead and not allow these things, is highly responsible for allowing it, something that Jesus never preached or taught.
All this morbid spectacle of sadness, pain, penance, scourging, and flagellation, both in Christianity and in other religions, no matter how much good faith its followers put into it, does nothing to help acquire true character and spiritual growth. On the contrary, it only inflates the spiritual ego of these people and their pride in showing others how religious they are.
All this lethargy, darkness, and exhibitionism only leads people to an unreality far removed from the Master’s teachings; it has sometimes been rightly said that religion is the opium of the people. All this spectacle of penance, flagellations, and bloodshed—no matter what religion practices it—only produces disgust and repugnance in Jesus himself and the heavenly beings who behold him.
The barbarous idea of appeasing an angry God, of propitiating an offended Lord, of winning the favor of Deity through sacrifices and penance and even by the shedding of blood, represents a religion wholly puerile and primitive, a philosophy unworthy of an enlightened age of science and truth. Such beliefs are utterly repulsive to the celestial beings and the divine rulers who serve and reign in the universes. It is an affront to God to believe, hold, or teach that innocent blood must be shed in order to win his favor or to divert the fictitious divine wrath. (UB 4:5.4)
Today, young people and many other people are accustomed to seeing their favorite hero in their games, books, novels, movies, and historical figures. He, despite facing all kinds of problems and difficulties, always emerges victorious in the end. Well, although this may be a fairly practical comparison, when we look at the cross of Jesus, we should see that brave and courageous hero dying for a noble cause. The noblest cause of all time. But that sad, cold Jesus with the face of a vagrant or a sweet, effeminate mystic with beautiful blue eyes, like a Sunday-poster picture, doesn’t appeal to young people and most people. It’s no wonder that many people and young people aren’t at all interested in the cause of Jesus and his wonderful teachings.
The pictures of Jesus have been most unfortunate. These paintings of the Christ have exerted a deleterious influence on youth; the temple merchants would hardly have fled before Jesus if he had been such a man as your artists usually have depicted. His was a dignified manhood; he was good, but natural. Jesus did not pose as a mild, sweet, gentle, and kindly mystic. His teaching was thrillingly dynamic. He not only meant well, but he went about actually doing good. (UB 141:3.6)
When Jesus died on that cross, he died like a true hero, with a serenity and courage that astonished even his enemies. In the intense pain of crucifixion, Jesus did not die cursing and complaining; he retained his dignity and courage to the very end. One of the robbers who had been crucified beside him, and the Roman centurion and captain in charge of the soldiers, could not resist the great courage and conviction with which Jesus died, and their hearts immediately embraced the Master’s cause.
When the Roman centurion saw how Jesus died, he smote his breast and said: “This was indeed a righteous man; truly he must have been a Son of God.” And from that hour he began to believe in Jesus. (UB 187:5.5)
One of the robbers, who had been a bandit and an admirer of Barabbas at that time, realized, looking into the kind face of the Master, that he had lived the wrong life and the wrong cause.
When he saw the manner in which Jesus faced death on the cross, this thief could no longer resist the conviction that the Son of Man was indeed the Son of God. … This young man had looked upon Barabbas as a hero. Now he saw that he had been mistaken. Here on the cross beside him he saw a really great man, a true hero. Here was a hero who fired his zeal and inspired his highest ideas of moral self-respect and quickened all his ideals of courage, manhood, and bravery. In beholding Jesus, there sprang up in his heart an overwhelming sense of love, loyalty, and genuine greatness. (UB 187:4.5)
Along with the great conquests and conquerors we have had in this world, both now and in times past, there have also been great men of peace, from the ancient prophets and Men of God to more recent times. Buddha, Gandhi, etc., a whole gallery of men of peace, too many to name here. All of them, like Jesus, were men and women who practiced nonviolence and demonstrated that words, love, peace, and tolerance were more powerful than the sword and the gun, and they influenced and changed the course of history.
Of all the horrible wars we have had, and behind the pride of these conquerors, there was only one victor, and this was He who knew how to overcome evil with good.
There was but one victor; there was only one who came out of these embittered struggles with an enhanced reputation—that was Jesus of Nazareth and his gospel of overcoming evil with good. The secret of a better civilization is bound up in the Master’s teachings of the brotherhood of man, the good will of love and mutual trust. (UB 194:3.12)
Jesus’ death on that horrible cross may have seemed like the greatest defeat in the eyes of many people, but in truth it was the greatest victory of all.
To enjoy privilege without abuse, to have liberty without license, to possess power and steadfastly refuse to use it for self-aggrandizement—these are the marks of high civilization. (UB 48:7.8)