Who is Jesus Christ –who are you?
Fr. Cheriyan Menacherry CMI
“I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God,” (Jn 1:34) so declared John the Baptist about the true identity of Jesus Christ. Who is Jesus Christ? Is He only a human being? John the Baptist will say: „No, He is the Son of God.” What does the Son of God do? Johannes will answer further: “He takes away the sin of the world.” (Jn 1:29).
With the sin the human beings had lost their true identity. They forgot that they are the children of God. Forgetting the love and friendship people began to live cruel and crazy life.
An Indian tale is appropriate here. There was once a lion cub. His parents were killed by a poacher and the poor little cub was deserted. He erred solitarily around until he found at home in a sheep herd. Just like the little lambs, the young lion also began to drink milk and frolicked with the lambs around. Gradually the little lion lost its identity and thought, that he is also a lamb. The little lion began to bleat, to eat grass and leaves. Years passed. One day a mighty lion out of the jungle began to attack the entire sheep herd. The lion, however, was surprised as he saw the bleating and grass eating young lion among the sheep. The lion asked the young one: “why you are here under the sheep bleating and eating leaves? Don’t you know that you are a powerful lion, who should drink blood and roar? The young lion asked anxiously and without conviction “Am I then a mighty lion? Am I not a weak lamb? See I can only bleat and cannot roar.” The big lion thought: “How can I convince him?” He took the young lion to at the bank of a river. “Look to your reflection in water. Your face is exactly as mine. I am a lion, therefore, you are also. Now you try to imitate me and roar.” Discovering the lost identity the young lion began to roar.
People who have lost their identity no longer believe that they are sons or daughters of God. The young lion could not roar like a lion as he lost his identity. So also people who have lost their identity lead a depressed and hopeless life. Like the mighty lion in the fairy tale, Jesus makes us understand that human beings are children of God. The Christian optimism in the mind gives a person the power, the courageous like a lion to go through the valley of the pains and the death. As children of God, with power and courage and much love in the heart people can overcome the daily troubles, tribulations, defeats pains and sorrows, which are the symbols of the death, to celebrate the daily resurrection with regained true identity.