Paschal Spirituality - Stamped with the Signature of Jesus
Well, this book that I'm reading from is called "The Signature of Jesus," and Manning talks about the cross being the signature of Jesus. It's a sign of sacrifice and obedience, and how all of our lives should be stamped with the signature of Jesus with the cross.
The Call Beyond Comfort
And so the fourth characteristic of Paschal spirituality is that it is stamped with the signature of Jesus - it is a spirituality that goes further than just agreeing intellectually to the doctrines of the faith. It's a spirituality where our lives are lived like Jesus lived His.
As Manning says on page 100, "Discipleship without sacrifice breeds comfortable Christianity, barely distinguishable in its mediocrity from the rest of the world. The cross is both the test and the destiny of the follower of Christ."
You know, I think we've gotten so used to the gospel that it loses its power. We see Jesus naked and stripped and crucified on a cross, and it just doesn't move us like it used to. We see the stone rolled away from the tomb, and it doesn't affect us like it should.
Embracing Radical Discipleship
It should be, as Manning says, a summons to strip ourselves of earthly cares and worldly wisdom and all desire for human praise and greediness. And it should bring within us a readiness to stand up and be counted as peacemakers in a violent world and breed in us a willingness to let go of the worldliness around us.
Pascal's spirituality is always about dying to self. Jesus said "Take up your cross and follow Me." And when He said that, people left because they realized He meant "follow Me to death."
Living the Cross Daily
And so let me ask us today, is our Christianity comfortable and settled and just so? Or is it radical sacrifice - giving up time, energy, money, comfort so that we can do what Jesus wanted us to do?
I often lament the fact that I spent so much time talking about Jesus and so little time sacrificing for Him, and I want to make a commitment right this moment to make a change and to back up all my talking with action. How about you, friends?
Pascal spirituality is spirituality that sacrifices for the cause, for the sake of Christ's gospel going to the world and Christ's love reaching those around us. May our lives be stamped with the signature of Jesus as we carry our crosses and live for Him every day.
