To view the author's book click here INTRO
Sometimes the corruption in our workplace, church, and community-at-large is obvious by the company we choose to have with us. The story in the Bible of the choice given to the population of people between Jesus or Barabbas illustrates this concept. The story begins when a bribery of 30 pieces of silver is given to Judas to betray Jesus. That enabled Christ to be found, arrested, and tried by the Roman justice system. Christ‘s arrest was the result of corruption and false accusations. The lower courts sent the case to the appeals court where the Roman governor would judge the innocence or guilt of Jesus. It was the findings of the governor that there was no guilt in Jesus, and determined him to be an innocent man. It was the chief priests and elders who knew that every year the Roman justice system had a policy of letting the people choose between two prisoners, and the chosen one would be set free. Therefore, the chief priests and elders recalled this custom and persuaded the population of people to choose Barabbas, while calling for the crucifixion of Jesus. Barabbas was a notorious prisoner and quite a contrast to the spirit of love and peace within Christ. The Roman governor honored that custom, set Barabbas free and turned Christ over for crucifixion, but not before attempts to persuade the people that Jesus is an innocent man. The governor even said he found no guilt in Him and washed his hands of what the people intended to do. The population of people chose to invite the notorious criminal to be a part of their fellowship, while rejecting the peaceful and loving qualities of Jesus. That scenario is a social commentary of the crowd’s relationship to that divine presence that lives within each of us. From their inner being they had thoughts, emotions, and behavior that would discard that supreme goodness to choose the notorious person, Barabbas. That is a community of people that felt no value for their inward divinity, and made choices that released criminal behavior among the people. That is why we have to honor that goodness within us and make choices that contribute to the wholesome nature of one another. Jesus was a person whose behavior and teachings were to encourage others to live a life of goodwill, kindness, meekness, gentleness, joy, goodness, patience, and self-control. Christ wanted to fill the Roman Empire and the world with love, peace, faith, and perseverance. In contrast, Barabbas was a man who was notorious even among the prisoners, and gave no respect to the divine blossoms of the spiritual fruit. He had murderous thoughts, emotions, and behaviors living through him. When the people chose Barabbas, they trampled on the goodness within them, the fruit of the spirit. Alternatively, we should choose to accompany ourselves with people who contribute to the garden of our soul with love, peace, and joy. HEALTH
When considering our health, we should make choices to be with those who honor the body. For example, Jesus brought healing and gave people faith to be victorious over death. He wanted us to be healthy and lively. However, Barabbas was a man who could bring violence to the body and commit murder through his behavior. Even then, on the day that the population cried for the crucifixion of Christ and the release of Barabbas, they discarded the value of their own health. We should care enough about our body to choose people who feel a sense of welfare for one another. SECURITY
Christ contributed to our sense of security by making us feel safe through comfort, peace, meekness, and joy. In contrast, Barabbas was a menacing individual with a threatening presence and induced terror. Even so, the people rejected and crucified the source of their tranquility when they chose to risk their own life by demanding the release of Barabbas. To have peace, safety, and security, we need to choose people who convey the spirit of gentleness, meekness, and tranquility. BELONGING
Jesus wanted to make us feel accepted into a loving family atmosphere. Alternatively, Barabbas’ criminal nature excluded the goodness of others and caused fragmentation of the society. When the people called for the crucifixion of Christ, they released the atmosphere of social chaos, intolerance, conflict, and friction. To have community cohesion, acceptance, and tolerance, we must choose people who convey the spirit of love, goodwill, and kindness. VALUE
Christ wanted the people to feel the value of their worth by expounding on our importance to the goodness of God. In contrast, Barabbas already had a reputation for being a notorious criminal who felt no esteem for the worth of others. When the people rejected Christ, and chose Barabbas it testifies to their low sense of esteem relating to love, peace, and faith. They must have felt little worth for themselves and had no value for the community where they lived. If we value ourselves and esteem others we will choose people who know the supreme worth of that divine presence in us. SELF_EXPRESSION
Jesus expressed himself with words and deeds that communicated love for one another and peace within the neighborhood. In contrast, we know that having a notorious reputation includes harsh words and hostile behaviors, that was Barabbas. The people expressed their desire to crucify the loving expression of Christ, and to release the tumultuous nature of Barabbas. To live peacefully with one another, we need to choose people who express themselves through the divinity that lives within. SUMMARY
Some people will deny any value for people who flower with the divine spiritual fruit. They are angry and depressed people who seek to crucify the goodness in the community, and release cruel, hateful, and hostile behaviors. They refuse to bargain or find agreement with those who support and vouch for the innocence of others. They find no acceptance for the goodness in themselves, or in others, and seek only to release intolerance and conflict. We can assess that some people convey the divine spirit of love, peace, faith, and perseverance through their thoughts, emotions, and behavior. The diagnosis is that some people are notorious and filled with hatred, hostility, hopelessness, and pessimism. Even so, we plan to choose people to have around us who honor the divine presence of our inner being, and blossom with spiritual fruit. We implement that plan by opening ourselves to the soft, moist, tender qualities within us to make us receptive to the goodness in one another. We can evaluate how we are doing because when the spirit of goodwill, kindness, peace, and love permeates our community, we have chosen rightly. To view the author's book click here |