Subtraction
Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Daily Reading: Luke 9:22 – 25
Focus Passage:
Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for you to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit your very self?” (Lk. 9:23 – 25)
“Discipline” and “denial” are dirty words for plenty of people. The words reinforce stereotypes many people hold about what it means to follow Jesus. And many Christians feel intimidated because the words suggest something difficult and unattainable.
Yet, Jesus said that those who follow and learn from him (disciples) must “deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow.”
To be sure, words like “acquisition” and “accumulation” would be friendlier to modern ears. Westerners seem to be wired to “have more” and “do better.” In every facet of life, we live by unspoken creeds that drive us to acquire shiny things and add more trophies to the trophy case.
Even in our experience of the Christian faith, we are consumers . . . gathering more knowledge, more serving, more information, more belief.
The spiritual journey, on the other hand, invites us to let go, release, and surrender. Jesus’ word was, “denial.” In modern language, think of denial as “subtraction.”
Typically we think that progress in the spiritual life means gathering more information, going to more worship services, saying more prayers, and accumulating more spiritual practices. In other words, we think in terms of “addition.”
However, the spiritual life invites us to subtraction, to let go of illusions about ourselves, to release our egotistical control on life, to “become less” (of our illusory false self) in order to “become more” (the person God created us to be).
The “life” that Jesus invited us to lose is the life that revolves around self, propped up by images and masks.
The “life” that Jesus wants to “save” or reclaim is the life hidden within us, the God-treasure already seeded deep inside each of us.
For Reflection:
Take a moment today to consider the things you have gathered or accumulated in your spiritual journey through the years. What have you picked up and held onto? In your journal, make a list of some of the practices (going to church, saying prayers, reading the Bible, etc.) and beliefs (Who is God? Who is Jesus? Who am I? Why am I here? How do I see myself?, etc.) you have accumulated.
Then, one by one, examine each practice and belief. Hold it for a moment and allow God to speak to you about it.
• Does it still serve you well?
• Does it give life to you? Does life flow through you to others?
• Does it help you love God, self, others, and the world more deeply?
• Is there an invitation from God related to “subtraction” or “addition” in this thing you have accumulated?
Daily Reading: Luke 9:22 – 25
Focus Passage:
Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for you to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit your very self?” (Lk. 9:23 – 25)
“Discipline” and “denial” are dirty words for plenty of people. The words reinforce stereotypes many people hold about what it means to follow Jesus. And many Christians feel intimidated because the words suggest something difficult and unattainable.
Yet, Jesus said that those who follow and learn from him (disciples) must “deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow.”
To be sure, words like “acquisition” and “accumulation” would be friendlier to modern ears. Westerners seem to be wired to “have more” and “do better.” In every facet of life, we live by unspoken creeds that drive us to acquire shiny things and add more trophies to the trophy case.
Even in our experience of the Christian faith, we are consumers . . . gathering more knowledge, more serving, more information, more belief.
The spiritual journey, on the other hand, invites us to let go, release, and surrender. Jesus’ word was, “denial.” In modern language, think of denial as “subtraction.”
Typically we think that progress in the spiritual life means gathering more information, going to more worship services, saying more prayers, and accumulating more spiritual practices. In other words, we think in terms of “addition.”
However, the spiritual life invites us to subtraction, to let go of illusions about ourselves, to release our egotistical control on life, to “become less” (of our illusory false self) in order to “become more” (the person God created us to be).
The “life” that Jesus invited us to lose is the life that revolves around self, propped up by images and masks.
The “life” that Jesus wants to “save” or reclaim is the life hidden within us, the God-treasure already seeded deep inside each of us.
For Reflection:
Take a moment today to consider the things you have gathered or accumulated in your spiritual journey through the years. What have you picked up and held onto? In your journal, make a list of some of the practices (going to church, saying prayers, reading the Bible, etc.) and beliefs (Who is God? Who is Jesus? Who am I? Why am I here? How do I see myself?, etc.) you have accumulated.
Then, one by one, examine each practice and belief. Hold it for a moment and allow God to speak to you about it.
• Does it still serve you well?
• Does it give life to you? Does life flow through you to others?
• Does it help you love God, self, others, and the world more deeply?
• Is there an invitation from God related to “subtraction” or “addition” in this thing you have accumulated?
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