When You Divorce Christ from Your Ministry

There is a beautiful passage in St. John’s Gospel- yes, there are many- that unveils Christ’s love for humanity and reveals his power and glory as the Word made flesh. After he entered Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), the Pharisees were astounded to see so many people greet Jesus and commented, "The world has gone after him.”[1] The Pharisees' observation is validated by a group of Greeks who approach Philip and make a very simple yet profound request: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”[2] Philip confers with Andrew, and both inform Jesus about the Greeks' request. Jesus, as only He could, as the Son of God, responds by reminding all present of the responsibility required to follow him,

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.[3]

Jesus’ creed in being his disciple underscores the importance of being intimately united with him, where the principal message preached is Christ crucified. This means that if we choose to proclaim the message of salvation, it cannot be separated from the Son of God, the Incarnate Word. The reality of this evangelical and catechetical structure is that Jesus is asking anyone who follows him to prepare to speak about his life, death, and resurrection. The reality of the Incarnation cannot be separated from the sequential life of Christ, from his birth to his ascension into heaven. Hence, our duty is to preach, speak, and teach on and for the Cross. The Catechism reminds us of this important relationship between the life of Christ, the Cross, and the proclamation of the Word of God,

The Paschal mystery of Christ's cross and Resurrection stands at the center of the Good News that the apostles, and the Church following them, are to proclaim to the world. God's saving plan was accomplished "once for all" by the redemptive death of his Son, Jesus Christ.[4]

In his first Epistle, St. Peter reminds us not to forget what Jesus did to save us from the agony of a life apart from God, 

You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your fathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest at the end of the times for your sake.[5]

Keep in mind that the entry into Jerusalem reveals something quite stark: people desire a King, but when Jesus describes what the king requires, many disperse or renounce their affiliation with Christ the King. Christ’s discourse to everyone present after his entrance into Jerusalem can be described as a command to denounce the world and embrace the Cross. The assumption that someone can proclaim the Word of God but choose to remain outside of His Kingdom reveals a lack of humility and charity. Words must be accompanied by deeds. The notion that someone can claim to identify with Christ but refuse to adhere to the teachings of Christ is spiritual and doctrinal hypocrisy.  

When you divorce Christ from your ministry, the last thing you want to embrace is the Cross. Why, because it requires an embrace of the suffering of Christ in our daily life, e.g., redemptive suffering in the name of Christ. Keep in mind that a divorce from Christ is not immediate; it is gradual, systematic, and subtle. Where Christ was at the forefront of one’s missionary work now becomes a nuisance. A stark example is not starting any ministry gathering in prayer or being annoyed by simply hearing the word Jesus too many times in a meeting where someone comments, “Enough with talking about Jesus; we get it.” Or, if you dare to propose the following question, how have you grown in your relationship with Jesus Christ?” When I posed this question to a group I was working with several years ago, the majority present either squirmed, emitted no response, or were annoyed at the nature of the question.   

When you divorce Christ from your ministry, the mission no longer centers on Christ; the salvific message becomes blurred, making it difficult to identify Jesus as the Incarnation, the Word made flesh, the Messiah, the Savior, or the King. If this is the case, then the message is no longer salvific; it becomes human-centric versus Christocentric. As with all things, our Lord provides us with a path forward in the book of Hebrews to avoid the calamity of divorcing one's ministry from Christ.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation which addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.[6]