Greco-Christian stream·The Imitation of Christ·Book III — On Inward Consolation·Chapter XVIII. That Temporal Miseries Are To Be Borne Patiently After The Example Of Christ
XVIII. Temporal miseries borne patiently after Christ's example
The whole life of Christ on earth was cross and martyrdom; how then shall the disciple seek rest? The temporal miseries borne by Christ are the disciple's model. Without the cross, no following.
Source context
- Theme
- patient endurance of temporal suffering modeled on Christ's passion as the path of inner conformity to the divine will
- Soul-faculty
- Consciousness Soul
Steiner
not engaged in the GA corpus
Cross-tradition
- Stoic philosophy (Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius)Stoic teaching on the disciplined acceptance of externally imposed suffering as the exercise of inner freedom shows cross-tradition congruence with the Imitation's insistence that outward affliction cannot harm the rightly oriented soul.
- Buddhist dukkha and the path of equanimityThe Buddhist recognition that suffering is constitutive of conditioned existence, and that right orientation toward it dissolves its compulsive power, shows cross-tradition congruence with the chapter's framing of temporal misery as spiritually purposive.
- Sufi doctrine of fana (annihilation of the ego-self)The Sufi emphasis on patient surrender to divine dispensation as the means by which the lower self is extinguished shows cross-tradition congruence with the chapter's Christ-centered ideal of self-emptying under affliction.
Chapter XVIII. That Temporal Miseries Are To Be Borne Patiently After The Example Of Christ
THAT TEMPORAL MISERIES ARE TO BE BORNE PATIENTLY AFTER THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST
"My Son! I came down from heaven for thy salvation; I took upon Me thy miseries not of necessity, but drawn by love that thou mightest learn patience and mightest bear temporal miseries without murmuring. For from the hour of My birth, until My death upon the Cross, I ceased not from bearing of sorrow; I had much lack of temporal things; I oftentimes heard many reproaches against Myself; I gently bore contradictions and hard words; I received ingratitude for benefits, blasphemies for My miracles, rebukes for My doctrine."
2Lord, because Thou wast patient in Thy life, herein most of all fulfilling the commandment of Thy Father, it is well that I, miserable sinner, should patiently bear myself according to Thy will, and as long as Thou wilt have it so, should bear about with me for my salvation, the burden of this corruptible life. For although the present life seemeth burdensome, it is nevertheless already made very full of merit through Thy grace, and to those who are weak it becometh easier and brighter through Thy example and the footsteps of Thy saints; but it is also much more full of consolation than it was of old, under the old Testament, when the gate of heaven remained shut; and even the way to heaven seemed more obscure when so few cared to seek after the heavenly kingdom. But not even those who were then just and in the way of salvation were able, before Thy Passion and the ransom of Thy holy Death, to enter the kingdom of heaven.
3Oh what great thanks am I bound to give Thee, who hast vouchsafed to show me and all faithful people the good and right way to Thine eternal kingdom, for Thy way is our way, and by holy patience we walk to Thee who art our Crown. If Thou hadst not gone before and taught us, who would care to follow? Oh, how far would they have gone backward if they had not beheld Thy glorious example! Behold we are still lukewarm, though we have heard of Thy many signs and discourses; what would become of us if we had not such a light to help us follow Thee?