Cover Story

Cover Story
Jesus Represented the Height of Love - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Jesus and love are synonymous. If you say love, then you need not say Jesus—if you say Jesus, that means love. Jesus said, "If you call God in my name, if you ask God in my name, whatever that you shall ask will be given, for God is love". Such an expression of love you can find in Jesus.

Whatever little glimpse you may get here and there indicates the fullness: The ultimate expression of the inexpressible. That life is striving to express throughout the time. Love goes with courage and look at the courage of Jesus. He completely overthrows the common concept that the strong will inherit the earth: The meek shall inherit the heaven for love makes you weak. However strong you are, when you are in love you are the weakest. Even a macho man will cry when he is in love. Love makes you weak but brings you to the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus says, "Love each other as much as I love you." It was impossible for someone not to recognize the love that Jesus was, since love makes you weak. It is also seary. Among thousands, few followed him. Many heard but just a few came. So he says that very few shall pass through the narrow path. Many will come and hear but a few will understand.

Even after showing all those miracles a handful of people, 12 or 13 really could recognize and follow Jesus. They were not high intellectuals but were simple and innocent people.

When Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is within you, they would not understand. They said, "which side of God will we be sitting, right or left?" Once you go inside, there is no right or left, there is no front or back. He had to tell parables in many ways and had to repeat it and make them understand a little more. That much of patience and compassion can come out of love. "I have come to put man against man, father against son, daughter against mother."

He said these words—very few have really understand what it means. Who you think is your friend is really not your friend. They make your faith in the matter strong and spiritless. "I have come to put one against another—I have come to put fire and not to make peace." If he had to say this, he has seen the depth of slumber. Do you know, when you talk something nice, peaceful, everybody will go to sleep. If there is something sensational, people wake up and hear. Newspapers are filled with such stories. This is the human mind, and Jesus had made all efforts for one to cross the mind and get into the soul, the spirit, the source of life, the Self.

You break through the limited relations. You identify yourself with something or somebody or identities and recognize the divinity within you — that you are much more than just a human, you are a part of the divine and you inherit the kingdom and that is right here, right within you. Somewhere he has said "Better for Judas if he was not born at all." Those words are not coming out of anger or frustration. Many times you also say when you don’t like somebody, "It’s better they were never there, they were never born." Because he could feel the pain that Judas was undergoing. Judas played the role he was ordained to play. He had no choice and Jesus could feel that pain, that suffering that Judas was undergoing and his compassion was so great, his love for him was so great. This is the height of love. This is the best way to bring out the teaching. This is the best way to share the love. With the Lord, you have respect, but with a friend you share your most intimate feelings, thoughts, ideas, secrets. Jesus said, "I am your friend." Where there is authority, there cannot be love. Where there is love, there is no authority. Jesus, opening his arms, said, "Come, you are my friend. Don’t put me on the altar. Give me a seat in your heart. See me in everyone you see around. Love everyone as much as I love you, or as much as you love me. Share that with everyone around."