EGO'S HOMERUN WITH THE BASES LOADED

The Mystic Christ - Chapter Preview

Don't blame them, children. It is extremely difficult to remove egotism and jealousy. These are even seen in advanced sadhaks [spiritual practitioners]. Ammachi, Awaken Children, vol. 1 (brackets by author)

Ego was so intent on preventing us from experiencing the truth of our divine unity that he lured many who were in a position of power to remove the idea from Christian scriptures in the formative years of Christianity. Power, wealth and status were the pieces of silver offered for the betrayal of the Truth.

APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION

By the year 200 C.E. these unwitting tools of Ego's plan had organized themselves into a hierarchy of bishops, priests and deacons and claimed, by right of apostolic succession, that we common folk could only get the "truth" from them. The doctrine of "apostolic succession" states that the truth is handed down through time like a baton. It begins with the apostles and is then passed to their direct students and then to their direct students, ad infinitum. And what if we could only get the keys to salvation from these certain individuals? They even claimed to have the power to remove our sins. Common people were not allowed to possess a Bible. How tempting and seductive was Ego's proposal to this "anointed" hierarchy of "special" ones. Ego was desperate - Jesus had exposed him and Ego had to find a way to hide. Jesus did not approve of such a master-slave relationship even among his own disciples.

In the Gospel of Mark, both James and John privately asked Jesus to grant them their desire. Jesus asks what he could do for them. They reply that they desire for one of them to sit at Jesus' left hand and the other to sit at his right hand. When the other ten disciples got wind of their request they were upset with the two usurpers. James and John were asking to be elevated above the others.

Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. Mark 10:42-44, NIV

Jesus tells them that they shall not exercise lordship one over the others like the Gentiles. In another instance the same issue comes up again. The disciples are disputing who should be the boss.

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." Mark 9:33-35, NIV

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