by: The Workshop Team, October 14, 2025
I cannot let go of the prior weeks' gospel readings, which are rich in symbols, without adding my 2-cents into it:
Aug 17 โ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ฎ:๐ฐ๐ตโ๐ฑ๐ฏ โ Bring Fire
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2012%3A49-53&version=NIV
Aug 24 โ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ฏ:๐ฎ๐ฎโ๐ฏ๐ฌ โ Narrow Gate
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2013%3A22-30&version=NIV
Luke 18:25 โ Eye of a Needle (NIV)
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2018%3A25&version=NIV
Sept 7 โ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ฐ:๐ฎ๐ฑโ๐ฏ๐ฏ โ Carry Cross
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2014%3A25-33&version=NIV
๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐๐น ๐๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ผ๐น๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐:
1. Jesus came to bring fire to the earth, and not peace.
2. Internal strife within families.
3. Many will try to enter the narrow gate, but will not succeed.
4. The Kingdom of God likened to the eye of a needle.
5. To be a disciple, one must renounce family, possessions, and even oneโs own life.
6. One must carry the cross to follow Christ.
These teachings have challenged many Christians, including pastors and priests. ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ท๐๐๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ "๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ" ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ? How do we interpret these symbols?
The Gospel symbols from recent weeks can be better understood through the ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. By examining similar allegories across spiritual traditions, we open the door to interfaith dialogue. This approach can help fill gaps in our understanding of Scripture, allowing us to extrapolate God's original message with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Take, for example, Jesus' startling call for strife, that even for family members to "hate" one another in his name. A parallel exists in Hinduism, particularly in the "๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ", where Arjuna, together with Sri Krishna, must face his own kin in the bloody Battle of Kurukshetra. Fire and explosions are described in this battle, symbolizing the spiritual necessity of slaying material attachments and desires to attain liberation.
Similarly, the fire Jesus brings can be likened to the divine upheaval of the ๐ง๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐ด๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ด๐๐ฝ๐. ๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐บ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ interpret these plagues as stages of spiritual purification. Each plague represents a different affliction or distraction that must be overcome to achieve spiritual freedom. The Israelites' release from Egypt , a land of oppression which symbolizes the soul's liberation from sin, pride, and worldly bondage.
In ๐๐๐น๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐บ, the Greater Jihad is the internal spiritual battle each person must wage to overcome sin and temptation. This struggle involves resisting the ego (nafs), desires, and negative traits like pride, greed, and anger which are obstacles to spiritual growth and closeness with God.
Greek and Roman mythology also offers rich allegories. ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฒ๐' ๐ง๐๐ฒ๐น๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ confront both external monsters and internal flaws of pride, fear, lust. The ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ง๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ and Olympians symbolizes the inner war between chaos and order, ego and discipline, impulse and spirit.
These stories are allegorical, not literal. Jesus' call to bring fire, provoke familial strife, and urge entry through the narrow gate points to a deeper truth: to enter the Kingdom of God, we must overcome worldly attachments, ego, sin, and pride, and even what we hold most dear. Carrying our cross symbolizes the ultimate sacrifice of self to become one with Christ, just as he became one with the Father.
Throughout life, weโve indulged in self-love and comfort. Yet the path to eternal life requires the surrender of the lower self so that the Higher Self may emerge, that of reflecting Christโs image of love, beauty, and unity with all beings.
Praise be to the Lord Christ!