Does Christ have low self esteem?

[Honza]

Jesus displayed various characteristics which could be interpreted as Him having low self esteem. First of all He sacrificed Himself for others! Did He not love Himself? Is the act of dying for others an act of low self esteem? In this day and age I think many would say so.

Jesus often talked about others and how important it is to love them. Is this another sign that He did not value Himself? In this age we stress the importance of loving our self - not loving others. The love of others is often construed as having low self esteem.

So is Christ's selflessness a sign of low self esteem?

[FallingLeaves]

assuming that the judgement of the people of this day is in fact correct, and he had low self esteem... would that really make a difference?

But self-esteem aside this guy had a lot of guts, to know for three years what his end must be yet carry himself through to it day by day even though when the end actually appeared he really would rather not have gone through with it?

Anyway I'm looking forward to your next thread, as pertains to how people would judge God harshly these days too.

[white pegasus]

Christ was being obedient to His Father. It is. Ecaude he has unconditional love for us that he chose to die on the cross for all of humanity's sins. Not low self esteem at all it's unconditional love

[sky]

Originally Posted by Honza

Jesus displayed various characteristics which could be interpreted as Him having low self esteem. First of all He sacrificed Himself for others! Did He not love Himself? Is the act of dying for others an act of low self esteem? In this day and age I think many would say so.

Jesus often talked about others and how important it is to love them. Is this another sign that He did not value Himself? In this age we stress the importance of loving our self - not loving others. The love of others is often construed as having low self esteem.

So is Christ's selflessness a sign of low self esteem?

'Low self esteem'.... no, just humility.

I personally think he knew his time was almost up when he declared that one of his disciples would betray him. He'd got into an awful lot of trouble with the Rabbinical priesthood and the Romans branded him a troublemaker.

(You see similar things happening today but with less severe punishments - most times anyway - those defying the establishment party line cop it sooner or later.)

So I think that if he hadn't been arrested he'd have gone on with his ministry. An extremely wise person ready to humble himself. I agree with sky123 - humility. I do not believe he was the son of an external god up in the sky somewhere. Nor did he, I reckon.
.

[Honza]

Humility is the key word here. I've noticed very often that humble people start to lose their self esteem or are branded as having low self esteem by others.

Humility & self esteem make for an interesting equation. How do they co-relate?

[theophilus]

The Bible discourages us from having any self-esteem, either low or high. The greatest commandment is to love God with all our strength. The second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we obey these commands we won't have much time left to think about ourselves at all.

[Honza]

Originally Posted by theophilus

The Bible discourages us from having any self-esteem, either low or high. The greatest commandment is to love God with all our strength. The second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we obey these commands we won't have much time left to think about ourselves at all.

So how does that equate with the New Age message of self love and self empowerment? Or with the Hindu and Buddhist message of self realisation?

It is because of reasons like these that the Western spirituality and the Eastern spirituality become incompatible.

[theophilus]

Originally Posted by Honza

So how does that equate with the New Age message of self love and self empowerment? Or with the Hindu and Buddhist message of self realisation?

It doesn't equate them. We are commanded to love God and our neighbors, not ourselves. We must depend on God, not on ourselves, for power. We can experience self realization only through a proper relationship with and submission to God.

Originally Posted by sky123

If you don't love yourself how can you love others ?

All of us naturally love ourselves. Our natural tendency is to put that love first when other loves need to have priority.

Originally Posted by Ab Origine

Hmm - of course it does - the bible authority wants you submissive, down on your knees, dominated CONTROLLED !! But look, as I keep telling you (all) the bible is not even the truth of Christ and HE said something completely different here -

Christ's message was a call to complete submission.

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Mark 8:34-38 ESV

[sky]

Originally Posted by theophilus

The Bible discourages us from having any self-esteem, either low or high. The greatest commandment is to love God with all our strength. The second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. If we obey these commands we won't have much time left to think about ourselves at all.

If you don't love yourself how can you love others ?