La Unin de los Fieles con Cristo

por Karl Marx

Los padres de Marx eran judos. En 1816 el padre de Marx, Heinrich,
decide unirse al luteraniso de!ido a "ue la le# prusiana prohi!a a los judos
tra!ajar en le#es. $l poco tiepo la adre de Marx, Henrietta %ress!orch,
hace lo iso. En 1818 nace &arl Marx # es !auti'ado coo cristiano en una
i(lesia luterana. Con 1) a*os, el 1) de a(osto de 18+,, escri!e un ensa#o
titulado -La unin de los .ieles con Cristo/. %ronto se 0olcar1 al ateso2
Antes de que consideremos la razn y la esencia y los efectos de la Unin de
Cristo con los fieles, veamos si esta unin es necesaria, si est determinada por la
naturaleza del hombre, si es que puede o no, en s misma, alcanzar la meta por la cual
Dios lo ha creado de la nada.
i volvemos nuestra mirada a la historia, la !ran maestra de la humanidad,
encontraremos !rabado con a!u"a de acero que todas las naciones, incluso aquellas que
alcanzaron los mayores niveles de cultura, dieron lu!ar al nacimiento de los !randes
hombres, produ"eron las ms espl#ndidas artes, tuvieron los ms comple"os problemas
cientficos. in embar!o, no pudieron librarse de las cadenas de la supersticin, no
tuvieron una adecuada concepcin de s mismos o de la Divinidad, no pudieron purificar
su moralidad del sincretismo pa!ano y las prescripciones vacas. $ncluso sus virtudes eran
ms el producto de un tipo de !randeza vul!ar, de un e!osmo e%a!erado, de una pasin
por la fama y las haza&as audaces, que de la b'squeda por la verdadera perfeccin.
And the ancient peoples, the sava!es, amon! (hom the teachin! of Christ had not
yet spread, sho( an inner unrest, a fear of the (rath of their !ods, an inner conviction of
their un(orthiness, (hile at the same time they brin! sacrifices to their !ods to atone for
their sins.
)es, the !reatest sa!e of antiquity, the divine *lato, in more than one passa!e e%presses
a deep yearnin! for a hi!her +ein! (hose appearance (ould fulfill the unsatisfied lon!in!
for truth and li!ht.
,hus the history of nations teaches us the necessity of the Union (ith Christ.
,o be sure, even (hen (e study the history of the individual and the nature of man, (e
al(ays see a divine spar- in his breast, an enthusiasm for the .ood, a strivin! for
perception, a lon!in! for truth/but the spar-s of the eternal are smothered by the flame of
lust. ,he enthusiasm for virtue is stifled by the temptin! voice of sin, (hich is made
ridiculous (hen the full po(er of life is felt. ,he strivin! for perception is replaced by the
inferior strivin! for (orldly !oods0 the lon!in! for truth is e%tin!uished by the s(eet1smilin!
po(er of the lie0 and so man stands, the only creature that does not fulfill its !oal, the only
member in all Creation not (orthy of the .od that created him. +ut the benevolent Creator
does not hate his handi(or-0 he (anted to elevate it to his o(n level and 2e sent us his
on, throu!h (hom 2e calls to us3 45o( ye are clean throu!h the (ord (hich $ have
spo-en unto you. Abide in me, and $ in you 67ohn 893:1;<.4
5o( that (e have seen ho( the history of nations and the consideration of the
individual prove the necessity of a union (ith Christ, let us consider the last and most
difficult proof of all, the (ord of Christ himself.
And (here does 2e e%press the necessity of the union more clearly than in the
beautiful comparison bet(een the vine and the branch, (here 2e calls himself the vine
and us the branch= ,he branch cannot bear fruit of itself, and li-e(ise, says Christ, you
can do nothin! (ithout 2im. 2e states this even more stron!ly (hen he says3 4$ am the
vine, ye are the branches3 2e that abideth in me, and $ in him, the same brin!eth forth
much fruit3 for (ithout me ye can do nothin!. $f a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a
branch, and is (ithered 67ohn 89391><.4
+ut it should be -ept in mind that this applies only to those (ho have succeeded in
understandin! the (ord of Christ0 as for others, (ho have not been able to comprehend
2im, (e cannot "ud!e the decree of the ?ord over such nations and individuals.
@ur heart, our reason, history itself, and the (ord of Christ, all call to us loudly and
decisively that a union (ith 2im is an absolute necessity, that (ithout 2im (e cannot attain
our !oal, that (ithout 2im (e are re"ected by .od, and that only 2e can save us.
,hus penetrated by the conviction that this union is an absolute necessity, (e are
ea!er to learn the meanin! of this hi!h !ift, this ray of li!ht from a loftier (orld (hich falls
upon our ear and rin!in!ly raises us to heaven, and to discover its inner +ein! and its
Assence.
@nce (e have comprehended the necessity of the union, the basis for it1our need for
salvation, our sinfully inclined nature, our uncertain reason, our corrupted heart, our
un(orthiness in .odBs presence1is clearly revealed before our eyes, and (e need search
no more.
+ut (ho could e%press the essence of the union more beautifully than did Christ in
his comparison of the vine and the branch= Cho, even in !reat treatises, could lay before
the eye the innermost parts that are at the basis of this union better than Christ did in
these (ords3 4$ am the true vine, and my Dather is the husbandman 67ohn 8938<.4 4$ am the
vine, ye are the branches 67ohn 893 9<.4
$f the branch (ere sentient, ho( "oyously (ould it loo- to the !ardener (ho tends it,
(ho an%iously clears it of (eeds and ties it to the vine from (hich it derives nourishment
and sap for its beautiful blossoms.
$n the union (ith Christ, therefore, (e turn, before everythin!, our lovin! eye to(ard
.od, feel for 2im an ardent !ratitude, sin- "oyfully on our -nees before 2im.
,hen, after a beautiful sun has risen throu!h our union (ith Christ, (hen (e feel
our total un(orthiness and at the same time e%ult over our salvation, then only can (e love
.od, (ho formerly appeared to us as an offended lord but is no( a for!ivin! father and a
benevolent teacher.
+ut the branch, if it (ere sentient, (ould not only loo- up to the vine dresser, but
(ould also fervently clin! to the vine stoc- and feel the closest relation to the branches
around it0 it (ould love the other branches, because a !ardener tends them and a stoc-
!ives them vi!or.
,hus the union (ith Christ means a most intimate and vital companionship (ith
2im, -eepin! 2im before our eyes and in our hearts, and bein! permeated by the hi!hest
love, so that (e can turn our hearts to(ard our brothers, united (ith us throu!h 2im, and
for (hom 2e had sacrificed himself.
+ut this love for Christ is not fruitless0 it fills us not only (ith the purest reverence
and hi!hest respect for 2im, but also has the effect of ma-in! us -eep his commandments
in that (e sacrifice ourselves for each other and are virtuous, but virtuous only out of love
for 2im3 4@f sin, because they believe not on me0 @f ri!hteousness, because $ !o to my
Dather, and ye see me no more0 @f "ud!ment, because the prince of this (orld is "ud!ed. $
have yet many thin!s to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them no(. 2o(beit (hen he, the
pirit of truth, is come, he (ill !uide you into all truth3 for he shall not spea- of himself0 but
(hatsoever he shall hear, that shall he spea-3 and he (ill she( you thin!s to come. 2e
shall !lorify me0 for he shall receive of mine, and shall she( it unto you 67ohn 8>3E18;<.4
,his is the !reat chasm (hich separates and elevates Christian virtues from others0
this is one of the !reatest effects brou!ht out in men by the union (ith Christ.
Firtue is not the !loomy caricature found in the toic philosophy0 it is not the child
of the harsh doctrines of duty found amon! all heathen nations. $t is, rather, the
consequence of the love for Christ, love for a divine +ein!0 and (hen it derives from such
a pure source, it appears free of everythin! earthly and is truly divine. ,hen every
repulsive aspect is submer!ed, everythin! earthly suppressed, everythin! crude
e%tin!uished, and virtue is more enli!htened as it becomes milder and more humane.
5ever before had human reason been able to present it so0 previously virtue had
been a limited, an earthly quality.
@nce a man has attained this virtue, this union (ith Christ, he (ill quietly and
calmly bear the blo(s of fortune, bravely meet the storms of passions, and fearlessly
endure the ra!e of evil1for (ho could then oppress him, (ho could deprive him of his
avior=
2is prayers (ill then be ans(ered, for he prays only for the union (ith Christ, that
is, only for the divine, and ho( can it fail to elevate and to comfort (hen one proclaims the
avior himself= 45evertheless $ tell you the truth0 it is e%pedient for you that $ !o a(ay3 for
if $ !o not a(ay, the Comforter (ill not come unto you0 but if $ depart, $ (ill send him unto
you 67ohn 8> G< .4
And (ho (ould not !ladly endure pain, -no(in! that throu!h his abidin! in Christ
and throu!h his (or-s, .od 2imself is honored, that his consummation elevates the ?ord
of Creation= 4And (hen he is come, he (ill reprove the (orld of sin, and of ri!hteousness,
and of "ud!ment 67ohn 8>3H<.4
,hus the union (ith Christ imparts an inner e%altation, comfort in sufferin!, calm
trust, and a heart full of love for human-ind, open to everythin! noble, everythin! !reat, not
out of ambition but for the sa-e of Christ. ,hus the union (ith Christ imparts a "oyousness
(hich the Apicurean in his frivolous philosophy and the deep thin-er in his most arcane
science have vainly tried to snatch at, but (hich the soul can attain only throu!h its
unrestrained and childli-e Union (ith Christ and .od, (hich alone ma-es life more
beautiful and e%alted. 4@f "ud!ment, because the prince of this (orld is "ud!ed 67ohn
8>388<.4