LUKE 24:35-48
FROM THE EARLIEST DAYS CHRISTIANS HAVE
UNDERSTOOD THAT THE DEATH OF JESUS SOMEHOW CHANGED THE RELATIONSHIP
OF HUMAN BEINGS TO GOD. MANY THEORIES HAVE BEEN ADVANCED AS TO HOW
THIS HAPPENED. THE MOST COMMON ONE IS THE IDEA OF SUBSTITUTIONARY
PUNISHMENT. THIS IDEA GOES BACK TO SOME SCRIPTURE PASSAGES, AND IS
COLORED BY THE WHOLE HISTORY OF SACRIFICES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. THE
IDEA IS THAT ORIGINAL SIN, HOWEVER YOU UNDERSTAND IT, IS AN INHERITED
CONDITION, AND AFFECTS EVERY HUMAN BEING., AND IT GIVES US THE
INCLINATION TO SIN. AND BECAUSE OF THIS GOD TAKES OFFENSE AT US, AND
THERE ISN'T ANYTHING WE CAN DO ON OUR OWN TO MAKE UP FOR THIS. SO
JESUS CHOSE TO TAKE ON THE PUNISHMENT THAT HUMANITY DESERVED, AND
BECAUSE OF THAT GOD NOW IS SATISFIED.
THERE ARE MANY THINGS WRONG WITH THIS
THEORY. FIRST, IF GOD HAS TO BE SATISFIED BECAUSE OF OUR SINS AND
THOSE OF OUR ANCESTORS, THEN GOD ANSWERS TO A HIGHER POWER –
NAMELY, JUSTICE. AND IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WE DON'T SEE GOD BEHAVING
AS THOUGH HE HAS TO FOLLOW SOME RULE. HE FORGIVES DAVID FOR
ADULTERY, AND CONDEMNS SAUL FOR NOT FOLLOWING AN ORDER TO KILL EVERY
LAST TRACE OF AN ENEMY DEFEATED IN BATTLE. HE ACCEPTS THE SACRIFICE
OF ABEL AND REFUSES THAT OF CAIN, BUT THERE IS NO REASON GIVEN FOR
THIS. HE FAVORS THE SNEAKY JACOB AGAINST HIS INNOCENT BROTHER ESAU,
WHO WAS THE RIGHTFUL INHERITOR OF THE BLESSING OF ISAAC. COMPARED TO
HUMANS, GOD SEEMS ARBITRARY AND ANSWERS TO NO ONE.
AND GOD TAKING OFFENSE AT US, HATING
HUMAN BEINGS BEFORE JESUS CAME ALONG? THAT'S DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE.
ABRAHAM, MOSES AND DAVID ALL WERE FRIENDS OF GOD AND THERE WERE A LOT
OF OTHERS IN THE HEBREW BIBLE. AND WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THEM IS THAT
THEY WERE VERY HUMAN, LIKE YOU AND I. AND WE KNOW THAT WE LOVE THAT
BROTHER WHO NEVER SEEMS ABLE TO DO ANYTHING RIGHT, OR THAT SISTER WHO
HAS A PROBLEM WITH ALCOHOL. WE LOVE PEOPLE DESPITE THEIR
IMPERFECTIONS, AND SURELY GOD MUST LOVE US EVEN MORE.
AND JESUS, WE KNOW, IS GOD, JUST AS
THE FATHER IS. IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY GOD WOULD CONDEMN US AND
THEN TURN AROUND AND SAVE US. AND JESUS IN THE PARABLE OF THE
PRODIGAL SON GIVES US HIS IDEA OF GOD THE FATHER: LIKE A HUMAN
FATHER WHO WAITS ANXIOUSLY FOR HIS LOST SON TO RETURN, AND THEN
BEFORE HE CAN EVEN ASK FOR FORGIVENESS, FORGIVES HIM. AND THIS
PARABLE JESUS TOLD BEFORE HE SUFFERED AND DIED. ONE THING THAT WE
CAN SAFELY ASSUME IS THAT GOD NEVER HATED US, GOD ALWAYS LOVED US.
MAYBE THESE TWO SENTENCES HELP US GET
A BETTER IDEA. “CHRIST HAD TO SUFFER AND RISE FROM THE DEAD”,
AND “REPENTANCE FOR SINS MUST BE PREACHED IN HIS NAME...” WHAT
ARE SINS? THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SAYS: SIN IS FAILURE
IN GENUINE LOVE FOR GOD AND NEIGHBOR CAUSED BY A PERVERSE ATTACHMENT
TO CERTAIN GOODS. WE WERE MEANT TO LOVE EACH OTHER AND LOVE GOD; IN
THIS WAY WE REFLECT THE TRINITY. IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, THE SYMBOL
IS THAT GOD WALKS AND TALKS WITH THE FIRST COUPLE, WHO ARE NAKED BUT
NOT ASHAMED. ONCE SIN HAPPENS, THEY CAN NO LONGER BE NAKED WITH EACH
OTHER, AND THEY HIDE FROM GOD. THEY TURN INWARD AND PUT THEMSELVES
FIRST.
THE CROSS SHOWS US THE CONSEQUENCES OF
TURNING INWARDS, SELF-CENTEREDNESS, PERVERSE ATTACHMENT TO CERTAIN
GOODS. THE WHOLE STORY OF THE PASSION IS A STORY OF PEOPLE DOING
THIS; THE APOSTLES ABANDON JESUS; JUDAS BETRAYS HIM FOR MONEY; THE
PRIESTLY CROWD IS JEALOUS OF IT'S PREROGATIVES; PILATE IS AFRAID OF
ACTING ON HIS KNOWLEDGE THAT JESUS IS INNOCENT; AND THE CROWD
DEMANDING HIS DEATH HAVE SUSPENDED THEIR HUMANITY TO BE PART OF A
MOB. THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN ARE SUFFERING AND DEATH OF THE
INNOCENT ONE. BUT GOD, WHO ALWAYS LOVES, WILL NOT ALLOW THIS TO BE
THE END OF THE STORY. HE TAKES THIS GREATEST OF TRAGEDIES AND
CHANGES IT INTO A TRIUMPH. AND IN THAT HE GUARANTEES HIS UNENDING
LOVE AND MERCY.
BUT THAT'S WHY REPENTANCE IN HIS NAME
MUST BE PREACHED. REPENTANCE IS NOT “FEELING SORRY” FOR OUR
SINS. IT IS CHANGING THE WAY WE SEE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND
WITH EACH OTHER. IT HAS TO BE PREACHED, SO THAT WE KNOW IT IS
POSSIBLE. AND WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT IT, SOME OF US WILL ASK, LIKE THOSE
PEOPLE WHO HEARD PETER PREACH, “BROTHERS, WHAT MUST WE DO?” AND
THAT'S PART OF PREACHING REPENTANCE AS WELL. IT IS TO DESCRIBE THE
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, WHERE THINGS ARE THE WAY THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE –
ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. IT IS A WORLD AT PEACE, WHERE EVERYONE
HAS AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD; WHERE EVERYONE RETURNS HIS
LOVE. AND IT IS A WORLD WHERE THROUGH LOVE WE STRUGGLE TO ELIMINATE
ALL THOSE THINGS THAT INJURE AND MAR OUR HUMANITY – SICKNESS,
PREJUDICE, PERSECUTION, AND EVEN DEATH. AND IT IS A WORLD WHERE
EVERYONE SEEKS TO BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE, AND CAN COUNT ON HIS
NEIGHBOR TO HELP HIM GET THERE.
I HAVE A FRIEND IN BUFFALO WHO LEFT A
GOOD JOB TO WORK IN THE INNER CITY WITH THE HOMELESS AND OTHER PEOPLE
AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIT. HE BEGAN WITH ONE OTHER PERSON, DOING
WHATEVER THEY COULD AND BEGGING LEFT OVER FOOD FROM RESTAURANTS AND
GROCERY STORES. HE MANAGED TO TALK THE OWNER OF AN ABANDONED
BUILDING TO ALLOW HIM TO PUT TOGETHER A SHELTER. HE FOUND PEOPLE TO
DONATE USED CLOTHING. GRADUALLY THIS MINISTRY EXPANDED AND GAINED A
LOT OF SUPPORT. IT NOW OCCUPIES THE BUILDINGS OF A PARISH THAT
CLOSED, AND IT'S IMPACT CONTINUES TO EXPAND. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
IS BEING REALIZED IN ONE SMALL PART OF THE CITY OF BUFFALO.
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ISN'T GOING TO
HAPPEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, BUT THE RESURRECTION IS A GUARANTEE THAT IT
WILL HAPPEN, AND HAS BEEN THE INSPIRATION FOR SAINTS AND MARTYRS
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF CHRISTIANITY. AND ONCE IN A WHILE SOMEONE
RESPONDS TO THE PREACHING, AND BEGINS TO CREATE THE KINGDOM OF
HEAVEN AROUND HIMSELF. AND THAT BRINGS THE KINGDOM A LITTLE CLOSER
TO ALL OF US.
