Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Lenten Daily Dose - Tuesday of Holy Week

Jesus Liberator

Richard Rohr spoke of Jesus driving out the dealers in the temple in his reflection yesterday.  He wrote:

His public demonstration against the sacred space is surely the historical action that finally gets Him killed. The trouble with declaring one space sacred is that we then imagine other spaces are not! Here He takes on the detours of false religion: any attempt to "buy" God, purity and debt codes, and the primacy of "sacrifices" over mercy and compassion. Jesus has come to liberate God for humanity and humanity for God.”
Jesus has come to liberate God for humanity and humanity for God.
As I try to become a better Christian and become closer to Christ over this Lent, I find myself asking, “Did it really have to happen this way?  Did He have to take on the Passion, did He have to die on the Cross?”

I think of the song by Michael W. Smith  – ‘Here I Am To Worship’( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoxopsRSfdU&feature=related) and the line -

I'll never know how much it cost, to see my sins upon that cross.
So, I get that Jesus had to die for us, to free us from our sins.  I also am starting to understand the paradoxical nature of God.  His ways are not man’s ways.  In fact, it seems that many of the things that man holds up as accomplishments, God does not see it that way.  The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–12) are the height of Jesus’ call to abandon the lures of the world and follow the treasures of heaven.  Jesus did liberate humanity for God.
Rohr’s quote brings a new twist to the Resurrection of the Lord.  Many have written and spoke of Jesus being the ‘New Adam’, and at Mass as we relive the Last Supper and Jesus says,

Take this, all of you, and drink from it:
for this is the chalice of my blood,
the blood of the new and eternal covenant.which will be poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins .
Do this in memory of me.”
With the new covenant, Jesus liberated God for humanity.  God is now accessible to all, and all are called to Him.  Because of His Passion, we are called and saved.

Have a great Holy Week,

Peace,

Chuck Forthaus

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