We begin the second week of this Lenten Season with some reflection on what Christ Jesus accomplished in His death on the cross – with help from one of the Church’s greatest theologians and Bishops of the Church.
The book of Hebrews has an
interesting description of what Christ accomplished, and it addresses one of
the most mysterious and difficult things we as humans will ever face – Death. Here’s a passage from Hebrews 2:
“It has been testified
somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that
you care for him?
You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him
with glory and honor,
putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in
subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not
yet see everything in subjection to him.
But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely
Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that
by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing
many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through
suffering.
For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is
why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,
saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the
congregation I will sing your praise.”
And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children
God has given me.”
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise
partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has
the power of death, that is, the devil,
and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong
slavery.
For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of
Abraham.
Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he
might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the people.
For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who
are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:6-18).
Because Jesus died…
·
He is crowned with glory and honor
·
He “tasted” death for all of us,
and therefore he knows what it means for a human to die
·
He calls us brothers and brings us
to glory in our death
·
He has taken the “power” of death
away from our enemy who loves to threaten, make us fear, and immobilize us from
faith with anxiety and worry, thus enslaving us to a life of those fears.
·
He has risen to be our High
Priest…the one who knows us so well and knows how to help us in the worst of
our times.
Saint Augustine was born in 345 in
Roman North Africa, in what is today Algeria. His mother was a very devout
Christian who had a significant influence on her son’s life. His father was a
pagan of significant status in society.
At the age of 19, after reading
Cicero, Augustine fell in love with philosophy. He pursued philosophy and
the theology of the Manicheans, a Christian heretical sect, but he became disillusioned,
and restless for truth and virtue. He moved to Italy, and shortly before his
30th birthday, he encountered Ambrose, the bishop of Milan.
Augustine was moved by Ambrose’s
example and his inspired teaching and preaching of the gospel. At the age of 32,
he found peace with God and was baptized by Ambrose during the Easter liturgy
in 387. Augustine returned to North Africa and formed a monastic community with
a group of friends. He reluctantly became a bishop. He was a prolific
writer and thinker. His numerous writings number into the hundreds. His
autobiography, “Confessions”, has been long considered the first Western
autobiography. It was highly read among his contemporaries and has continued as
a classic throughout the ages. He is still considered to be one of the Church’s
most important figures in the development of Christianity.
He wrote this short piece to speak
about what Christ Jesus accomplished in dying – for us.
“The Death of Death”, by
Augustine
He died, but he vanquished death;
in himself he put an end to what we feared; he took it upon himself and
he vanquished it, as a mighty hunter he captured and slew the lion.
Where is death? Seek it in Christ,
for it exists no longer; but it did exist and now it is dead. O life, O death
of death! Be of good heart; it will die in us, also. What has taken place in
our head will take place in his members; death will die in us also. But when?
At the end of the world, at the resurrection of the dead in which we
believe and concerning which we do not doubt. [Sermon 233.3-4] [1]
Peace
[1] Copied with permission - this came from my book, “A
Lenten Sojourn” (pp. 27-28). Elliott Pollasch. Kindle Edition.
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