On this Friday of the second week of Lent, I wanted to follow up on yesterday’s reading on “The Death of Death”, with this one on “The Courage of Death”. What do I mean by Courage of Death? The writer of Hebrews wanted us to see how Jesus’ humanity did not cause him to shrink from the Father’s will in dying. His death forever took away the power of death – for those who believe. Courage is the virtue of holding our fear, without letting it control us. Courage of death is marked by confidence in eternal life. Remember what God’s word speaks about this:
“Even though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your
rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
“For the wages of sin is death,
but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
(Romans 6:23).
“Jesus said to her, “I am the
resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he
live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you
believe this?” (John 11:25-26).
“What then shall we say to these
things? If God is for us, who can be against us? … For I am sure that neither
death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come,
nor powers,
nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31,
38-39).
While it is certainly true that other
passages demonstrate the grief of death, one gets the sense from scripture that
death carries with it a temporal sadness that – when thought properly – leads
us to a joyous hope of eternal life.
Today is the memorial of St.
Polycarp of Smyrna (69 a.d. – 155 a.d.), who was converted to Christianity under
the ministry of The Apostle John – probably in Ephesus. He was a disciple of
the apostles and a friend of St. Ignatius of Antioch. He was ordained bishop of
Smyrna (now Izmir, Turkey) and was about eighty-six when the Roman pro-consul
urged him to renounce Christ and save his life. St. Polycarp said, "For
eighty-six years I have served Him and he has never wronged me. How can I
renounce the King who has saved me? You threaten me with a fire that
burns for a season, and after a little while is quenched; but you are ignorant
of the fire of everlasting punishment that is prepared for the wicked.
Polycarp was burned at the
stake and pierced with a spear for refusing to burn incense to
the Roman emperor. On his farewell, he said: "I bless you, Father,
for judging me worthy of this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may
share the cup of Christ."
He suffered martyrdom in 155 and
we see in his death the Courage of dying.
Any person willing to give up those things that are only temporal for
those things that are eternal understands what eternal life is all about –
Jesus.
Peace
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