A Homily for the 2nd Sunday in Lent (B)
Why did Jesus die for us? Did you ask Him to die for you, for us? I know I didn’t, so why did Jesus die for us?
Today’s first reading, from the Book of Genesis, we start to see the answer. Abraham was called by God to leave his own family and his own land to travel to the Promise Land that God said He would give to him. Abraham believed that God would keep His promise, so went where the Lord called him to go. When God told Abraham, that despite his advanced age He provide Abraham a son, and make him into a great nation, Abraham believed and trusted in the Lord.
Now, in today’s reading we hear God put Abraham to the greatest test of his love for God, and his faith in the Lord. God tells Abraham, who waited so long for a son, to offer his son in sacrifice to the Lord. Who of us would have reacted as Abraham did? Would we give up what is most dear to us if God asked? If you read the complete passage from Genesis from which our first reading is taken you will see that Abraham even had his son carry the wood that he would use to offer his son in sacrifice. Not unlike how Jesus carried His own cross on which He was crucified.
There is suppose to be a parallel between Abraham’s faith that allowed him to offer all that he had to the Lord, in love, and how God so loved the world that He gave His only son to die for the salvation of the world.
So why did Jesus die for us? We need to keep in mind that all sin, even when it is an act against charity toward another human being, is an offense to God. Since God is infinite, in a real sense all sin is an infinite offense against God. Since sin destroys the divine life that God wanted to freely give to us, it took a sacrifice of a life to restore the life we lost. In the Old Testament we read about a lot of animal sacrifice to the Lord. However animal sacrifice is insufficient to make up for our sins offense against God for two reasons. First, because it was not the animal that sinned, we did. If you brother or sister did something wrong against you, would you think it be OK if their husband or wife apologized to you for what they did? No, we would think that the person who offended us should apologize. In the case of sin, that would me that a human sacrifice would be needed to atone for sin. We see that many of the ancient people surrounding Abraham kind of saw this insight because they did offer human sacrifice. However, we human beings are finite, so sacrifice one of us, even all of us, would not atone for the infinite offense which each of sins are to God who is infinite.
In asking Abraham to offer his son in sacrifice, God is not only testing Abraham’s faith in Him, but He is setting us up for learning what He was going to do for us to redeem us from our sins and restore us to His divine life. Jesus dies for us because He is the perfect victim. By taking on our human nature He is the appropriate sacrifice, and not an insufficient substitute. Being the infinite God, Jesus can take on all the sins of the world and be the infinite atonement for our sins’ infinite offense against God.
While this may explain the why Jesus, the Son of God, died for us, it really does not explain why neither you nor I would have asked Him to die for us. Of course the short answer to that is pride and fear. Pride and fear blind us to the revelation of God’s glory in our lives. “Faith enables us to see what is unseen to the naked eye. Through the eyes of faith Abraham recognized God’s call on his life. He saw from afar not only what God intended for him, but for his descendants as well — an everlasting covenant of friendship and peace with the living God. Abraham is the father of faith because he put his hope in the promises of God. Faith makes us taste in advance the light of God’s glory when we shall see him face to face (1 Cor. 13:12) as he is (1 John 3:2).
Are you prepared to see God’s glory? God is eager to share his glory with us! We get a glimpse of this when the disciples see Jesus transfigured on the mountain. Jesus’ face changed in appearance and His clothing became dazzling white. In this incident Jesus appeared in glory with Moses, the great lawgiver of Israel, and with Elijah, the greatest of the prophets, in the presence of three of his beloved apostles. What is the significance of this mysterious appearance? Jesus went to the mountain knowing full well what awaited Him in Jerusalem — His betrayal, rejection and crucifixion. Jesus very likely discussed this momentous decision to go to the cross with Moses and Elijah. God the Father also spoke with Jesus and gave his approval: This is my beloved Son; listen to him. While this transpired Peter, James, and John were asleep! Upon awakening they discovered the transfiguration of Jesus along with Moses and Elijah.
How much do we miss of God’s glory and action because we are asleep spiritually? There are many things which can keep our minds asleep to the things of God: Mental lethargy and the “unexamined life” can keep us from thinking things through and facing our doubts and questions. The life of ease can also hinder us from considering the challenging or disturbing demands of Christ. Prejudice can make us blind to something new the Lord may have for us. Even sorrow can be a block until we can see past it to the glory of God. Are you spiritually awake? Peter, James, and John were privileged witnesses of the glory of Christ. We, too, as disciples of Christ are called to be witnesses of His glory. We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another. The Lord wants to reveal His glory to us, his beloved disciples. Do you seek His presence with faith and reverence?”
(These last two paragraphs are from the meditation for this date from Mobile Gabriel; here).
