|
 |
|
Trinity 20 Meditation: Sing and Make Music in Your Heart to the Lord Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5 : 15-21 This scriptural selection is prefaced with Paul's exhortation to expose darkness with light. In this exhortation he quotes the prophet Isaiah (29:16 and 60:1): "Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light." It is with that Light we can heed the wise counsel of Paul to let ourselves be filled with the Spirit. It is clearly our choice to either permit or not permit such indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Many claim to have decided, but only delude themselves. They are understandably afraid of such a step. Yet if they were to take such a step of faith, the fear would be vanquished. We all must examine ourselves. Are we simply standing face-to-face with the choice instead of actually making it? Are we simply saying which choice we know we ought to make? Or would like to make? Christ reassures us, and promises the help and assistance of the Holy Spirit. And Christ is ours and we are His. But we are not robots, programmed by our acceptance of Christ. We must still make the conscious decision to accept the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit. One of the key manifestations of making use of that help is to "sing and make music in your heart to the Lord." In today's liturgy, during the prayers and hymns, let each of us affirm our choice to accept the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; make that choice an active and living thing within our hearts, realizing that our singing together is part of the Wisdom of God and evidence of not only our thanksgiving but also our regard for each other in humility, with reverence for Christ. And since Christ is truly in our midst, let us exhibit the love we know he would want us to show, with truth and sincerity, forgiving one another as He forgives us.
Trinity 18 Meditation: Putting Them To Silence & the Great Commandment When the Pharisees had heard that Jesus had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, [Psalm 110:1]The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. St Matthew 22 : 34-46
With these words did Jesus put to silence the Pharisees. Now, what exactly does that mean, put to silence? We know they didn’t shut up, for the Gospels are full of their ongoing criticism and murmuring against Christ and his ministry. But indeed they were put to silence. In the context of authoritative scriptural interpretation, by the custom and logic of their chosen forum and method to challenge Jesus, they had been bested to the extent that they had no answer, as well as no standing to question our Lord’s scriptural authority. From thence, they would have to make their scriptural points to others, but no longer to Jesus. So why did Jesus bother to do this; why is it included in the Gospels? First, this action revealed his authority in a manner which would ultimately lead to his arrest, scourging and crucifixion; Jesus purposely eliminated any diplomatic option for them to deal with him, which would bring the Pharisees to the conclusion that imprisonment or death were the only solutions. This was God’s Plan in action. Second, it serves as a building block for our understanding, not only of the Law but of the nature of Christ who fulfills the Law that we might serve the Spirit and not be subject to condemnation under the Law. To begin to grasp this building block, it is important to also read how Jesus silenced the Sadduccees (see Matthew 22:23-33). Our Lord began his astonishing discourse in that passage by saying unto them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God." It is in Christ, and in him only, that we can truly know the scriptures and the power of God. He is the Word Made Flesh. The Pharisees, lay experts on the Scripture and the Law, had found 613 commandments in the Scriptures, and argued interminably (like lawyers) about which one was central. Thus they asked Jesus, not without some malice, about the great commandment. Our Lord answers with a scholarly rendition that they should have already discerned from existing scripture: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Then Jesus further exposes them as pseudo-scholars who do not understand the Scriptures with his question about David and the Messiah, in which he recites Psalm 110:1 (in Matthew 22:44). This Psalm verse Jesus used to confound the Pharisees instead enlightens us. In particular, it cites God speaking to God, and is one of many Old Testament passages that introduce the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. Indeed, the New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old is revealed in the New. Amen.
Trinity 13 Meditation: The Good Samaritan Jesus said unto his disciples, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: for I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. Luke 10:23-37 Today we celebrate the 13th Sunday After Trinity and meditate on the Gospel reading in which our Lord Jesus Christ tells the parable of The Good Samaritan. Jesus directed this parable not to those who were apathetic or fearful, like many of us are today, but, rather, to those who believed their noble acts of righteousness should be reserved for their own people – the "worthy" – and who saw their religion almost exclusively as a cultural matter. Jesus' purpose was not to explain what was right thing to do – they already knew that – but what must be in the heart for the righteous act to have any value... and what is the responsibility we accept for our fellow man when we possess the keys to the Kingdom. That is, Jesus explained the true meaning of God's Commandments, and that our neighbor is not defined by our tribe, clan, or culture. Today, we see the religiously zealous around globe who condone the sale of heroin to "non-believers," because they think that righteousness only has meaning among their own. Thus they sell heroin (the use of which they consider to be "evil") in order to make their living and fund their "holy war," and, consequently, are not "neighbor" to any outsiders. On the other hand, we also see others who allow their apathy and fear to prevent them from doing that which is righteous; they are not "neighbor" to anyone. The man Jesus spoke to in today's Gospel took care of the structure and discipline of the righteous life, but not the inward love that through Jesus justifies that life. He had one, but not the other. The outward, but not the inward. The discipline, but not the love. Unfortunately, many today in our culture need to start taking care of both. Additionally, the historic teaching of the Church Fathers encourages us to understand this parable (which occurs only in Luke) symbolically, in which the Good Samaritan is Christ Himself, the wounded man is humanity set upon by evil, and the inn is the Church. Christ has thus charged us to work for the care of humanity. Love for those in need proves our love for God. To possess the keys to the Kingdom, and yet hinder others who are trying to enter, is spiritual suicide. Remember the words of our Lord Jesus regarding the mercy shown by the Good Samaritan: "Go, and do thou likewise."
Trinity IX Meditations: the Prodigal Son & Lessons Learned 
Above: A detail from The Return of the Prodigal Son, painted by the Spanish artist,
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1617-1682 AD
Jesus said, A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger ! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. Luke 15:11-32 Dull, uninteresting, hard hearted, self righteous, pharisaical, priggish.... These are some of the terms used over the years to describe the older son who had remained faithful and obedient in the parable that is the scriptural center of the liturgy for the 9th Sunday After Trinity. From both liberal and orthodox theological camps there has been this adjunct focus in the analyses of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Unfortunately, this focus serves to distract from the intended central teaching aimed at the understanding of God’s mercy, and of the joy in Heaven over the restoration of a lost soul. That the older son would have difficulty understanding such heavenly joy is hardly remarkable – we are so apt to be just like that, but God is patient with us, and explains the cause for gladness: "for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; was lost, and is found." And that is truly remarkable. All too often the human tendency is to employ key features of scriptural passages to the furtherance of a favored theological or social view. In the case of the Prodigal Son Parable, the older son becomes a vehicle we can use to denounce either liberal or traditionalist evils (depending on your point of view). But the scripture is clear in this matter, for the father (representing our heavenly Father) says to the older son: "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine." Hardly a condemnation of pharisaical hypocrisy (and we see in scripture the Lord doesn’t hesitate to overtly condemn pharisaical behavior). The purpose of this parable is not to condemn the hollowness of obedience without love (as an act of pride), or the hypocrisy of those who are well behaved for the sake of appearance. While those are true evils extant in our culture, they are not the focus of today’s Gospel reading, the purpose of which is instead to convey these lessons: the folly of wantonness, the virtue of humility, the hope in the ready love of the Father, and the joy in Heaven when we come to God, and in all sincerity exclaim in our bruised and tormented hearts, "O Lord, please accept me; I need you!"
Brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
I Corinthians 10:1-13 In this scriptural passage, Paul essentially is warning the Corinthians (and us) to learn from the mistakes of the past (which are provided as examples for us so that we can be alert and sober about our spiritual lives), and to scrupulously ensure our behavior is consistent with the righteousness of Christ in whom we claim to believe. In other words, he is saying: Don’t be over confident. Practice some humility. Rely on God’s strength working through you, and not just your own effort and wit. Realize that it is easier than one would think to fall into the same errors as did God’s Chosen People (whom we have joined by adoption in Baptism). But isn’t this contrary to the other exhortations to have confidence in the Lord and be strong in faith? Not at all. For faith can only be strong if it is also humble. And confidence can only withstand if it is in the Lord and not ourselves. Once we are in the Lord’s hands, we cannot be snatched away by the Devil, but we can stumble by our own heedlessness and immoral behavior. What about "once saved, always saved?" We know from scripture that "once" becomes "always" in the fullness of time and in the fullness of reality through the Christ. That is the context for the once-always concept. However, in the context of our current temporal state, we experience only the tiniest fraction of reality literally one instant at a time. By the Lord’s compassion and mercy, we are spared what would be the life-ending full force of total reality. Instead, we see it through a protective prism perceived as time, or the passing of time. While each instant in time has within it the blueprint of eternity, it is but a living speck of all reality. In fact, all the instants in our lives that we perceive to comprise a lifetime of moments, are truly and inexorably integrated into one moment, one act, one choice. That is, our entire lifetime is one moment of choosing Christ. We are accustomed to thinking that we accepted Christ as our personal Savior in such-and-such a year, when truly, our entire lives are the moment of that acceptance. Thus a choice to accept Christ may be witnessed or experienced in a mere instant in time, but that acceptance is a living spiritual thing which like Christ is always "I am." Not "used to be," not "was," not "will be," but an eternal "I am." This living spirit exists in Christ (in the fullness of time and reality), and, therefore, is not bound by any given instant in time or place in creation. Ours is always the choice and duty to keep that spirit of acceptance (and, therefore, our salvation) alive in Christ – throughout all the instants of our lives. For only then is our acceptance real. Only then can we say "once saved, always saved." What is it then that Paul exhorts us to do? Short answer: Avoid the mistakes of the past and rely on help from the Holy Spirit. Moses’ people were rescued from Egypt, fed manna from heaven, witnessed miracle after miracle, and, as Paul points out, had Christ in their midst in the form of a rock from which water flowed. Despite these advantages, many of them lusted after evil things. They committed fornication, murmured (complained out of disrespect and ingratitude), and tempted Christ (out of a failure of faith). Paul points to these things as what not to do in our own lives. Many folks in this enlightened age presume that because they do not have a hankering to go build and worship golden calves and are not given to wild drunken orgies in the desert wilderness, they need not heed the examples cited by Paul. Not true. Check out some of the scripture to which Paul refers in this Epistle, namely, Exodus 17:1-7. Among several key points in these verses, one finds just what it is that constitutes murmuring and tempting Christ, two things that bring spiritual destruction.
Murmuring is the essence of ingratitude. The people were thirsty. Did they thank God for all He had done for them so far and then ask God for mercy and water to drink? No, they complained and threatened to stone Moses to death. How do we avoid this spirit of ingratitude. Pray constantly in thanksgiving, and ask God for what we need in a spirit of humility without grumbling about not having it. But be on guard, for we humans do like to grumble. Tempting the Lord, or Christ, is the essence of a lack of faith and consisted of the children of Israel saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?" That’s it. Simply for asking that question, many were destroyed by serpents. How do we avoid this spirit of faithlessness? By asking instead, "Am I listening to God, my Savior and my Helper?" As for the temptations we face that would cause us to murmur and to tempt the Lord, Paul offers a powerful encouragement. He tells us God is faithful and offers a way to escape these and all other temptations. We recall that the Holy Spirit is referred to by Jesus as our Helper and our Comforter. The Holy Spirit will help us see and claim the offered escape. How much pain and turmoil we bring into our lives whenever we fail to look for that escape. The holy escape. The holy rescue. It is always there. Look for it. Take it. Love the Lord. Praise God. Amen.
Trinity VIII Meditations: Adoption and a Warning BRETHREN, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Romans 8:12-17 Chapter 8 of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans teaches how the Spirit defeats sin and the flesh. Earlier in Romans, as we saw in the scriptural readings for recent Sundays, Paul explained that we obtain liberty from the Law by our Baptism and union with Christ; that we may choose one of two masters, the Law or grace, sin or righteousness, where sin leads to death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Once Paul explained our choice, he then dealt with how sin and the flesh are to be defeated by our acceptance of Christ. Paul teaches that sin uses what is holy (the Law) to produce death, and that the flesh uses what is good to produce sin. How then does union with Christ liberate us from the second death? By the Spirit of God who is our helper; the working of the Holy Spirit with Christ in us. The Holy Spirit is sent by Christ into the world and dwells in us (see John 16:7). It is the indwelling and the working of the Spirit that defeats sin and the flesh. Indeed, in the first verse of chapter 8, Paul says there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, and who thus walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit: for what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God accomplishes in us through His Son. By accepting Christ we choose to set our minds on the Holy Spirit, that is, to be spiritually minded, and thus have one’s whole nature (both body and soul!) become spiritual. How does this work? When the heat of fire penetrates iron, for instance, the iron becomes fiery hot without ceasing to be iron. So our human nature, body and soul, in its union with Christ, by the indwelling of the Spirit, becomes like God without ceasing to be human; it is interpenetrated by the energy and grace of the Holy Spirit. We become spiritual, and are able to scorn sinful impulses, bridle our passions, and endure the pains and sufferings of Christian life with joy. The verse just before today’s reading sets the stage: "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." Now, this is not magical, but requires our constant struggle and effort and prayer to cooperate with the Spirit; to make our body the follower and not the leader, by personal choice and conscious renewal through the Sacraments, including confession of sins, repentance, the acceptance of absolution. And here is then a most wonderful thing! The Spirit conveys Sonship. Adoption! We are, in Christ, the sons of God, and the Holy Spirit stirring in our hearts prompts us to pray to the Father with a most intimate utterance and sense, akin to but even greater than that we felt as children toward our earthly fathers: Abba! Daddy! Let the thought of this wonder be in all our meditations, for the human spirit is the deepest part of the soul, by which we have communion with God. BEWARE of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:15-23 On this 8th Sunday After Trinity, we meditate on a portion of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount which exhorts us to righteousness and warns us of false prophets who come "in sheep's clothing," but inwardly are "ravening wolves." Jesus charges us to beware because it possible to be deceived by those who wear a mask of virtue but are false prophets (Matthew 24:4 & 24), or wolves, who live corrupt lives (Matthew 10:16; Zephaniah 3:3; John 10:12; Acts 20:29). He gives us a way to discern the false from the true, not to judge, but to protect ourselves. He does not say there is no way for the wicked to change, or for the good to fall away (see Matthew 12:33-35). He warns us in verse 19 that every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. John the Baptist issued this same warning as recorded in Matthew 3:10. Thus can we see the connectedness and consistency and harmony and litany and urgency of God’s message to us. Do you think He wants to reach our hearts? Do you think He is serious about this? Jesus also gives us a threefold testimony of the deity of Christ: He calls himself Lord (Yahweh of the Old Testament); He speaks of the "will of my Father," which he fully knows and shares; He reveals Christ as judge and therefore God, for only God can execute judgement ("In that day" refers to the final judgement) In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus introduces the kind of life those who seek the Kingdom of God must lead. His homily could properly be called, "The Righteousness of the Kingdom." It can be divided into four sections: • The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-16), describing the joy of the blessed way of life. • The New Covenant (Matthew 5:17-48), proclaiming the new law, and broadening the implications of several Old Testament laws. In today's Gospel reading for instance, "You shall do no murder" is expanded beyond the command against physically killing another. Murder now includes unjust anger and failing to be reconciled with a friend or adversary. • The Spiritual Disciplines (Matthew 6:1 – 7:12), addressing the three disciplines which help us attain true righteousness and true wisdom, and which are a vital part of Christian tradition – giving alms, prayer, and fasting. • Exhortations to Righteousness (Matthew 7:13-29), giving instructions to build on the rock of His teachings and warning us about hypocritical and deceitful professions of righteousness. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, the scripture says: "And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.." - Matthew 7:28-29 Just before that, Jesus himself says, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken unto a wise man who built his house on the rock..." And we all should know the rest of that illustration given by our Lord (Matthew 7:24-27). Thus, the Sermon on Mount should particularly be included in our summer reading! And in our summer "doing!".
Trinity VII Meditation: Why Feed the Multitudes? "IN those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: and if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far." -- St Mark 8:1-3
This excerpt of scripture reading for the 7th Sunday After Trinity sets the scene for the miracle performed by our Lord Jesus Christ in feeding the four thousand gathered to hear his preaching, as accounted in the Gospel of Mark. For this short meditation, we examine very briefly the manner in which our Lord addressed the need for food, not only in this instance, but also in the instance of the 5,000. Very simply, he fed them. Jesus instead could have miraculously eliminated their hunger, their need for food, and thereby sustained them on their way home such that they would not faint for lack of nourishment and strength. But Jesus chose to feed them. Why? First, feeding of the hungry in the wilderness is a messianic sign fulfilling the prophecy implicit in the Psalms (Ps 78:19-20), "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? ... Can he give us bread also?" Second, Christ's salvation is for men in the nature of man, that man, as he was created in the image of God, would be restored unto God. Adam, and Christ, and all men in between, required the sustenance of food. Pre-fallen man, fallen man, and perfect man. Thus so powerful is the salvation of Christ, that it reaches men in their created nature, in accordance with God's plan. To believe otherwise, would be to say men require transformation into angels, another nature created by God, in order to come unto God, and therefore to say God's plan, and Christ's nature as both fully man and fully God, were untrue. It is in Christ that we are transformed not into angels, but into the Sons of God. So, Jesus fed the multitudes with bread and meat.
|
|
