The Crucifixion as Existential Fish Hook

One of the oldest (and probably the oldest) ways to understand the significance of what Jesus did on the cross is the fish hook theory:  Adam and Eve and humanity were held prisoner in hell by Satan.  God agreed to give Jesus Christ to Satan in exchange for getting Adam and Eve, et al. out of Satan’s hell.  Satan took the bait, but he bit on the fish hook of Jesus’ divinity which was so bright and powerful that it exploded hell with its brightness.

When I experience hell in everyday life, it comes in the existential form of shame, intimidation, threats, traps, deceptions, fears, et al.  When I contemplate the torture of the cross that Jesus endured in order to demonstrate the depth of His love for me, I can allow **that Love, His Love** to explode that existential hell (fear, shame, threats, etc.)–rather than any futile attempt to do it myself.  Whatever the hell happens, whatever the hell they do to me–I have the divine love of Jesus Christ which will explode anything that this world throws against me, either in this life or the next–and knowing that can make this life a little more like heaven day by day as I try to stay close to Him.  

letter to a Muslim pen pal on the Slowly app

Hello H—-. Thank you so much for writing. I live in northern Virginia about an hour west of Washington, DC. It is a diverse area with many types of people, including many Muslims. I have great respect for my Muslim neighbors (including the family right across the street) and co-workers as they are a peaceful presence, and the Muslim women wear the hijab—which takes courage in American society. My Muslim neighbor told me that Muslims & Christians believe some of the same things. The priest at my church and I’m told some of the ancient church fathers affirm that Muslims and Christians worship the same God. I remember being in a hospital chapel one time many years ago when a Muslim man came in to pray. I wish we Christians today took our faith as seriously as many Muslims do. We could learn a lot from you about living faithfully in the contemporary world. I’m really glad that you wrote because I really don’t know much about Islam. I grew up in a sect of Christianity with a very constrained and unhelpful understanding of the life of Jesus. My belief is that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob totally and permanently revealed Himself in Jesus Christ crucified. Jesus taught (the Beatitudes, the parables, his confrontations with corrupt religious leaders) a counterintuitive way of seeing the world and living life that leads to peace and joy—including embracing our “crosses”—hard things like preferring to be with the poor rather than the rich, loving our enemies, forgiving each other, not being motivated by money, and more. Jesus’ ultimate revelation was his action rather than His words. After wrestling with the decision to the point of sweating blood, He allowed himself to be tortured to death in the most shameful and painful way possible by a bargain between the religious leaders and the government—and in doing this He exposed all of the threats to His counterintuitive Way of life as empty and also revealed the extremes that God will go to to demonstrate His love for us. Early in the Christian tradition, Christians concluded that Jesus’ love was so mind-blowing that it had to be the love of God Himself. I believe that Jesus is still alive and that I can speak to Him in prayer and that I can learn to “hear” what He is saying to me in my heart, in the scriptures, and in trusted people.

How about you? What is it like being a Muslim? What do you believe and how does that affect your life? I’ve never had an opportunity to talk with a Muslim about their faith. I’m honored to be corresponding with you. Hope to hear from you again soon.

Boyd

Our merciful God in the OLD Testament

Contra the simplistic lie that Old Testament God = mean and New Testament God = nice are today’s scripture readings. The problem with many forms of protestant interpretation (Not Luther’s btw.), is the claim that the Bible is to be interpreted literally and/or uniformly, admitting no contradictions. You don’t need to be a scholar or abandon your faith to recognize that it took God’s people a long time to refine their understanding of God–culminating with the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection. And the Bible reflects this evolution. Our Roman Catholic (and Eastern Orthodox) brethren sometimes claim that the only answer to this conundrum is to join their team. Virtues of their teams notwithstanding, that is not true. Rowan Williams in “The Wound of Knowledge” in the chapter on Luther articulates this better than anything that I have seen. 

Memorial of Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 184

Reading 1
Is 41:13-20
I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I will help you.”
Fear not, O worm Jacob,
O maggot Israel;
I will help you, says the LORD;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and double-edged,
To thresh the mountains and crush them,
to make the hills like chaff.
When you winnow them, the wind shall carry them off
and the storm shall scatter them.
But you shall rejoice in the LORD,
and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the desert into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
I will set in the wasteland the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 145:1 and 9, 10-11, 12-13ab
R. (8) The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Let them make known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Alleluia
See Is 45:8
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Let the clouds rain down the Just One,
and the earth bring forth a Savior.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mt 11:11-15
Jesus said to the crowds:
“Amen, I say to you,
among those born of women
there has been none greater than John the Baptist;
yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
From the days of John the Baptist until now,
the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence,
and the violent are taking it by force.
All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John.
And if you are willing to accept it,
he is Elijah, the one who is to come.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”