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| St- Andre-Rublev's Saviour |
Holy Redeemer
In the care of the Ecumenical Franciscan Order
Homily preached at Winmalee on Sunday 13th April 2014 by Br. Andrew
Did God the Father forsake Jesus Christ? As stated in Matthew 27:46?
Passion Gospel
Yes, God did forsake Jesus and this is why it was necessary:
In his letter to the Romans Paul explains that when we sin
we separate ourselves from God, (3:23) he turns his face way from us because He
cannot look upon sin and the ultimate penalty for our sins, our “wages” is
death.(6:23)
If we had chosen the first passion Gospel today we would
have heard the passage telling us of Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane;
we would have heard him say "My Father, if this cup can't pass away from
me unless I drink it, your desire be done."
When Jesus took our sins upon himself, when he took
responsibility for our sins and agreed to receive our wages of death God the
Father had to turn his face away from his beloved son and forsake him until the
penalty was paid. In putting all our sins behind his back God forsook his son.
This was the cup Jesus feared to drink.
The most terrifying thing that Jesus faced when he made
Atonement for our sins was to be separated from his Father, to be loved less
than the world for which he was sacrificed as we read in the Gospel of John
chapter three; “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
To be abandoned by his Father not only in his flesh but also
in his Spirit :- during the three hours of darkness Jesus spent dying on
the cross the Trinitarian relationship was fractured. In turning his face away
from Jesus in hiding our sins behind his back, the eternal Word turned also –
leaving the incarnate one no more human than anyone else except that he was the
most perfect human being that ever lived, the only sacrifice fit to justify us
before the heavenly courts.
It was an unimaginably terrifying experience, I cannot think of
words to describe what could have happened. Reading the accounts of the Passion
in the Gospels and our readings from Isaiah and the Psalm place words into the
mouth of an otherwise silent Christ to grant us insight into the turmoil that
raged within his heart and mind as he struggled to surrender himself to his Father’s
will.
From the clamour of the crowds Jesus heard his own words thrown
back into his face, those crucified with him, with the Pharisees Elders and
scribes reproached him ‘You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days,
save yourself!’ ‘He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now, if he wants him;
for he said, ‘I am the Son of God’.
Matthew 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud
voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?" That is, "My God,
my God, why have you forsaken me? "They gave him vinegar to drink and
waited for Elijah to come and save him,
Jesus has drunk of the cup from which he feared to drink and
has been deserted, abandoned by God; - Finally Jesus cried again with a loud
voice, and yielded up his spirit, he gave his life for us; it was not taken
from him.
In Philippians chapter 2 verses 7 and 8 St. Paul speaks of
this unimaginably terrifying experience as an emptying, an act of obedience
unto death.
We know that at this point that Trinity is restored since
earlier in the Record of the Passion in Luke chapter 23:43 we read that Jesus
told the good thief; that today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Matthew records earthquakes with rocks splitting in two enabling
the opening of the tombs of long since dead Holy ones who witnessed in
Jerusalem after Jesus’ own resurrection. These resurrections were symbolic,
showing that the resurrection of Christ is the resurrection of the race --.the
witnessing in Jerusalem after Jesus’ resurrection – that he is the first born
from the dead.
[The veil was the heavy curtain which hung between the holy
and the most holy places in the sanctuary. By excluding from the most holy
place everyone except the high priest, who was the only one allowed to pass
through it, and then only once in the year, it signified that the way into the
holiest -- that is, into heaven -- was not yet made manifest while the first
tabernacle was standing (Heb. ix.7, 8).]
But the moment that Jesus died, thus making the way
manifest, the veil was appropriately rent in twain from top to bottom,
disclosing the most holy place to the priests who were at that time offering
the evening incense in the holy place.
If anyone is aware of attempting to keep God out of the way
behind a veil in their mind it can’t be forever, putting off the decision to
commit their lives to him by accepting the salvific death of Christ and his
resurrection to eternal life…
We do not know the day or the hour…
