Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Mar 15, 2012 | Comments (0)


Lent V John 12:20-33: Christ died for our sins.

I Cor 15:1 "When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself. He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die."

Rational Thinking does not know what spiritual sin or death is.

Spiritual Understanding knows separation from God is Sin leading to spiritual death.

Rational Thinking sees sin is an immoral act against God. This is true in the Old Testament. Sin is breaking the Laws of God. In the New Testament, Sin is separation from God. John the Baptist says of Jesus "behold the Lamb of God who takes away the Sin of the world." John 1:29 Sins are symptoms of this separation.

Rational Thinking wants to follow God's will to be loved by God.

Spiritual Understanding sees we must be in the Love of God to follow His will.

Jesus became like us so we could become like Him.  St Paul says of Jesus. "He became Sin who knew no sin." II Cor 5:21 This means He became separated from God, but He did not break God's Law. How did He do it? Jesus never wanted to be separated from God. In the Garden of Gethsemane, His prayer was "Father if this cup can pass let it but not my will by Thy will be done." Luke 22:42 The cup was not the cup of suffering. It was the cup of separation.

On the cross, Jesus died spiritually when he willingly became separated from God. His cry "my God why have you forsaken me?" Matt. 47:46, was the cry of the pain of separation. At that moment God loved Jesus as much as He loved Him before He was in Sin. Jesus became Sin like us, separated from God. We became like Him, Loved by God. Jesus prayer to God was to grant that they would know You love them as much as You love me. John 17:23

What difference does it make in your life when

you act to be in the Love of God,

or

you act in the Love of God?


Comments (0)







Allowed tags: <b><i><br>Add a new comment:


Copyright 2008-2011 Paul Edwards