Daily Archives: October 19, 2024

Fearless

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As the disciples will discover in the Passion of the Christ and in their own experience of mission, the power of the world is quite real. Throughout the millennia of Christianity many of those who have given witness to Jesus (the true meaning of martyrs) have also given their lives. And while death remains a primal fear and thus we fear those who wield its power, Jesus tells the disciples: “do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more.  I shall show you whom to fear. Be afraid of the one who after killing has the power to cast into Gehenna;  yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.” (v.4 in the same chapter)  After all, if we are people who believe in the Resurrection, then the power of mortal death is rather limited, but the authority that extends into immortal life is the real power, without limit.  Continue reading →

Ransom

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45 For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” As a follow on to Pheme Perkin’s discussion about ransom  (lytron) and its meaning as the price paid to free a slave, Matt Skinner offers additional insight:

Jesus’ mention of a “ransom” indicates that his death will be more than just an inspiring example or a martyr’s tragic protest against an unjust system. The word in question (in Greek, lytron) indicates that his death does something; it secures a release. This verse often sparks lively debates, and it has a history of, in my opinion, being misunderstood by those who take the notion of a “ransom” to mean a specific type of payment. In those readings, Jesus’ death is transactional, a payment made to satisfy the penalties accrued by human sin or to repay something owed to God. Continue reading →