Luke
shows what Paul tells.
Paul,
when he writes to the Philippians, tells them how much God in Christ desired to
be close to humanity, tells that there was nothing Jesus wouldn’t do, that he
would even empty his very self, so that could be with us, be human with us.
Luke
shows us that. Luke shows us that when the women weep for him as he works to
his death. Jesus refuses to just be an object of their grief, but joins with
them, shares with that gift of grieving for another, remembering their pain as
they remember his. Luke shows us that when the repentant thief cries out from
the cross and Jesus promises him extravagantly more than he asks for: before
the sun sets, you not just be remembered, you will be with me, with me in
paradise. And those acquaintances of Jesus that would only dare get so close to
him, standing at a distance: just wait till next week! We don’t spending Palm
Sunday pretending we don’t about Easter. At every Mass we proclaim the
Easter mystery. Jesus will come back even from death to be with those who didn’t
dare come close to him during that death.
There’s
nothing Jesus wouldn’t do, even empty his very self, so that he could be with
us, be human with us.
But,
that’s not all. Paul tells us that Jesus was in the form of God, but did not
cling to equality with God. Jesus had an absolute trust that he was close to
God and God was close to him, in a relationship with no temptation to
clinginess because it was a relationship of absolute trust.
And on
the cross, Luke shows us, Jesus cried out, “Father, into your hands I commend
my spirit,” I entrust my spirit.
That
trusting relationship of loving closeness… Jesus has that with the Father by
nature. We are given it by grace. If Jesus will do anything to be with us, and
Jesus is inalienably with the Father, he must take us into that relationship.
And he does.
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