On the Incarnation
Lesson 3: The Divine Dilemma and Its Solution in the Incarnation - Continued
As we saw in Lesson 1, this essay by St. Athanasius is very relevant for today: in Chapter 3 of "On the Incarnation of the Word" he writes - "For of what use is existence to the creature if it cannot know its Maker? How could men be reasonable beings if they had no knowledge of the Word and Reason of the Father, through Whom they had received their being? They would be no better than the beasts, had they no knowledge save of earthly things; and why should God have made them at all, if He had not intended them to know Him?" This aptly describes the dilemma of modern man who is taught that only the material world is real, it came about by blind, random chance, and therefore you are free to make up whatever meaning or reason for living that you can imagine. The result is a meaningless existence.
He continues - "But, in fact, the good God has given them a share in His own Image, that is, in our Lord Jesus Christ, and has made even themselves after the same Image and Likeness" (see biblia02/vz01/Bytie01.htm#26" target="xrefs" title="Double-click">Genesis 1:26). Christ the Word is the icon, the visible manifestation of God the Father, and the Word became Flesh to share Himself with us, to give meaning to our existence.
In the next paragraph, starting with "But, as we have already seen..." Athanasius paraphrases and then quotes from biblia02/nz13/Rimlia01.htm#21" target="xrefs" title="Double-click">Romans 1:21-32 - a rather sad commentary on mankind's descent into depravity: idolatry, abortion, lesbianism, homosexuality, envy, murder, deceit, slander.
Athanasius mentions "...these deities, thereby bringing themselves more and more under their insane control. Magic arts also were taught among them, oracles in sundry places led men astray, and the cause of everything in human life was traced to the stars as though nothing existed but that which could be seen."
Question:
1. What kind of philosophies or ideologies does this remind you of?
(Select the best answer.)
a) Confucianism, Hinduism, and Taoism.
b) Paganism, witchcraft, astrology, and materialism.
c) Socialism, libertarianism, and/or fascism.
Let's move on to the next paragraph, "(12) God knew the limitation of mankind...." There are three ways that God made available to mankind for us to know Him: 1) being made in His Image (icon), 2) biblia02/nz13/Rimlia01.htm#19" target="xrefs" title="Double-click">order in the created universe that implies a Supreme Intelligence (Logos = logic), and 3) the Law and the Prophets given not only to the Jews but also for all mankind - universal, objective morality and truth.
Some Christians believe that Christianity is a radical break from Judaism and we don't really need the Old Testament. But by saying - "The law and the prophets were a sacred school of the knowledge of God and the conduct of the spiritual life for the whole world" - Athanasius is acknowledging the importance of Judaism and the Old Testament as the foundation that Jesus, the Jewish Messiah ("Anointed One" = "Christ" in Greek) built His Church upon. So we should see Christ and the New Testament as the continuation and fulfilment of the Old Testament's teachings.
However, the vast majority of people didn't pay attention to God's revelation of Himself. What did they do?
Question:
2. At the end of this paragraph, what was mankind's response to God's three-fold revelation of Himself?
Here's the "Divine Dilemma": after God made mankind and they rebelled against knowing Him, what was He to do? Read paragraph "(13) What was God to do?" Should He simply abandon this experiment and try again on some other planet? Notice how Athanasius writes - "by the wiles of evil spirits" - he assumes that there's something or someone, some evil spiritual forces, behind the physical, material world that we humans live in. But this wiley spiritual being, the devil, deceives mankind into believing that God and Satan, good and evil, don't really exist - the material universe is all there is: live for biblia02/nz09/1Ioann02.htm#15" target="xrefs" title="Double-click">Pleasure, Possessions, and Power! (These are the same 3 temptations of Jesus in biblia02/nz01/Matfei04.htm#1" target="xrefs" title="Double-click">Matthew 4:1-11.) Grab the gusto! Enjoy life, because it's going to be over soon. Then, well... that's all, folks!
Anything that can't be explained in terms of material objects and the forces of physics is considered illusory - including mind, free will, spirit, and God. "Science" in this sense is really applied materialistic philosophy. So, when people are taught to disbelieve in God, what happens? Does the supernatural realm cease to exist? Does God just go "poof!" and vanish? No, we default to the other side, the realm of the devil and his deceptions.
But God cannot allow that to continue: "Similarly, what possible profit could it be to God Himself, Who made men, if when made they did not worship Him, but regarded others as their makers? This would be tantamount to His having made them for others and not for Himself" - writes Athanasius. God did not create us in order for Satan to take control of us. "What, then, was God to do?"
Question:
3. What else could God possibly do to resolve this dilemma?
(One or more of the following answers may be correct.)
a) God could transform humans into robots that would automatically love and obey Him.
b) God could renew His Image in mankind so that we could come to know Him.
c) God could take on a human body and die in order to destroy death.
d) God could randomly elect to save a few people and damn the vast majority to hell.
God's grace has appeared to all people, not just a few (biblia02/nz24/Titu02.htm#11" target="xrefs" title="Double-click">Titus 2:11). When the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary, she replied - "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior" - the process of salvation began at the Incarnation! They named Him "Jesus" which means "Yahweh saves." The prophet Simeon said - "My eyes have seen Your salvation." When the Word became flesh, something amazing happened to all creation, including all human nature: the light was turned back on (biblia02/nz04/Ioann01.htm#9" target="xrefs" title="Double-click">John 1:9)!
In the next paragraph, "(14) You know what happens..." - Athanasius writes that the damaged, defaced image of God in mankind needed to be restored, re-drawn. God didn't start all over with a different species on Earth or a different creature on another planet: He renewed His image on the same material, on humanity.
Question:
4. Whose part was it to teach the world about the Father?
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
a) Man's part, who can go everywhere, and then everyone will believe.
b) Creation's part, because people who study the universe will believe in God.
c) The Incarnate Word of God, Who created all things, can re-create mankind.
Anthanasius writes in the next paragraph, "(15) He deals with them...", that a good teacher must come down to the level of his students, speak their language, and teach at their limit of understanding. You can't teach astrophysics to a two-year-old. So God came down to our material level and used "created things and things of sense." Jesus fed the people, He healed the sick, He taught using stories about ordinary, rural life: sowing seed, sheep and goats, sparrows and lilies of the field.
Question:
5. Because men were human-minded, where did they find the truth in the material world?
(One or more of the following answers may be correct.)
a) Looking for God-likeness in men, they recognized Christ as God due to His miracles.
b) Being awe-stricken by creation, they perceived it was confessing Christ as Creator and Lord.
c) Acknowledging the reality of evil spirits, they saw Christ's power over those spirits.
d) Being inclined to worship their dead heros, they worshiped Christ Who died and rose from the dead.
Now that men's minds are focused on material, sensible things, the eternal Word condescended to appear in a body so that people could comprehend Him as a material, physical human being, as Athanasius writes in the next paragraph, (16) When, then, the minds of men...." By His actions that demonstrated both His human and divine natures, He convinced people that He is God Incarnate - in the flesh. Athanasius quotes St. Paul, who writes that "ye" - we mortals together can now know the length, breadth, height, and depth of God's love that is beyond knowledge and be filled with the fullness of God (biblia02/nz17/Efesia03.htm#17" target="xrefs" title="Double-click">Ephesians 3:17-19).
Notice the word "ye" - that's King James English for "you" – the plural intimate form. Paul is writing to all the saints in the church at Ephesus, this epistle isn't addressed to an individual, singular "thou" or the plural polite form "you." In biblia02/nz17/Efesia01.htm#22" target="xrefs" title="Double-click">Ephesians 1:22-23, Paul states clearly that the fullness of God is found in the Church, the Body of Christ - not in lone-wolf individual believers. Some religions have a little knowledge of God, some denominations may have somewhat more knowledge of God, but the fullness is found in the true Church. We sing - "We have found the true faith." That may sound rather audacious at first, but we must humbly admit that we as individual believers do not possess 100% of the fullness. Not even any single one of the greatest Church Fathers possessed 100%. Only through the consensus of the whole Church in Councils can the fullness be found in Christ. This is why we must study the great Fathers of the Church.
Question:
6. Why didn't Jesus offer Himself as a sacrifice right away, when He started His ministry, and immediately rise from the dead?
Here we are at paragraph "(17) There is a paradox in this last statement...." The amazing thing about the Incarnation is that as God, Jesus is present everywhere in the universe but not contained by it; while as Man, He experienced human limitations and emotions: He got tired and hungry, He wept and became angry, He knew Judas would betray Him and Peter would deny Him three times, but He didn't know the day or hour when He would return as Judge and King.
Question:
7. Athanasius writes that Christ's "body was for Him not a limitation, but an instrument": why?
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
a)Because as Man, He lived merely an ordinary human life.
b) Because He was both in it, in all things, and outside of all things.
c) Because His virgin birth changed and defiled Him, taking on a fleshly body.
Whew! We're finally at the last paragraph, "(18) You must understand...." Where Athanasius writes - "His body was a real one and not merely an appearance" - he's not referring to Arianism here, but another heresy called "Docetism" from the Greek word "dokeo" - "to appear." Docetism taught that Christ was God but did not have a real human body, He only "seemed" or "appeared" to be here on Earth, like a ghost or apparition. But ghosts aren't born, they don't eat food, get tired, weep, etc. - all the ordinary, bodily things Jesus did.
But Jesus also did "extraordinary acts... through the body [that] proved Himself to be the Son of God." He urged the Jewish leaders to believe in Him because of His works - biblia02/nz04/Ioann10.htm#37" target="xrefs" title="Double-click">John 10:37-38.
Question:
8. What are some of the mighty works Jesus did that prove His divinity?
(One or more of the following answers may be correct.)
a) He drove out evil spirits by His Word of power.
b) He opened the ears of the deaf and the eyes of the blind.
c) He turned alcoholic wine into pure, drinkable water.
d) He formed His own body from the Virgin Mary.
That's it for today! See you in the next lesson!