Second Sunday of Lent (2)
Notes
Transcript
Enough light 4 believe reasonable, enough darkness that can be faithless if want
Today transfiguration
enlightens his chief priests for the bad day of good friday
the new binding of the only begotten son on the wood to be sacrificed
the child of promise
Yet, short glimse of light
this cloud of light passes thru path of Lenten desert
the desert of life of temptation
we can turn back to the death of Egypt or onward to Holy land
Light doesn’t consume trial of the desert,
just enough to guide while still leaving us with heroism and love
doesnt force our choice
Transfig
as Old, reveals in light on mountain to a few chosen
Moses burning bush to reveal the Tetragrammaton
the wood burning, but not consumed
mountain laws and prophets established
only Moses select priests go up
holy of holies chosen priest go up
like the new altar the priest must go up to
Now Christ burning bright only Pet, James, John behold the light
Law and Prophets
here new burning bush
tetragrammaton Elijah and Moses look to
law and prophets look to
by Transfigur shows us to look back to what OT looks to
As prepares disciples for the son sacrifice on Good Friday,
Church in 1st reading today tells us to look back to Akedah as preparing for Good Friday
Akedah
Binding of Isaac
Sum up
Parallel
only begotten
but Ishmael
septuagint confusion, but Hebrew means this
Logos, Christ, is only begotten son of the Father of all nations
wood up by self
labors up to sacrifice carrying wood of cross
donkey is left behind, obvious candidate to carry
Lev 1 and 6 say only unblemished and role of priest to provide wood
Isaac unblimished and acting as priest
both victim and priest
though age not directly given
word used + time frame implies man
time frame too
no boy can carry all wood
pre-Christian Jewish interpretation was man in 30s and quite willing and obviously right
God provide sacrifice
ram with crown of thorns takes Isaac’s place
crown of thorns taking place of who should bear penalty b/c weight of sin
Thru act of Abraham
‘God WILL provide on this mountain’
2 chron 3:1.
Father of many, Abraham
he was given some transfiguring light along way, but ultimately utter faith and love and God
trusted even to point of offering His only son as the Father of all nations would later do.
For us
let prophecies OT, this being but one, be among many lights for faith
Soon Mary will be a sort of new Abraham
mother of nations
but unlike Abraham, knows God will provide, and what does that now mean...
not yet in the Holy Land, desert trial that test heart, not certainty of your mind
love than what know
and what you will know, extent of whether you get to ascend the mountain and see light depends on what want to believe
the less know and more on faith, the more it is based on love
but God provides enough light for the love to be rational
Do hearts hold to faith, shown in love of Goodness Himself w/ all heart
that here suggests indeed have some, but always ask
Notes
Notes
Me
human sacrifice
all pre-christian except judaism
Muloch arms outstretched to accept child into furnace
however Ex 13:2 all FIRST BORN to be sacrificed to God, but for man, exempt from being physically killed
burnt offering is specifically prohibited to children, but exactly what God commands here
God provides the sacrifice himself in place of human (lamb, then THE LAMB)
“Here I am”, closer to “at your service mi lord”
Abraham (father of multitude)
Told by unlying God that thru isaac blessed w/ many
physical life of many vs spiritual life of many
ready to give up his ‘immortality’ as Jewish conception of it
parallels
only son
beloved, the beloved one in Greek translation which seems redundant (perhaps because translators confusion of how Hebrew could be true), Hebrew uses “only one” (monogenae unigenitum) only begotten.
First time beloved is used in Bible
ascending mountain leaves lower ranks behind (servants and even donkey not allowed to ascend with them despite being an obvious load carrier)
Moses bush (enlightened but not burning)
select priests
Transfiguration
Only levites entering the final mountain of God and of them only the select few
Priest ascends the steps to altar for gift to all
Lev 1 burnt offering
unblimished only
Isaac takes priestly role and sacrifice Lev 6 wood is for priests
carries own wood
engages in sacrifice himself
Jewish understanding b4 Christ, made very obvious in Targums is Issac willing sacrifice
obviously right
and lets be clear, Isaac was not a little kid but young man and father was an old man
Ram with head of thorns takes place
2 chron 3:1.
same mountain of Jerusalem, so now Christ in Jerusalem
2 lines missing “it shall be provided on the Lord’s mountain”
b/c done all nations blessed
pre Christian Jewish interpretation sees as isaac offering himself for world
Re-presentations of Isaac thru some animal sacrifices in Jewish interp b4 Christ
Plan of God culminating
abstract connections
trusting God’s providence despite appearance
all earthly sacrifice to God gets even more than lost
he who loses for my sake will find it
life thru death/sacrifice
‘eyes opened’ behold a savign act of God enlightens mind
Commentators
Pitre
mountain
where God will appear (Sinai, Moriah, arat))
Confused Resurrection
b/c thought end of time
Ephraim the Syrian
show divinity
show israel’s redeemer
prevent scandalized
Same 3 Peter John James see the agony in garden
akedah