The opening piece is from “Union with Christ” – The New Finnish Interpretation of Luther. Let’s give it a try.
The core of Luther’s concept of participation finds expression in the notion of the “happy exchange,” according to which Christ takes upon himself the sinful person of the human being and bestows his own righteous person upon that humanity. What takes place here between Christ and the believer is a communication of attributes or properties: Christ the divine righteousness, truth, peace, joy, love, power, and life gives himself to the believer. At the same time, Christ “absorbs” the sin, death, and curse of the believer into himself. Because faith involves a real union with Christ and because Christ is the divine person, the believer does indeed participate in God. That is what Luther means when he speaks of Christ as a “gift.”
Do we then - as ones who participate in God through Christ – look out at the world and others as God looks out at them? And if so, this is a blessed way to perceive others who we may have previously seen as “others” or “them” or “enemy.” It is not merely a reality about us…a reality that is gracious and a pure gift. This is a reality that includes those who are not “us.” We are given the gift to see others as God sees them for we participate in the grand and glorious reality that is call “in Christ.”
Connection: I know this can be touchy to even mention but what would the Lutheran Church (or others) look like if we took seriously the vision for life that comes from this notion of the “happy exchange.” We would be a gift to this day and all with whom we come in contact. Wow.
You are a gift to us, O God, and by your graciousness you transform our lives into gifts we are able to present to the world and thereby transforming the world by your grace. Inspire us to be a witness to vision of your blessed Reign. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment