True Greatness
August 11, 2021
Fr. John Riccardo
Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve longed for greatness. No one, I’m convinced, longs to be mediocre. But what makes for greatness? Is it money? Fame? Awards? Gold medals? There’s nothing necessarily wrong with any of these things, but they don’t suffice. True greatness, ultimately, I believe, is hearing the personal invitation from Jesus to come and follow Him, saying yes to that call, and embarking on a life of discipleship, no matter our state of life. Nothing compares to this! The greatness of Jesus’ mission, and ours, is outlined below in this weeks’ excerpt from The Christian Cosmic Narrative.
“When the angel announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, he is reported as saying: ‘I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:10–11). ‘Good news of great joy’: the Greek word evangelion, translated into English as Gospel, means ‘good news’ or ‘glad tidings.’ It was used by officials of the time to announce important events: the winning of a great battle, the enthronement of a new emperor, or, as in this case, the birth of a royal heir. Jesus used the same term to describe the core of his message: the good and joyful tidings he had come to announce. From the beginning of the establishment of his Kingdom, preaching the Gospel, announcing the Good News, was at the heart of Jesus’ mission. Wherever he or his followers went, the announcement was made that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. What were some of the key elements of this Gospel, the glad tidings of the kingdom, that Jesus brought to the human race?
“The first and perhaps greatest ‘news item’ was the simple fact of God’s continued interest and presence in human affairs. Prisoners languishing in an enemy jail gain courage to find that their plight is known to their own countrymen and that steps are being taken on their behalf. Likewise, a race languishing under the curse of death and the rule of Satan were overjoyed to find that God had not forgotten them. All the more intense was their joy in hearing that he had not only taken pity on their misery, but that he himself had come among them to do battle on their behalf and to free them from their slavery; that they were not only remembered but loved and desired, and that careful plans for their future happiness, long in the making, were soon to be brought to fulfillment.
“Another key announcement of the Gospel was the news that God was ready to forgive the guilt of any who requested it. There was a stern judgment coming upon the world, upon its demonic rulers and their human allies, and justice would be done to the guilty. But before the arrival of that fateful day, a reprieve was offered; a kind of general amnesty was declared for any who had been caught in the Devil’s snare. Peace was proclaimed between heaven and humanity; past misdeeds would be forgotten, and any who wished could claim the pardon. So great was the desire of the heavenly Father for his lost children that he was ready to go to all lengths to find a way to blot out their sins, no matter how evil they may have been. The burden of guilt that had lain so heavily on human consciences was to be lifted, and the just sentence upon rebels and doers of evil was to be transferred from them and carried by God himself.
“Not only were dark deeds to be forgotten and guilt remitted, but there was promise of a new healing power from God that would enter the heart and soul of each person reconciled to heaven. The searing self-inflicted wound that had darkened the minds and wills of the race and had given them a propensity to evil would be addressed and its healing begun, and a new capacity for goodness and truth would be engendered, along with new powers of self-mastery and love. The fulfillment of the ancient prophecy of a new Covenant according to which the ways of God would be written on the human heart was now to be inaugurated.
“It was announced that the enemy of mankind, that malicious spirit whose lies had first seduced humans to slavery, was to be defeated and his rule overthrown. The strong bars of Satan’s prison were to be rent open. Humanity was to be set free, that they might live as they had been created to live, in union with God, at peace with one another, and in harmony with the rest of creation.
“It was declared that the most terrible consequence of humanity’s guilt and Satan’s slavery, death itself, would be overthrown. The humiliating embarrassment of the grave would be forgotten and death would be no more. The decree of banishment from Eden was to be reversed, the curse was to be lifted, the long exile was to be ended, and a lost and wandering race was to be welcomed home.
“As if all this astounding news were not enough, it was proclaimed that all these gifts were to be accompanied by an unimaginable grace: humanity was to be made divine. Mere men and women were to be given a share in the very nature of the Eternal God, raised to a height among the angels of heaven themselves, and adopted into the endless cataract of love called the Trinity.
“Such were the stupendous tidings Jesus announced, the best and most thrilling news ever brought to a suffering humanity. Yet there was a high cost involved for any who wished to embrace the offer. First, those who were touched by the grace of God and wished to receive the reconciliation with the Father offered by Jesus needed to repent of their sins. They needed to acknowledge their past rebellion, sue for forgiveness, and change the direction of their lives. They had to recognize both the evil and the futility of declaring themselves independent from God, and return in faithfulness to their rightful king. Second, they had to utterly renounce their allegiance to Satan, the prince of lies. They had to break with his kingdom and to withdraw themselves, by God’s strength, from the web of seductive darkness that Satan had woven around humanity. In doing so, they would inevitably bring upon themselves Satan’s anger and malice, and they would need to be ready to confront and endure whatever his enmity threw at them. Third, they needed to learn to live in a manner befitting their new status as divine creatures. They were to imitate the ways of heaven so that they might be worthy to live among the angels and in the presence of God. With divine help, they were to undertake the hard task of remaking their hearts and of learning new loves. They were to become masters of themselves and their desires, to love one another from the heart, to treat each other justly, and to imitate the forgiveness and forbearance of their heavenly Father. They were to renounce pride and vanity and learn the ways of humility. They were to put their former selves to death and become new creatures, members of a regenerated race. In imitation of their Master, and supported at every step by his grace and power, they were to walk the lowest of roads to reach their destined high place.
“By a measure that dignified humanity beyond telling, God arranged that it was a man who would accomplish all these great deeds on behalf of humanity. A man would battle Satan and throw him down. A man would bear the sins of his fellows and cancel their guilt. A man would gain for his brothers and sisters the gift of eternal life. A man would lead humanity into the very heart of the Father. A man who was also mysteriously the eternal Son of God.
“In order that this proclamation of freedom might be announced across the globe and down the generations, the Kingdom of renewed humanity under the rule of the Messiah was not to be established in its fullness right away; instead it would take root in the midst of a fallen race. And like a resistance movement against the dark spiritual powers ruling the world, it would continue the fight for humanity through the years. The Savior-King would spiritually inhabit his newly regenerated brothers and sisters and teach them how to announce the Gospel and how to wage spiritual warfare for themselves and for others, such that each might bear a portion of the honor of defeating the enemy and winning a place in the Kingdom. The battle would be fierce: against the Devil, against the forces of evil in the world, and against the dark wound in each soul. It would demand a total commitment, even at times to the shedding of blood. But God would be with his followers, giving them strength and joy in the fight, and assuring victory to those who remained under his protection.
“As might be predicted, a message of this kind evoked a strong response. Wherever Jesus and his disciples made their proclamation of the Good News and gave miraculous signs of its truth, they threw their hearers into a tumult. Some were overjoyed; others perplexed and amazed; still others angry and troubled. None were left unmoved. The Father, in his son Jesus, had come among his creatures to call them back to their true loyalty and to give them the power to throw off the chains of their slavery. As Moses had done before him, yet with deeper meaning and infinite authority, Jesus set before Israel life and death, blessing and curse. He led all who saw and heard him by stages to a point of inevitable choice. By that choice, they would determine their destiny.”