By 
By Fr Declan Boland
One of the greatest mysteries of our faith is that Jesus of Nazareth was fully human and fully divine. The words are easy to say but the implication of these words are vast. I suspect that many people don’t really believe in the full humanity of Jesus. He was ‘sort of human’ but more divine and not really like you and me. Well I have news for you today – Jesus was completely a human being like the rest of us as well as being Godly.
The central mystery of our faith is that God took on flesh in Jesus. He was a man who lived and died; he belonged to a particular family, was formed in a particular culture, and was heard, seen and touched by all who came in contact with him. The statement that Christ is a ‘perfect’ human being is easily misunderstood. It can make us imagine Jesus as a youthful man with a great body, good teeth, an attractive face, with much charm and intelligence. If we see Jesus as ‘acting out some script’ given by the Father then we do him a great injustice. Let me state quite clearly again – God became completely human, omitting nothing that belongs to our nature. He was without sin, because sin does not belong to our graced nature.
Many people are uncomfortable with any portrayal of Jesus that seems too human. We see divinity as opposed to our humanity, and we have been taught to see our humanity as an obstacle to our union with God, whereas in fact the very opposite is true! Our flawed humanity is the nearest thing to God on earth and what gives humanity its special character is precisely its possibility and desire to become more like God.
If we look at ourselves closely we see many failures and a deep inability to accept ourselves as we are. In our dream state we want to become ‘perfect’ without blemish or wrinkle and we get disillusioned when we see that our many weakness are really never going to go away. We think that there is something basically wrong with us and the teaching of the church with its emphasis on sin and guilt has deepened this belief. We think something needs fixing. If we do not accept our own humanity we will not appreciate the humanity of Jesus. We will project onto Jesus a ‘perfection’ that makes him less than human, more like an angel than a man.
Christianity is not a matter of being good but of becoming more Godly! We have been made a little less than god and the tragedy is we don’t fully realise this! If we can accept the truth that God’s Son fully shared our own human experience then we can reach out to him boldly and confidently for he understands completely all our human agonies and predicaments. By his grace we are transformed and healed. Christianity is not primarily about laws and obligations but about having our hearts transformed into love by the very Source of Love itself.
Transformation! Transformation! Transformation! That is the key word and as you read this column with all your Lenten exercises you have taken on board, believe me that if those exercises are not leading to a transformation of heart through love then they are pretty worthless.
Those words may sound harsh but Jesus kept his strongest language for people who were just out for show while their hearts were far from him . The stinging rebuke from the prophet Isaiah should make us think in this regard, “The worship they offer me is worthless.” Now if that does not knock us off our horses then surely nothing will!
So let me say again. All those negative qualities and imperfections that we all have and are deeply ashamed of are no obstacles to us becoming more divine, more like Christ because mysteriously they were also found in him. The only thing that can separate us from God is a stubborn, selfish, obstinate and loveless heart.
If God’s son was not embarrassed to take on our human flesh, then nothing – absolutely nothing – that is part of our human experience need cause us to be ashamed or feel guilty. We too are flesh and our spiritual journey will have many difficulties. Our inner conflict means that we remain permanently imperfect and we will pass into eternity imperfect. Our only hope is to rely on the mercy of God. In a sense, this necessary transition from self-reliance to ultimate reliance on God is the meaning and purpose of the struggle. Victory over our vices is an illusory ideal. If our sins are the only things that make us rely on God, then it seems unwise to get rid of them too quickly! It is only through the door of mercy that we find access to the heart of God.
Now dear reader relax and smile. You are in much better shape than you thought.
