Tom Higgins

In the beginning of creation, God appointed human beings as carers of his good earth and all its people. Much of the story of the Old Testament is about disobedience - the human rejection of its God-given mission of caring. This leaves human beings scattered, and far away from their Creator. God sent his prophets time and again to remind humanity of its mission of caring, and to warn of the dire consequences of disobedience. The prophets finally concluded that only a remnant of people would remain faithful to God. They believed that nothing short of a divine intervention in the world would liberate human beings from their self-will and turn their hearts of stone back to God and to one another. The remnant was small and was eventually reduced to one man - Jesus of Nazareth, who came to live among us. Jesus is the faithful and obedient servant and Son of God. He is the Good Shepherd who cares for everyone, believing that no one should be excluded from his flock, whom he feeds with a share of his own divine life. He thus offers a perfect obedience to God on behalf of human beings. But the leaders of his people (representing everyone) are bitterly opposed to his all-inclusive vision for the union of humanity. Out of envy and jealousy, they seize him and hang him up on a Roman cross. In obedience to his heavenly Father, and trusting that God will vindicate him, Jesus accepts his death as a sacrifice to bring forgiveness. God will have the last word about human rebellion and malice. He raises Jesus up so that he can come back again and forgive all those who had a hand in his death (humanity at large). In his forgiveness of everyone, Jesus liberates human beings from their vengeful and murderous ways. His forgiveness makes it possible for them to imitate his own forgiveness, and it enables them to resume their mission of caring - feeding the hungry, giving a drink to the thirsty, as the road leading to eternal life. Forgiving one another leads to reconciliation, and it fulfils Jesus' prayer for his disciples shortly before his death - that they might be united with him, and through him, to his heavenly Father. In its reconciled state, the disobedience and scattering of humanity after its 'fall' in the Garden of Eden, are undone.

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