The Kenotic Theory, taken from Philippians 2:5-9, is the discussion of the Greek word ekenosev found in verse 7 that is often translated as "emptied" referring to how the Divine Nature of Jesus was manifested and exhibited in His Person. Over the years there have been many theories put forth by Catholic and Protestant theologians as to how this emptying was accomplished. What is your understanding of this?
What sayest thou?
A great question to raise as Good Friday and Easter Sunday approach.
ReplyDeleteI also like the way in which you frame it, speaking of kenosis as the way in which Jesus’ Deity is “manifested and exhibited”. In I John we read, “God is love”. The Tradition understands this to be an ontological statement: Love is the Divine Essence. Love is, by definition, ecstatic, such that he who loves, He who IS love, goes out of Himself in order to meet the object of that love (think of the father of the prodigal son). This is a movement which originates with God the Father, who ecstatically “empties himself” in eternally generating the Son and breathing forth the Holy Spirit. The Son, as He says, “does nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing”. The Son therefore lays aside, not His Deity, but the Divine prerogatives, and comes “down from heaven”, definitively and concretely entering time to encounter humanity to the fullest extent; He is made human, taking flesh by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and shares fallen humanity’s fate, that of suffering and death, death of the most ignominious sort, so “that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage”, as Hebrews puts it.
“Love is stronger than death” according to the Song of Songs, and the almighty power of God incarnate is manifested as love, love that dares to “be made perfect in weakness,” to take death into itself in order to destroy it, thereby redeeming and rescuing sinful humanity, freeing it, by way of death, from sin, Satan, and finally, from “the last enemy,” death itself. This He accomplishes by being obedient, even unto death, and rising again, to die no more. This is the path to life that we are called to follow in faith, by dying with Christ, so that we might live with Him, in Him, forever.
"Riding on a Donkey"
ReplyDeleteMore from Fr. Stephen on this:
ReplyDelete"The Church and the Cross"