St. Paul tells us that Jesus "for a little while was made lower than the angels that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone."
The taste of death is in his mouth...
This is suppose to be the good news of glad tidings announced to the shepherds on that night of nights in which in a manger was born Jesus.
The wood of the manger was destined to become the wood of the cross and the precious gift of life was destined to taste death for everyone.
What does this mean "to taste death for everyone."
Well, it doesn't mean that we will never have to taste death. We do. We taste death often when a loved one, a brother, a sister, a husband, a wife, a friend, a companion, experiences death.
It leaves a taste in our mouth.
Before Christ it was a bitter finality. The grave was haunting as it is stark. The dirt was gritty between our teeth. There was no life, there was no hope, there was just sadness and remorse and confusion and loss. The bite of death always left a bad after taste.
Things change in Christ. The bite of death is real. IT is still bitter. The dirt is still gritty between our teeth. But, the resurrection looms large. The grave has now become a sign of hope, death gives way to the promise of life to come, loss and confusion point toward a moment of break through even in the midst of a breakdown.
The bite of death though bitter and painful no longer leaves a bad after taste. Rather the message of good news and glad tidings helps fortify us, strengthen us, fill us, encourages us.
The taste of death is bitter sweet, hopeful even in loss, life giving even in death. The cross stands as the measure of the world, as the measure of man.
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