Fr Ben Garren

Welcome Peter, son of Adam. Welcome Susan and Lucy, daughters of Eve. And welcome to you, Beavers. You have my thanks. But where is the fourth?
—Aslan, Chronicles of Narnia

Dear Siblings in Adam and Eve,

What are we to make of this term “The Son of Man,” which is oft used to reference Jesus? There seems, at first, to be a highly esoteric nature to the term that would make scratching our heads at today’s Lenten Gospel reading understandable. To ground us a bit we just need to note that in Hebrew this phrase is simply ben-‘adam, Son of ‘Adam. When this term is used by Ezekiel and Daniel in the Hebrew Scriptures the goal is to show the close association of the Jewish People with Adam and Eve, the two humans born of God. The Jewish people may be surrounded by nations that wish them ill, who do not maintain the expectations of doing justice and loving mercy, but they need only remember that they are ben-‘adam, children fashioned in the image of God, born of Adam and Eve.

When C.S. Lewis has Aslan describe the Pevensie children as “son of Adam” and “daughter of eve” he is engaging in the same mindset as Ezekiel and Daniel. The Pevensie children come to Narnia to bring an end to the unjust and merciless rule of White Witch. Likewise ben-‘adam, the Jewish people, are set aside amidst humanity to bring an end to the unjust and merciless rules of those who do not follow the expectations of God for all who have power. What happens, to both the Pevensie children and the Jewish people, is a constant need to be reminded of who they are, the bearers of God’s justice and mercy. This is what happens to all of us as we struggle to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

Which brings us to the comparison we hear from Jesus in today’s Gospel. In the same way as the Hebrew Prophets chastised their people, Jesus chastises his people, the Hebrews. He puts in contrast who they are called to be, ben-‘adam, and what some of their membership have become, a group complicit with an unjust and merciless empire more concerned with the trappings of religiosity than providing for those in need. As they have ignored the expectations of the Law and the Prophets, what makes them ben-‘adam, so they ignore Jesus, who calls us all to be fully ben-‘adam.

Jesus invites us all to be Children of Adam and Eve, individuals fashioned in the image of God called to do justice and love mercy. What we must never forget is how each and every one of us is prone to not live into these expectations, to instead be a group complicit to injustice and mercilessness more concerned with appearances than helping those in distress. May we come to understand ourselves as ben-‘adam and fully live into the invitation of Jesus.

Pax,

—Ben