The Best Thing God Ever Did was the Worst Thing Man Ever Did

Last updated on: February 7, 2022 at 10:12 pm by Fr. Charles Erlandson

The Best Thing God Ever Did was the Worst Thing Man Ever Did 2022-02-07T22:12:10-05:00 Fr. Charles Erlandson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

When Christ consumed the Cup of Suffering, He transfigured the world forever.

When Christ consumed the Cup, He transformed the meaning of suffering.

When Christ consumed the Cup, He transmuted its contents from evil into good.

God’s judgment upon man was translated from “Guilty!” to “Not Guilty.”

Death was transported into life.

Suffering was transmogrified from punishment and a sign of death and judgment into glory and joy and a sign that God is with us.

God is famous for performing miracles: we read of Jesus turning water into wine, healing lepers and the lame from their infirmities, and raising people from the dead. God Himself is a living miracle. First, is the miracle of the Holy Trinity, three Persons, and one God. Then, comes the miracle of Christ, who is forever both God and man. Even man is a miracle, having been created ex nihilo by God in the beginning.

Aside from the miracle that is God Himself, God’s greatest miracle is transforming evil into good.

For Jesus Christ is the True Alchemist. You might remember that medieval alchemists endeavored to transmute base elements such as lead and mercury into the nobler elements of gold and silver. While the alchemical Philosopher’s Stone was never discovered (which could not only transmute elements but would also transmute men into immortals), the Theologian’s Stone has been present to all since the first century. We need no hermetical religion, for the Great Transmutation wrought by Christ is open and visible to all.

To help us comprehend such an incomprehensibility as the transformation of evil into good, I will begin with a question: “Was the Cross of Jesus a good or evil thing?”

The twentieth and twenty-first centuries have reminded us all of the great evil of which man is capable, one of the worst of which is the taking of the life of another made in the image of God. Worse still would be to be a mass murderer, especially on the grand scale of Mao, Stalin, or Hitler.

But undoubtedly the worst thing men could ever imagine or do, the very thing they did, was to murder the King of Glory. Was the Crucifixion of Christ, therefore, a good or an evil thing? Both. It was meant for evil in the hands of sinful men but meant for good by God.

Jesus is the new Joseph (as well as the New Adam, New Abel, New Noah, New Moses, New Joshua, and New David). Out of envy and hatred, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. But, due to God’s love and providence, Joseph not only prospered personally: he also saved the world, especially Israel. The climax of Joseph’s story, when he is reunited with his brothers, comes when he says to them: “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Genesis 50:20).

What men and Satan mean for evil, God means for good. This is true not only for Joseph but also for the Christian and all Christian suffering.

The worst thing men could ever do, which we actually did, is to kill the King of Glory.
But the best thing God ever did was to send His Son to be killed on the Cross for us.

Take This Cup

Previous Post

November 22, 2021

Jesus Took on All Human Suffering - Part 2

Next Post

February 11, 2022 Joseph Laughon - Book Review of Take This Cup

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Reviews Featured Give Us This Day Give Us This Day Devotional love me love my wife Love My Wife Reformed Catholicism Blog Spirit-Reality Take This Cup Uncategorized

Select a Month February 2022 November 2021 October 2021 August 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 September 2018 July 2018 March 2018 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does James say about friendship with the world?

Select your answer to see how you score.

It is foolishness It pulls you from God It is dangerous It creates emnity with God