The Atonement and Gaius Mucius Scaevola

Over the years, many explanations have been put forward in an attempt to explain just why God chose to redeem us by a method as shocking as the Crucifixion.  Very likely the real answer is something of a mystery -- even five sorrowful mysteries -- that we can encounter and on which we can meditate even though we cannot comprehend it fully.  At any rate, care must be taken not to create the impression that the Crucifixion was some sort of generic "good example" or, worse, that the Father is some sort of bloodthirsty monster, both of which errors being far too commonly held.

I suggest that some insight can be gained by remembering the example of Gaius Mucius Scaevola and drawing a rough parallel.  The sacrifice of his right hand did not make the words of Gaius true, but they made them credible, which no lesser gesture could have done.

Now it cannot be said that God was unable to forgive us without the Crucifixion -- Hebrews 9:22 need not be understood as a limitation on the part of God.  But just as a sin, to be mortal (CCC 1857), must be grave, committed with full knowledge, and committed with full assent of the will, our redemption -- which is as grave as anything concerning us can be -- must be accepted with full knowledge and full consent of the will.  After all, Jesus came not merely to give us a kind of legal pardon, like we might imagine for a tree scheduled to be cut down, but to restore in us the likeness of God, and that requires knowledge, will, and goodness -- that we be transformed by the renewing of our minds, as Romans 12:2 says.

If, however, Jesus had merely come to say, "Be at peace; God forgives you, only stop sinning," we all know what would have happened.  Many people would have said, "Huh.  It appears sins are not really a very big deal after all," and they would have continued on as before.  This is the sin of presumption.  Others would have thought, "That only applies to people who have committed minor sins.  My sins are too enormous to be forgiven by mere words.  I am damned."  This is the sin of despair.  There would have been scant room for the virtue of faith.  Of course, the overwhelming majority of people would have paid no attention whatsoever, reasoning that talk is cheap.

Coming back to the parallel with Scaevola, it is the willing sacrifice that gives weight to the words.  We now know how seriously God takes all sins, even the ones we dismiss as peccadillos.  We now know that God is not merely forgiving peccadillos, but really horrible sins.  Talk may be cheap, but in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; so the Word is of incomparable value.

Our need for salvation is grave, as it has been since the expulsion from Eden.  Due to the Passion, we now have enough knowledge.  Will we give the full consent of the will to repent?