Hot Wind from the Desert

If zeal had been appropriate for putting humanity right, why did God the Word clothe himself in the body using gentleness and humility in order to bring the world back to his Father? And why was he stretched out on the cross for the sake of sinners, handing over His sacred body to suffering on behalf of the world? I myself say that God did all of this for no other reason than to make than to make known to the world the love that He has, His aim being that we, as a result of our greater love arising from an awareness of this, might be captured by His love when He provided the occasion of this manifestation of the Kingdom of heaven's mighty power-- which consists in love-- by means of the death of His Son. . . not to redeem us from sins, or for any other reason, but solely in order that the world might become aware of the love which God has for His creation. Had all this astounding affair taklen place solely for the purpose of forgiveness of sin, it would have been sufficient ot redeem us by some other means. What objection would there have been if he had done what He did by means of an ordinary death? But He did not make His death at all an ordinary one-- so that you might realize the nature of this mystery. Rather He tasted death in the cruel suffering of the cross. What need was there for the outrage done to Him? and the spitting? Just death would have been sufficient for our redemption-- and in particular His death, without any of these other things which took place. What wisdom is God's! And how filled with life! Now you can understand and realize why the coming of our Lord took place with all the events that followed it, even to the extent of His telling the purpose quite clearly out of His own mouth: God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son-- referring to the Incarnation and the renewal He brought about.