Christ's fellowship with the Father broken?

[user_194]

I'm interested on what the Fathers of the Church have to say about Christ's quoting Psalms 22 on the cross. A friend of mine (and others I"ve spoken with in the past), argue that his use of "My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?" as indicating that God's wrath was taken out on the son, resulting in a temporary breaking of fellowship with the Son. My big problem with that is it seems that, in order for that to happen, Jesus would have had to become either "not God" or there would have had to suddenly be two Gods.

I asked this over on Defenders of the Catholic Faith, and did get a good quote, but from a post-reformation teacher. I'm more interested in what the early Church had to say. Any help would be appreciated.

I should point out that one of the issues that came up was how could Jesus bear our sins unless he emptied himself - thus implying he became other than God for a brief period.

[TomS]

from Orthodox News:

Physical and spiritual death

Each Easter midnight and throughout the forty days that follow we sing that Christ is risen, having undone death by death. And yet what do we see? Death free and abroad, people dying as before. It would seem as if we are affirming something that we know to be untrue.

But we should keep in mind that there are two aspects or death. There is physical death, but there is also death, understood as separation from God, as descent into Sheol, the place where God is not, the place of his radical and definitive absence. It is this second aspect of death which is certainly the more cruel and atrocious. When we look at icons of Christ's harrowing of hell or speak of it in the Apostle's Creed, we are confronted by something unquestionably real.

The Lord experienced not only the first aspect of death, but the second also. He chose to share with us in all the consequences of evil - including the final separation from God ('My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?'). But although he descends to the place where all those who have lost God descend, he brings with him the fullness of the divine presence. Consequently there is now no place left where God is not. And it is this which allows us to understand our situation since Christ's death and resurrection.

We have still to undergo a temporary death, what St Paul describes as a falling asleep (1 Cor 15:6). But there is no longer the death which was the terror of mankind, the final dissolution and separation from God. And in that sense death is indeed undone by death. Even now - however germinally and tentatively - we are the heirs of eternal life.

http://www.orthodoxnews.netfirms.com/30/On%20Death.htm

[Грешник]

Dear Anglo Catholic, In speaking with Fr. George I asked him your question and this is what he had to say on the issue.

First, Christ said these words in a prophetic sense, which the Jews standing by would have known from childhood.
Secondly, I have heard that by so saying, Christ indicated that He suffered for all humanity, including those who have been forsaken.
Many times during our trials, we feel alone. Christ took this suffering upon Himself as well. Remember that it was not the Divinity of God that suffered on the Cross, but His humanity.

I'd like to also mention that our Saviour endured the shame of being crucified without any clothes on. So, the Jews who mocked Him had no pity at all. But, when the Lord was crucified, the uncreated light shone forth from Him even more And they saw it They knew that He is the Son of God. 32“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all to Myself.” 33But He was saying this, signifying by what manner of death He was about to die. [Jn. 12:32,33]

When someone in crucified, there arms are outspread. The Lord spread out His arms on the Cross, that He might embrace all humanity His love knew no bounds. He chose the way in which He would save us It was not the Romans who led the Lord to the scaffold, He Who upholds all creations sustained their very lives.

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From a conversation with Father George: 21.11.03