Palm Sunday is also called Passion Sunday — two different names for the same occasion — because this Sunday begins with a festive atmosphere of Jesus’ royal entry into Jerusalem. However, soon, the festivities would give way to the harsh realities of life.
All the evangelists speak of the Passion and death of Jesus but narrate them in different ways and through diverse perspectives. Each evangelist then puts in elements that underscore some aspects as their own.
Despite the violence and injustices done against Jesus, there is no sign of self-defence. Jesus rejects violence at all levels and even for self-defence. He admonishes Peter and others for taking up weapons.
Two thousand years later, the cry of the Lord against violence and abuse of power remains relevant for our society. During his return flight from Malta last week, Pope Francis decried the human atrocities committed in the war-torn regions of Ukraine and Russia. The Pope said, “War is always an act of cruelty, an inhuman thing, that goes against the human spirit; I do not say, Christian, [I say] human, It is the spirit of Cain, the murderer; the “Cainist” spirit said the Pope.
The Pope dismissed the concept of “Just War.” “Every war stems from injustice, always, because that is the pattern of war. For example, making investments to buy weapons. Some people say: ‘But we need them to defend ourselves.’ This is the pattern of war. Nations that have advocated the slogan “never to war but peace” after World War II have now forgotten all that after 70 years.
We are standing at the great portico of the Holy Week. From here, we will walk into the moment of his death. What we see as the miserable pain, the most incredible absurdity, is the opportunity for God to proclaim his love for all people in the most solemn way possible. We no longer differentiate which part is more triumphant: whether it is his entry on a donkey to Jerusalem while some poor people shout and wave olive branches, or it is the moment of the Cross, abandoned even by his own. He signs with his blood the new treaty with humanity.
Luke began his Gospel with Jesus manifesting himself to the shepherds who were the last, the despised, and the unclean of Israel. Then he spent his public life among tax collectors, sinners, and prostitutes. And at the end, he is among those condemned to die, not with the saints. Also, in the end—it was to be expected—he is among those he most loved: the sinners.
On the Cross, he has two men who had done it all wrong in their lives. He came from God, completed his pilgrimage on this earth, and now returns to the Father. He returns with a representative of the people he served: a sinner regained by his love.
For your reflection
Our job requirements may keep us tied up, but would we find some time to walk with Jesus and see him in the pains and tears of people?
Father Josekutty
Mathew CMF
