In the Infancy Narrative of the gospels, after King Herod dies, an angel appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, telling him: “Get up! Take the Child and His Mother and go to the land of Israel, for those seeking the Child’s life are now dead” [Matthew 2: 19-20].
Reading the text from today’s perspective, we could well argue that Joseph was misinformed. The Holy Child was never out of danger. “Those seeking the Child’s life” — his enemies — succeeded in nailing him to the cross. They continue to seek to destroy life. During Holy Week, we spend time reading, meditating, and praying about the sufferings and threats the enemies continue to inflict on the Child and the faithful.
Indeed, God in our world seems forever under attack. “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” [Acts 9:5] is a question he poses to the world today. All forms of violence, aggression, abuse, and trafficking against humanity threaten the Child. God is persecuted and afflicted when humanity turns a blind eye to people who suffer from war, poverty, and displacement.
Herod disappeared into history 2,000 years ago, but his friends are still around. Anyone in authority who brushes off his responsibility to protect the innocent and the helpless is a friend of Herod. Pharisees and religious leaders who put the Son of God on the dock for trial are not merely a thing of the past. Their modern day counterparts threaten God’s children now. Religious and racial extremism causing genocide and bloodshed, public and domestic violence, and wars between nations are all realities of our age.
Violence in self-defence could be the strongest temptation of the day. But through acts of humility, such as the washing of feet, and the institution of the Eucharist on Holy Thursday, Jesus presents a different style of countering the enemy’s attacks. Besides rejecting violence, the Lord encourages humble acceptance, even of our enemies and betrayers
Of all the people in the world, whose feet would I find the most difficult to wash? Why do I feel uncomfortable when certain people are going to communion? Holy Week calls us to introspect and challenges us to ponder such questions and apply them to the Judases of our lives.
On the night of his betrayal and arrest, Jesus’ disciples did not want to give in without a fight, and one of them indeed pulled out his knife in defence of the Master. But resorting to violence cannot be a Christian defence. When Saul, who unleashed violence against Christians, became Paul, he exhorted a different kind of defence: “Put on the armour of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.” (Eph. 6:11)
The enemies of Jesus never left him, but he never gave in to them. The crucifixion of Jesus itself was a failure for the enemy. There was no way the enemy could have imagined that such an ignominious crucifixion would transform history completely.
When our enemies strike us hard, let us not forget that the Master accompanies us on our pilgrimage. He is our true defence. jose CMF
