PALM SUNDAY OF THE LORD’S PASSION, March 24, 2024
(Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Mark 14:1-15:47)
We are all aware that Jesus' last words vary in three of the
four gospels. The differences are more than a matter of words. They express different
perspectives on how to understand who Jesus is. In Luke, Jesus is seen as the supremely
compassionate friend to all. When he dies, he has words of comfort on his lips:
“Father, into your hands I commend my hands.” The Gospel of Saint John portrays
Jesus as the incarnate Son of God who comes into the world with a specific mission.
As the task is completed on the cross, his last words are: “It is finished.”
Without a doubt the last words of Jesus in the Gospels of
Mark and Matthew are the most difficult to understand. In both gospels he says,
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” We are left with deep concern: Has
he really been abandoned by God the Father? we wonder, or, has Jesus lost faith
in God? However, we can be assured that God has not forgotten his Son; neither
does Jesus stop believing in God. The two evangelists, probably Matthew copying
Mark, see Jesus' complete loneliness in his death as part of the enormous price
he paid to redeem the world. We know that as weak as we are, we can endure
suffering with the support of our loved ones. Jesus had to endure horrific
torture without any support at all.
You can see this abandonment from the beginning of the
passion. In Gethsemane the first disciples sleep while Jesus is writhing on the
ground. Then comes the disciple who has betrayed him. All the disciples abandon
him, one of them leaving his only clothes behind!
In the trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate, Jesus'
isolation grows. As if he were a blasphemer, the high priest tears his clothes
before Jesus to signify his complete disgust with him. Then all the senior
representatives of Israel spit on him and slap him. They mock Jesus as a false
prophet when in truth he has predicted everything that happens to him. While
suffering this abuse, Jesus knows that Peter, his vicar, is denying him.
Although Pilate says that Jesus is innocent, he condemns him as a rebel. The
Roman soldiers continue the sacrilege by breaking his skin with whips and
mocking Jesus as a comic king.
Of course, loneliness reaches its maximum on the cross.
Everyone makes fun of him, even the two men crucified with him. No disciple
comes forward to offer support. Even the skies darken giving the impression
that God has turned his back on him. At this moment Jesus utters the cry of
total discouragement from him.
As Jesus expires, God shows that he has been with His son
throughout the ordeal. The veil in the Temple is torn in two rendering the
sanctuary useless for sacrifices. From now on the only sacrifice for the
forgiveness of sins will be the memory of his death in the Eucharist. Even more
impressively the centurion, an objective witness, proclaims: “Truly this man
was the son of God,” the relation that Jesus claimed at his Jewish trial.
The suffering of Jesus in the Gospel of Saint Mark provokes
various emotions within us. First, we feel admiration for all that Jesus
suffered for us, even the sense of loss of intimacy with God the Father. It was
more than could be expected from any other man. Second, we feel deeply grateful
to him for doing so much for us. His death on the cross earned the forgiveness
for our sins. Finally, we feel strengthened. We tell ourselves if my Savior
suffered so much pain and isolation, I am ready to suffer too. There will be
times when we will be fighting for what is right without much support. Possibly
our own family and friends will criticize us for taking risks in defense of the
truth. Then we can remember Jesus in this gospel of Saint Mark and continue
fighting on.
