Reflection on this Sunday’s Gospel – Palm Sunday The 6th Sunday of Lent
Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday
The drama and action of Holy Week begins
In every detective novel and thriller, there is the final chapter where things come to a dramatic conclusion; the situation is resolved either for better or worse.
This Sunday, we begin Holy Week, the final week of Jesus’ earthly life. This is the final chapter of his earthly ministry and mission of healing the sick, proclaiming the good news to the poor and establishing Kingdom of God. All through his public ministry, Jesus has defied the expectations of everyone. He has not been the King or Messiah for whom the people had hoped. Now, as things come to head for Jesus, what will happened to him?
Jesus enters Jerusalem in a very dramatic and public way that would have been very familiar to the people. Generals and emperors returning from battle entered the city in the exact same way. The people called out their names and waved palms as they welcomed their heroes home.
What Jesus is doing is making a very public and political statement. He is challenging the religious leaders and the Romans to make some decision and take some action either for or against him. The people are on his side; they welcome him with shouts of joy as they cry out
‘Hosanna, hosanna, blessed he is who comes in the name of the Lord.’
He is their new king; he will overthrow the Roman Empire and begin a new political regime. Or will he?
The people may be expecting one thing, but Jesus is not here to do what he wants or what they want; Jesus will faithfully fulfil God plans plan for him. Shortly, Jesus will say that his kingdom is not of this world. The Kingdom of God is not about power, politics or prestige. It is not about wealth or control.
The Kingdom of God is about love, forgiveness, humility and concern for the poor. Perhaps this what Pontius Pilate, the Romans, the religious leaders and even Jesus’ closest followers never really understood. Jesus came to serve, not to be served. He came to forgive, not to judge.
He came to love us and wash our feet, he came to offer himself for us out love. Having offered himself to us at the Passover through bread and wine, he will then offer himself for us on the cross. Maybe this is why he Jesus was betrayed, denied, condemned and crucified; his message of love, compassion and forgiveness is too challenging for them and us to truly understand, believe and accept.
But how the crowd and we ourselves change! As he enters the city they are praising and honouring him, by the end of the gospel they have all turned against him and shout out, ‘Crucify him and crucify him.’ When Jesus does not live up to their expectations, they turn on him and turn their back on him.
As we begin Holy Week and read the passion gospel this Sunday, let us recall the mystery we are remembering. Jesus dies, but that is not the end of the story. The sorrow of Palm Sunday will become the New Life of Easter. There is no Easter without Palm Sunday or Good Friday. There is no Resurrection without Crucifixion.
– Br Michael Moore OMI
The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke
The elders of the people and the chief priests and scribes rose and they brought Jesus before Pilate.
They began their accusation by saying, ‘We found this man inciting our people to revolt, opposing payment of the tribute to Caesar, and claiming to be Christ, a king’. Pilate put to him this question, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘It is you who say it’ he replied. Pilate then said to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no case against this man.’ But they persisted, ‘He is inflaming the people with his teaching all over Judaea; it has come all the way from Galilee, where he started, down to here.’ When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man were a Galilean; and finding that he came under Herod’s jurisdiction he passed him over to Herod who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
Herod was delighted to see Jesus; he had heard about him and had been wanting for a long time to set eyes on him; moreover, he was hoping to see some miracle worked by him. So he questioned him at some length; but without getting any reply. Meanwhile the chief priests and the scribes were there, violently pressing their accusations. Then Herod, together with his guards, treated him with contempt and made fun of him; he put a rich cloak on him and sent him back to Pilate. And though Herod and Pilate had been enemies before, they were reconciled that same day.
Pilate then summoned the chief priests and the leading men and the people. ‘You brought this man before me’ he said ‘as a political agitator. Now I have gone into the matter myself in your presence and found no case against the man in respect of all the charges you bring against him. Nor has Herod either, since is he has sent him back to us. As you can see, the man has done nothing that deserves death, so I shall have him flogged and then let him go.’ But as one man they howled, ‘Away with him! Give us Barabbas!’ (This man had been thrown into prison for causing a riot in the city and for murder.)
Pilate was anxious to set Jesus free and addressed them again, but they shouted back, ‘Crucify him! Crucify him!’ And for the third time he spoke to them, ‘Why? What harm has this man done? I have found no case against him that deserves death, so I shall have him punished and then let him go’ But they kept on shouting at the top of their voices, demanding that he should be crucified. And their shouts were growing louder.
Pilate then gave his verdict: their demand was to be granted. He released the man they asked for, who had been imprisoned for rioting and murder, and handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they pleased.
As they were leading him away they seized on a man, Simon from Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and made him shoulder the cross and carry it behind Jesus. Large numbers of people followed him, and of women too, who mourned and lamented for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep rather for yourselves and for your children. For the days will surely come when people will say, “Happy are those who are barren, the wombs that have never borne, the breasts that have never suckled!” Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”; to the hills, “Cover us”. For if men use the green wood like this, what will happen when it is dry?’ Now with him they were also leading out two other criminals to be executed.
When they reached the place called The Skull, they crucified him there and the two criminals also, one on the right, the other on the left. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.’ Then they cast lots to share out his clothing.
The people stayed there watching him. As for the leaders, they jeered at him. ‘He saved others,’ they said ‘let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers mocked him too, and when they approached to offer vinegar they said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ Above him there was an inscription: ‘This is the King of the Jews.’
One of the criminals hanging there abused him. ‘Are you not the Christ?’ he said. ‘Save yourself and us as well.’ But the other spoke up and rebuked him. ‘Have you no fear of God at all?’ he said. ‘You got the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus,’ he said ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ ‘Indeed, I promise you,’ he replied ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’
It was now about the sixth hour and, with the sun eclipsed, a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. The veil of the Temple was torn right down the middle; and when Jesus had cried out in a loud voice, he said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit’ With these words he breathed his last.
(All Kneel and pause a moment)
When the centurion saw what had taken place, he gave praise to God and said, ‘This was a great and good man.’ And when all the people who had gathered for the spectacle saw what had happened, they went home beating their breasts.
All his friends stood at a distance; so also did the women who had accompanied him from Galilee, and they saw all this happen.
