Sunday Reflections
Passion Sunday year B
Why have you forsaken me
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark 14:1-15:47.
1. The passion of our Lord Jesus in the gospels is a long one (see the reference). The passion narrative according to Mark showcases two features namely that Jesus is truly human and truly divine, the Son of Man is also the Son of God. From the beginning Jesus is presented as fully human: he accepted the tender care of a woman who anointed him with costly perfume. He praised the woman and shunned those who see the gesture as a wastage of something that could have been sold and the money given to the poor. He felt the pains of being betrayed by a friend and like any human person complained to his disciples about his pains. He pleaded with God to save him from painful death, reminding God that He can do all things. In his distress moment he sought consolation in the company of his disciples and was highly disappointed with their inability to console him by praying with him. Before he breathed his last, like any human person, he felt abandoned by God and cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”
2. Once arrested, Jesus exhibited the demeanor of a royal personality. He remained noble and acted with splendor. He was gentle with Judas, calling him friend when he betrayed him with a kiss. He was calm before the priests who accused and abused him. He was silent before Pilate who confronted him with the multiple accusations levied against him. He was respectful towards those who hit him with blows and insults. Even hanging on the cross he restrained himself from answering back to insults. All these made the centurion who supervised his execution to exclaim:”This man is truly a son of God.”
3. An analysis of the whole passion puts some characters out for special consideration. We think here of Judas, High Priests and Pilate. These three have one thing in common: they allowed their self interest to becloud their sense of justice and goodness. Judas was chosen by Jesus as apostle and entrusted with a position of trust to be in charge of the finance of the apostolic college. His love for money made him to forget this special relationship between him and Jesus. He betrayed Jesus for money. The High Priests with the Sanhedrin occupied a position of honour saddled with the responsibility of leading the people to God in truth and justice. They saw Jesus as a threat to their position and decided to do away with him in spite of their knowing that he was doing the work of God. Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent and yet he condemned him to death because he wanted to remain a friend of Caesar. These three people preferred self advantages to justice. We certainly see them as bad persons but humanity is not better today.
4. Today worse things have happened and are still happening. We live in a country where self interest overrides morals and justice. Common Good is an empty expression when confronted with personal interest. The country is filled with criminals roaming everywhere in garbs of saints. They are to be found in both Holy and unholy places. Every day we learn new trending expressions. Few years ago we baptized the word bandit to stand for protected terrorists. This month it was budget padding reward, that is paying people for successfully cheating the country. Tomorrow it will be fake contracts and projects.
5. Today’s celebration invites us to consider the love of Jesus for us which made him to suffer so much for us. It also invites us to think of so many people who today cry out like Jesus:”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Yes, many people have abandoned their parents in pitiable state in the villages and pretend to be hustling in the city. These old and sick parents, like Jesus, are crying out: my children, why have you forsaken me? Many terminally ill persons who have been bed-ridden for years are today feeling abandoned. They are crying out: my friends, my friends, why have you forsaken me? Yes, many innocent persons are today locked up in prisons for crimes they have not committed. They cry out to those who put them in prison, some of whom are Catholics: my brother, my boss, why have you forsaken me? Yes, some young people have, by combination of some life factors, become addicts to substance, behaviour or thing and for this reason are abandoned or even disowned by parents. Today they cry out: my parents, my parents, why have you forsaken me.
6. The voice of Christ re-echoes in the voices of all who today feel marginalized and abandoned. In harkening to their voices, you harken to the voice Jesus crucified. Try and use this Holy Week to harken to the voices of the abandoned. Help someone to know that God has not abandoned him/her.
