Reflection on Mt 21,1-11; Is 50: 4-7; Fil
2.6-11; Mt 26,14-27,66
We are starting the
most important week for Christian communities. It is the week that brings
together the central events of our faith. It narrates with much symbolism and
depth the last moments of Jesus in his earthly existence and invite to silence
and contemplation. It is also an opportunity for us to review our whole journey
of commitment to the Lord and to be renewed by his example of faithfulness and
decision.
We are invited to
accompany Jesus who comes victorious in Jerusalem to complete his work of love.
In fact, he does not come on horseback with arrogance and with a mighty army as
the generals used to do when entering the cities, but he is mounted on a
donkey, full of kindness and mercy, as he has been during all his life. Jesus
is very aware of what is about to happen to him, but he does not let himself be
discouraged. On the contrary, he shows freedom of Son very loved and sent to
save the humanity. As we recall his solemn entry into the “City of peace”, we
also remember his passion and death in this city, which has the reputation of
acting violently against the messengers of God. Therefore, his death is not a
fatality, but the result of a prophetic mission lived with fidelity to the last
consequences.
As we know, the
prophet Isaiah presents four poems to speak about the identity and mission of
the People of God, who is also called “Servant of the Lord”. These poems were
composed during the exile in Babylon and we can find them in the second part of
the Book of Isaiah. The text we are using is the ‘third poem’ and according to
this one, the Servant lives his vocation as a gift of God to give new life to
his brothers and sisters. Because of his faithfulness, he faces many
humiliations, rejection and suffering, but he does not become discouraged
because he feels accompanied and helped by God. This Servant is a figure of
Jesus himself who, in his identification with the human condition, accepts to
be humiliated, outraged and dead because of his fidelity to God. His filial
trust in God is the reason for his faithfulness. Through humiliation, he found
the way to his glorification. The way of humility, of small gestures, and the
option for what is most insignificant in the society are the authentic signs
that identify those who should continue his work.
According to this
narration of Matthew, Jesus considers that his imprisonment, passion and death
will cause scandal to his disciples, because they still had the triumphalist
mentality of messiah. However, he completes the discourse - as usual - speaking
of the resurrection and will resume with them from where it all began, that is,
from Galilee. For Jesus there is no expression of love greater than to give the
life for the sake of the friends, even when they run away (except some women
and the beloved disciple in the John’s version). In his cry, “My God, my God,
why have you forsaken me?” He expressed the sorrow that he truly felt as a
human being, that is, the sorrow of abandonment, the sorrow of outrages, the
sorrow of humankind’s sins, etc. Then, when everything seemed to have been done
in vain, we have the great profession of faith: “Truly, this man was the Son of
God.”
Jesus was abandoned by
his friends, but he was not alone on the cross nor was alone also during his
mission. From his own words, we have this enthusiastic testimony: “He who sent
me is with me, he has not abandoned me alone, for I always do what is pleasing
to him” (Jn 8:29). That is why the “cry” that Matthew places in the mouth of
Jesus must always be reflected in connection with his filial confidence
expressed in Luke’s version, for it happened throughout his life: “Father, into
your hands I commend my spirit” (Lk 23, 46). Otherwise, we would deny not only
his work in intimate communion with the Father but also the fidelity of this
Father.
The mystery of the
passion and death of Jesus does not have as first reference the sorrow and
suffering that he experienced, but his great love to the last consequences.
Death was not an imposition, but a voluntary acceptance, that is, he accepted
it freely. Jesus was aware that he was doing the right thing and so his passion
is the beginning of his victory over death, reviving all the hopes of the poor
and of all sinful humanity.
The suffering of the
Son of God invites us to reflect on the harsh reality of human suffering. Just
as God responded with the resurrection before the death of the Son, we can
conclude that God does not want the suffering and the death of the people. He
does not forsake those who suffer nor is silent before their suffering. Christ
made his own the sorrow of all people of all the times. He continues to suffer
in us when we experience sorrow and trials in our journey. His example
motivates us to be an effective presence in the lives of those who suffer more
than we do. The crosses of solidarity and compassion that we are called to
carry every day as he did, makes also our sacrifice a gesture of love as participation
in his passion for the salvation of all mankind.
Fr Ndega
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