In his Letter to the Philippians, St. Paul describes the trajectory of Jesus from the time of the Incarnation, when Jesus took on flesh, through his death and resurrection. Jesus emptied himself, Paul says, coming in human likeness – he humbled himself, dying on a cross, yet was ultimately exalted by his Father. Jesus’ life was that of the Suffering Servant described by Isaiah, who knows how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them, but who is rejected by the masses: I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard. The Servant is called by God and given the capacity to offer comfort, strength, and encouragement, but receives only buffets and spitting in return for his efforts.
Jesus will live and ultimately die, so that he can rise. His suffering, or Passion, at the hands of the Roman occupiers and the Jewish authorities, is chronicled in every Gospel; Matthew’s version is fraught with moments of disruption and difficulty, from the time Jesus makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on an ass, a simple, pedestrian animal, a beast of burden. Though the crowds cry out, Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Matthew also notes that the whole city was shaken by his presence. The disruption he describes will be echoed in the Passion narrative when Jesus gives up his spirit, at which moment the veil of the sanctuary is torn, the earth quakes, rocks are split, and tombs are opened. Jesus’ journey to this point has been fraught: from his sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane to his betrayal by Judas to his abusive treatment at the hands of the Sanhedrin. Peter will deny him, the crowds will choose Barabbas over him, and the soldiers will crucify him. From the cross, Jesus will pray Psalm 22: my God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Jesus abandoned his divinity to embrace humanity; he emptied himself that he might be truly one with us, so that he could die and bring us to God. It is our sins that are nailed to the cross, our salvation that his sacrifice ensures for all time. Through his obedience, Jesus shows us the way to God, the path we too must follow, the journey we too must make; his death gives us access to God in our lives. In baptism, we die with him, that we might rise with him. To accept to walk this journey is to know that we too will be shaken, rattled, that our journey will be disrupted. Embracing Christ’s journey means our life will not go on as normal, ever again. Are we ready to take that first step, during this most Holy Week?
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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