Do we see Jesus
for who he truly is?
What a contrast
between Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem in Matthew’s Gospel and his
subsequent passion and death on the cross!
Jesus knows he is to go to Jerusalem in order to die, and he enters the
city proclaimed for who he truly is: Hosanna
to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the
crowd shouts. But they do not truly
comprehend who Jesus is, they don't know Jesus: a king who
approaches the city in humility, riding on an ass, a beast of
burden. His entry causes the whole
city to be shaken, physically roused out of their norm, rattled out
of their capacity to understand normally.
This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee, the crowds
assert – but what Messiah could possibly come from Nazareth?
The truth is, the
people weren’t expecting a humble servant as their Messiah, although Isaiah had
prepared them for one who gives his back to those who beat him
and his cheeks to those who pluck his beard.
Yet in spite of such abuse, the servant, called by God, will not be
deterred from the direction he has been set in.
Paul tells the Philippians that Jesus emptied himself, taking the
form of a slave, so that nothing could get in the way of doing his Father’s
will. This doesn’t prevent Jesus from
knowing the Father’s love, however, a love he will remember when he prays Psalm 22 on the cross: the famous question, My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me turns into a song of praise as it
progresses, because Jesus prays with confidence that God will deliver him even
through death.
On the cross,
instrument of torture and utter humiliation, Jesus hears the people passing by
reviling him: save yourself, they
mock, take yourself off that cross. They
do not recognize that in order to save them, he must not save himself –
he must embrace death, follow it through, allow it to happen. The Messiah they want would free them in this
moment from Roman domination; they are looking for restoration of a Davidic
king right now, and they renounce Jesus out of a narrow ignorance. Judas betrays Jesus, Peter denounces Jesus,
and the rest of the disciples run and hide.
None of them really understands why this has to happen; they are caught
between their love for Jesus and the reality of the moment. Only Jesus knows with confidence that God
will greatly exalt him, bestowing on him the name that is above every
name. For Jesus Christ is Lord, King,
Servant, Messiah… if only understood by most in hindsight.
This post is based
on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
