READINGS: LUKE 19:28-40; ISAIAH 50:4-7; PSALM 22; PHILIPPIANS 2:6-11; LUKE 22:14 – 23:56
Out of his love for us, Jesus humbled himself submitting to the point of death, death on a cross. Crucifixion, a horrible and torturous form of execution, was designed and perfected to cause the greatest amount of pain and humiliation.
Out of modesty, artists down through the centuries have usually depicted Jesus wearing a loincloth. However, recall the 10th Station of the Cross; JESUS IS STRIPPED OF HIS GARMENTS. Without one’s clothing, we are stripped of our dignity, status, and position in society. In this shaming act, Jesus is stripped naked in front of his family and friends as well as those who gleefully sought his execution. In the beginning, Adam and Eve were both naked, yet they felt no shame for they had not sinned. Once they were tempted by the serpent and succumbed to sin they hid because of their shame. (Genesis 3) Jesus, who has similarly been tempted in every way, yet without sin, was made to be sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. (Hebrews 4:15-16)
Now reflect again on the opening statement: Out of his love for us, Jesus humbled himself submitting to the point of death, death on a cross. In light of our sinfulness can we imagine any greater love? Truly we have disobeyed God’s laws, but Jesus puts his love for us, ahead of the Law of the Torah. He puts his relationship with us ahead of the kind of justice that calls for an “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” (Exodus 21:24) Does humanity deserve this kind of forgiveness? NO! Wasn’t Jesus’ execution an unforgivable sin? YES! Yet Jesus says, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Jesus also gives us the awesome power to forgive, (John 20:23) and St. Paul points to Jesus as the model for extending God’s forgiveness. (Ephesians 4:32) In the spirit and power of forgiveness, we are to be channels of God’s grace to those who commit unforgivable sins and don’t deserve our love. …otherwise it is neither love or forgiveness.
To us, the guilty bystanders, Jesus looks powerless hanging on the cross. That is why the rulers taunted him by saying, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.” (Luke 23:35) However, to save himself would have been totally out of character for Jesus, because he always put others first. He put others first because he “came to serve not to be served.” (Mark 10:45) And he came to show the love of his Father. When Jesus placed himself at the service of others, to heal the brokenhearted, to forgive the sinner, to feed the hungry, to give sight to the blind, to lay down his life for the lives of brothers and sisters: He was exercising the greatest power on earth, LOVE. There is no greater power than this. This is the healing Jesus came to bring into the world. But there was one other reason Jesus came into the world, to preach.
The message that Jesus came to preach was that the Kingdom of God was at hand. Jesus healing ministry was only begun during his life on Earth. His preaching of the Kingdom was about how we are to complete the good work begun in us. To complete what he had begun in his healing ministry. Jesus first preached this message in his hometown of Nazareth when he read from Isaiah 61 the following verses:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me
because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
His declaration to us on how to bring about this Kingdom to fruition on earth is detailed in Matthew 25: 34-40. (Below) He explains how we are to become heirs of this Kingdom that is already within us. The Kingdom that is already present, but not yet fully realized. Thy Kingdom come thy will be done…
Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.
The good news is that when we extend love, forgiveness, and charity we become nothing less than coheirs to the Kingdom and beloved children of God.
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