crucifixion – Institutionalized outbreak

Wilson SVD

Palm Sunday

      Is 50: 4-7; Phil 2: 6-11; Mth 26: 14-27: 66

Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of the Lenten season and it commemorates the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, days before his crucifixion. We now enter into the culmination of the Lenten season, what we call the Holy Week. This week highlights the climax of the mission of Jesus in which, the deepest meaning of his life is unfolded and his teaching is concretized in his own words and actions. As per the Gospels, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a young donkey amidst lavish praises of the people, who threw colorful clothes and branches of olive branches; probably a customary expression of respect to important people. Palm branches are symbol of peace and victory and donkey represents humility as opposed to power and pride.

To understand the passion, crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus, one needs to grasp the Matthean narrative plot in its entirety. Quite often we are quickly inclined to perceive this great event of Calvary as a result of our sin. This is true. However, I perceive the passion event as politically and religiously well-crafted collective attack to end Jesus and his followers, presuming to wipe off Jesus and everything of Jesus.

Institutionalized outbreak

When child Jesus was born, Herod began the hunt for the babies of Bethlehem and he killed almost all of them. Herod died but the hunt did not die with him. God warned Joseph and the family fled to Nazareth and Jesus grew up in hiding. Now Jesus returns to Judea, the region of his birth. He returns not to Bethlehem but to Jerusalem. Upon Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, it becomes clear that the Herod syndrome is still alive. It was not just Herod that hunted down the babies but it was an empire: Behind Herod stood Rome. And so now, Pilate stands instigated by the religious leaders, to kill the baby that escaped long ago. Time does not matter to the empire. Vested interests religious heads join hands with the power mongers to crucify one single man to demonstrate power and domination. A well-planned collective institutionalized attack on the single revolutionary. The institution is powerful and so, the people who gathered to welcome him now disown him, people who shouted ‘hosanna’ now yell crucify him. It is part of the mechanism of the institution to have displays of domination and power in public: the entire event from court of Jerusalem to Calvary is deliberately made to happen in public. Always, an empire or an institution presumes to be powerful. History has several examples of the contradicting factor; Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King (Jr) and many others who were persecuted by the institutionalized vested interests groups - they are dead but they continue to live and inspire.  

The multinational corporate companies, the political parties, institutions of caste, creed, language, culture, interests’ groups and even religious institutions and leaders carry out such well-designed institutionalized attack perpetuated by vested interests: To which institution do I belong to? To which ideology do I incline to? Do I not switch to different institutions as per convenience?  Can I be different? Can keep myself away from such ill-motivated attack on others?

Undivided focus

Jesus successfully countered the collective institutionalized attack by his undivided focus on his mission. The story of passion and death portrays particularly the obedience of Jesus to his Father – commitment to His mission. The fascinating moments in the garden of Gethsemane, is an outstanding example of his unconditional focused obedience to the Father. One of the things that amazes me is Jesus’ focus. He is set like flint towards Calvary, there is no wavering, no detour, come what may. He knows about the ill-plot lying ahead but he is ready to take up his cross and die. Crucifixion was a crime and obscenity. He died once and so we are alive today. What is my goal in life? Am I focused, whatever may be trial and challenges? Do I stand for justice? One may have to face in life, an individual, or collective or collectively institutionalized attack? There are many vantage points: we can find reflections of ourselves in many of the characters – sometimes we are like Judas, kiss and betray; sometimes like Peter, deny; sometimes like the disciples who act rashly upon Jesus’ arrest and later desert him; sometimes like the religious leaders, who stage manage the entire event; sometimes like Pontius Pilate, wash hands off the whole affair. None of them live today, only Jesus who had undivided focus, died but gave us life and lives with us. Who am I like? Let us celebrate life for life is beautiful….