Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
Cycle C
April 14, 2019
4pm at Saint Mary Parish, Pylesville
11am at Saint Matthew Parish, Baltimore
Injustice
I imagine most of us can think of a time when we were treated unfairly.
I remember way back, when I was in the sixth grade, some tattle-tale accused a whole group of us boys of saying “bad” words on the playground. I wasn’t an angel, but I didn’t say those “bad” words; I still got punished.
More serious than that, the employees of some of our big businesses have been unfairly treated. Some businesses have closed or gone into bankruptcy and the employees lost their pensions that they had worked hard to earn.
Maybe we have felt unfairly treated by a friend who has turned against us for some reason. I am sure we could cite other examples of personal and societal injustice.
Jesus himself experienced great injustice. And this is the background for Saint Luke’s account of Jesus’ Passion.
Jesus’ Innocence
Luke’s Gospel carefully emphasizes Jesus’ innocence.
Only in his telling of Jesus’ Passion – not in Matthew, Mark or John – only in Luke does Pilate three times declare Jesus innocent. Only in Luke does Herod also pronounce Jesus innocent.
Only Luke carefully recalls the words of the one man being crucified with Jesus: “We have been condemned justly, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Only Luke recalls the Roman centurion saying right after Jesus dies: “This man was innocent beyond doubt.”
So, Luke very intentionally reminds us of Jesus’ innocence. He is showing us how unfair, how unjust all of this is.
Jesus’ Care, Healing, and Forgiveness
And yet, Jesus responds positively.
Luke tells us that at the Last Supper, Jesus prays for Peter – even though he knows that Peter will deny him, he prays that Peter’s faith will in the long run not fail. Only Luke’s gospel tells us that in the garden, Jesus heals the ear of the high priest’s servant.
Only Luke shows Jesus’ compassion for the women who are weeping, advising them not to be concerned for him, but for themselves and their children. Only Luke recalls Jesus, on the cross, asking the Father to “forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
And only Luke shows Jesus assuring the one man being crucified with him: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” So, Luke very carefully shows that nothing – injustice, suffering, and even impending death – nothing gets in the way of Jesus’ caring, healing, and forgiving.
Communion with God
Luke, of course, wants us to realize that we are called to be the same way and he shows us how this is possible.
Jesus remains in communion with the Father. And he maintains this from start to finish.
Luke’s depicts Jesus’ prayerfulness on the Mount of Olives. And this communion with the Father continues to the very end when Jesus prays, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
Luke is making the point that this inner, steady communion with the Father – this is what strengthens Jesus. This is what empowers him to deal with such injustice and suffering.
This is what energizes him to remain caring, forgiving, and peaceful. Luke calls us to the same inner communion with God, the same prayerfulness.
This will help us to deal with injustice and suffering in our lives. It will help us to remain at peace rather than become violent, to heal rather than to hurt, to forgive rather than to take vengeance.
