{"id":3354,"date":"2013-04-17T23:39:50","date_gmt":"2013-04-17T22:39:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stbedesclaytongreen.co.uk\/?p=3354"},"modified":"2013-04-17T23:39:50","modified_gmt":"2013-04-17T22:39:50","slug":"palm-sunday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/stbedesclaytongreen.co.uk\/?p=3354","title":{"rendered":"Palm Sunday"},"content":{"rendered":"

Palm Sunday (24.03.13)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Seeing Others First<\/b><\/p>\n

Each Gospel\u2019s Passion text is unique. Though Matthew, Mark, Luke and John may sound similar, each Evangelist\u2019s text is his particular theology \u2014 a theology springing from years of reflection on the implications of Jesus\u2019 death and resurrection. We believe that each Gospel has two authors, the human and the Divine in the Person of God the Holy Spirit. Therefore those differences that exist are there with the blessing of God.<\/p>\n

This year we are reading Luke\u2019s Passion narrative (22:14\u201323:56). Before commenting on Luke in particular, there\u2019s something important to note that our four Evangelists have in common namely, there\u2019s almost no mention of Jesus\u2019 physical suffering.<\/p>\n

We have traditionally been encouraged, through the Way of the Cross and other devotions, to concentrate on the painful bodily aspects of Jesus\u2019 passion and death. The Evangelists present us with a different picture. Each describes Jesus\u2019 actual crucifixion using the fewest words possible, simply stating, \u201cThey crucified him.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Evangelists certainly emphasise Jesus\u2019 suffering, but for them it\u2019s much more psychological than physical. They do this for a good reason. Their purpose in writing these narratives is not to lead their readers to proclaim, \u201cThank you, Jesus, for dying for me!\u201d They\u2019re much more interested in having their readers simply say, \u201cThank you, Jesus, for showing me how to die!\u201d<\/p>\n

Long before the first Gospel was written, Paul of Tarsus frequently defined a Christian as someone committed to dying and rising with Jesus. The key question for those first disciples was, \u201cHow do imitate his dying? Are we expected to let ourselves be physically scourged, crowned with thorns, have nails driven into our wrists and feet and then, writhing in pain, die on a cross?\u201d Historically, few Christians did actually imitate Jesus\u2019 death by dying that way. But all Christians could imitate his psychological suffering: the pain and death that accompanies the daily giving of oneself for others. That\u2019s why our Gospel authors constantly point out the mental stress and pain Jesus endures during his passion and death.<\/p>\n

His disciples constantly misunderstand him, they desert him, Peter swears he\u2019s never even met Jesus. Yet Jesus continues to unconditionally give himself for them, no matter their reaction to that giving. Nothing can stop him from demonstrating his love for others, even if those others reject his love. That\u2019s the kind of suffering and death all of us can imitate.<\/p>\n

Luke is a master at demonstrating Jesus\u2019 concern for others, a concern that comes through even in the midst of his own suffering. It\u2019s one of two main characteristics of Luke\u2019s passion narrative.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at just a few examples. For instance, during the Last Supper, at the point where Jesus predicts Peter\u2019s denial of him, Luke has Jesus add a prayer for his friend: \u201cSimon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers\u201d (22:31-32).<\/p>\n

Jesus\u2019 pain doesn\u2019t blind him to the pain of others. Something similar happens in Gethsemane. In the other three Gospels, the high priest\u2019s servant walks out of the garden with his severed ear in his hand, but not in Luke. \u201cOne of [Jesus\u2019 disciples] \u2026 cut off his right ear. But Jesus said in reply, \u2018Stop, no more of this!\u2019 Then he touched the servant\u2019s ear and healed him\u201d (22:50-51).<\/p>\n

Luke\u2019s Jesus is even concerned with the wellbeing of those who are determined to kill him. Nothing can stop him from giving himself to others. His concern continues even during his painful way of the cross. Only Luke tells us about \u201cthe many women who mourned and lamented him.\u201d But notice how the evangelist turns their fears and anxiety about Jesus
\ninto Jesus\u2019 anxiety about them – \u201cJesus turned to them and said, \u2018Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and your children, for indeed, the days are coming \u2026 \u2019 \u201d (23:27-29).<\/p>\n

Changing Mark and Matthew\u2019s statement that \u201cthose who were crucified with him (Jesus) also reviled him,\u201d Luke provides us with one of scripture\u2019s most loved passages. \u201cOne of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, \u2018Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.\u2019 The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, \u2018Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation?\u2019 \u2026 Then he said, \u2018Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.\u2019 Jesus replied to him, \u2018Amen, I say to you,
\ntoday you will be with me in Paradise\u2019 \u201d(23:39-43).<\/p>\n

Luke sees no extenuating circumstances, not even our own impending death, that would absolve us from loving God and our neighbour.
\nThis brings us to Luke\u2019s other major theme: Jesus\u2019 innocence. No other evangelist stresses this aspect of Jesus\u2019 passion more than Luke. During the course of his narrative, Luke has four different people declare Jesus innocent:
\nPilate (at least three times);
\nHerod;
\nThe good thief;
\nand
\nThe centurion who crucified Jesus.<\/p>\n

Luke changes St.Mark\u2019s centurion\u2019s proclamation, \u201cTruly this man was the Son of God!\u201d to \u201cThis man was innocent beyond doubt!\u201d<\/p>\n

Even when Pilate delivers Jesus over to crucifixion, he never says Jesus is guilty. Pilate\u2019s verdict was that the crowd\u2019s demand should be granted. \u201c\u2026 Pilate handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished\u201d (23:24-25).<\/p>\n

Though he believes Jesus is innocent, the Roman governor, to avoid a riot, simply gives in to mob rule. For Luke, Jesus\u2019 crucifixion is nothing but legalized murder. Yet even against this unjust background, Luke\u2019s Jesus constantly cuts through the nonsense and loves both friends and enemies. This can only happen because he has emptied himself and looks at the situation he is in through the eyes of others, noticing their pain, not his.<\/p>\n

May you have a reflective and holy week.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Palm Sunday (24.03.13) Seeing Others First Each Gospel\u2019s Passion text is unique. Though Matthew, Mark, Luke and John may sound similar, each Evangelist\u2019s text is his particular theology \u2014 a theology springing from years of reflection on the implications of … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-feast-day"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/stbedesclaytongreen.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/stbedesclaytongreen.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/stbedesclaytongreen.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stbedesclaytongreen.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stbedesclaytongreen.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3354"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/stbedesclaytongreen.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3354\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3355,"href":"http:\/\/stbedesclaytongreen.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3354\/revisions\/3355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/stbedesclaytongreen.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stbedesclaytongreen.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/stbedesclaytongreen.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}