By Fr Francis Gonsalves –
Palm (Passion) Sunday – Cycle B – 28 March 2021
Readings: Isa 50:4-7; Phil 2:6-11; Mk 14:1 – 15:47
“He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him” (Phil 2:8-9)
Prologue: Palm (or Passion) Sunday—marking Our Lord’s entry into Jerusalem, culminating with his crucifixion—announces a downgrading of what was held in high esteem in Jesus’ day, while exalting what was most despised: the cross. By inaugurating a ‘new covenant’ in his blood, Jesus redefines what was considered ‘holy’—namely, the Temple of Jerusalem and all it stood for— and also what was deemed ‘weak’—namely, suffering and the cross. Jesus’ passion and death gift us a new commandment, initiate a new cult and draw up a new code of conduct.
Three Scriptural Signposts:
1. Entering Jerusalem: The gospels unanimously trace Jesus’ life and mission heading towards Jerusalem. From the ‘littleness’ of Bethlehem, Nazareth and Galilee—where ordinary men and women become his disciples—Jesus journeys towards Jerusalem. All along the way he speaks with authority and performs miracles that validate his claim to be intimately united with Yahweh: the unseen, awesome God whom he calls ‘Abba’.
Jerusalem is central to both Testaments and also the core of religious consciousness of the Israelites. Literally meaning ‘city of peace’, scholars trace Jerusalem’s biblical origins to the ancient Canaanite city of Salem of the priestly king Melchizedek (Gen 14:18) and also to Mount Moriah, where Abraham was to offer Isaac as a sacrifice (Gen 22:1-2; 2 Chron 3:1).
However, Jerusalem gains greater significance when David conquered the Jebusite city and established it as the capital of Israel (2 Sam 5:6-10; 1 Chron 11:4-9) making it the home of Israel’s monarchs. Moreover, the presence of God was regarded as secured in Jerusalem when David decided to bring the Ark of the Covenant—considered the very “footstool of God” (1 Chron 28:2)—there. Later, his son, Solomon, constructed the Temple there (2 Chron 3:1-17) making it a model of power: divine, political, military, economic and social. Indeed, Jerusalem was almost considered as symbol and synecdoche for the whole nation (Isa 2:2; Mic 4:1-2). Though the deportation of the Israelites to exile in Babylon (586 BC) and the destruction of the temple spelt doom for Jerusalem, the return from exile (539/8 BC) and rebuilding of the Temple signified great hope.
With all the aforementioned credentials, Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem aroused great expectations and excitement among his disciples, each vying with the others for a lion’s share of the glory, power, status and privileges that Jerusalem seemed to promise them. The reading describing Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (Mk 11:1-10) has some interesting details:
(a) Mark shows Jesus as having supernatural knowledge in making arrangements for his entry;
(b) “a colt that has never been ridden” was a common requirement for a beast used for religious purposes;
(c) spreading cloaks on the colt served as an improvised saddle and spreading their cloaks on the road [vv.7-8] showed their eagerness to welcome him;
(d) by waving branches and crying out, “Hosanna”—which literally means, “save us, please!” as in Ps 118:25—the crowd echoes its expectation of Jesus being the Messiah. However, looked at from Jesus’ viewpoint, the presence of the colt (not a horse) shows his messiahship as being poor and humble, uninterested in worldly pomp and power but ready to undergo his passion. With Jesus’ words and works around Jerusalem, especially his “cleansing of the temple” (Mk 11:15-19), he is courting death. Holiness must no longer be exclusively associated with a stone temple for a new commandment and cult is being given.
- Jesus’ Passover and Passion: In today’s gospel, Mark uses a “sandwich technique” so to say, inserting an episode between two parts of another. The anointing of Jesus by a woman (vv.3-9) which he describes as “a good service” (v.6) is put between the evil designs of the chief priests and scribes planning to kill Jesus (vv.1-2) and the evil decision of Judas to betray him for money (vv.10-11). Again, at the Last Supper (14:12-25), a similar technique is used: between its preparation (vv.12-16) and the actual meal (vv.22-25), a warning to Judas is inserted (vv.17-21), which prompts each disciple—including you and me, today—to ask: “Surely, not I?” Then, reminiscent of the Jewish Passover with its memories of lamb, wine and bread, Jesus breaks and shares the bread, saying, “this is my body” and proffers the cup of wine, declaring, “This is my blood of the covenant.” In the Jewish tradition, blood performed three functions:
(a) as a sign of deliverance with the blood of the lamb smeared on the doorposts [Ex 12:7,13,22ff] linked to life [Lev 17:11; Deut 12:23];
(b) as cleanser of sins since every year at the ‘Day of Atonement’ [Lev 16] animal blood was sprinkled on the ‘mercy seat’ symbolizing divine desire to wipe away human sins; and,
(c) as a seal of the Sinai covenant and new relationship between God and people [Ex 24:3-8]. All these three functions are embraced in Jesus’ Passover and Passion where word leads to act, broken bread becomes scourged body, and cup drunk signifies blood spilled. No mediatory lamb is needed now since, as Paul says, “our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor 5:7). Henceforth, the cult will shift from animal-sacrifice to selfsacrifice, from external rite to inner righteousness, and from an annual ‘Day of Atonement’ to an eternal universal redemption and reconciliation. There is no question of placating divine anger or appeasing a vengeful God. Rather, Jesus voluntarily drinks the cup (14:36), which he offers to his disciples: “The cup that I drink you will drink …” (Mk 10:39). -
Dying on the Cross: At the centre of Holy Week stands the cross: the ultimate sign of folly for the Greeks and shame for the Jews. Yet, Paul preaches: “We proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Cor 1:23). The first two readings indicate why/how this reversal takes place. The first reading contains the third song of the ‘suffering servant’ who will teach people the meaning of suffering. Despite the scourging, being insulted and spat upon, the servant stays firm and faithful, believing: “The Lord God helps me … and I know that I shall not be put to shame” (v.7). God is his strength despite what the world sees as his ‘weakness’ in not retaliating against his persecutors. The figure of the ‘suffering servant’ finds flesh-and-blood expression in today’s second reading:
Paul’s ‘kenotic hymn’ that describes three stages of Christ’s life: (a) preexistence before the incarnation; (b) his earthly life; and, (c) his glorification with God. By his “death on the cross” Jesus reveals the depth of God’s love, which leads to new life and exaltation by God.
Thus, Jesus’ birth, life, passion and crucifixion, which seem like ‘weakness’ become steppingstones showing God’s ‘strength’. Two details in Mark’s account of Jesus’ death are significant: (i) “The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” (14:38), and, (ii) The centurion who has witnessed Jesus’ passion and death exclaims: “Truly this man was God’s Son!” (14:39). The ‘curtain’ refers to the separation between the people and the high priest who entered the ‘Holy of Holies’ with the blood of animals on the Day of Atonement. No longer is there need of any such separation (see Heb 9:1-12). Moreover, the centurion’s cry announces that the victim is the victor and what the world considers ‘weak’ really reflects God’s power.
Point to ponder: When the soldier returned home with his legs amputated after the war, his neighbours sympathized with him, saying, “We’re sorry you lost your legs in the war.” He replied, “You needn’t be sorry; I did not lose my legs, I gladly offered them up.”
Fr. Francis Gonsalves, SJ is the Executive Secretary, CCBI Comm. of Theology & Doctrine and President, Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune and former Principal of Vidyajyoti College, Delhi. He is also the Executive Secretary of the CCBI Commission for Theology and Doctrine. He has authored many books and articles and is a columnist with The Asian Age and The Deccan Chronicle national dailies.