Homily For the Sixth (Passion) Sunday of Lent, Year C.

 

Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9. 17-20. 23-24; Philippians 2:6-11; Luke 22:14-23:56.

“THE HAND THAT BETRAYED JESUS”

By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide

• Palm Sunday ushers us into the highest point of our salvation history. The whole drama of Jesus’ mission and earthly times is summarized in the passion narrative. Today’s celebration moves from a joyful shout of “Hosanna to the king” to “crucify him, crucify him.”
• Today’s entire Liturgy presents us with a picture of triumph and defeat, and ironically, what seemed to be triumph was indeed not one, and what appeared to be defeat was the supreme triumph of history.
• Some may argue that the death of the son of God was a suicide. Could God the Father not redeem the world through other means than the gruesome death of his only begotten son? He is the all-powerful God and could have achieved our redemption even with the snap of a finger. The death of Jesus was not a suicide, but to show us the extent of God’s love for humanity even to the extent of sacrificing his only begotten son: “The sinless one was made sin for our sake” (2 Cor. 5:21).
• The first reading (Isaiah 50:4-7), stipulates that the death of Jesus was in fulfilment of an Old Testament prophecy and obedience to his father’s will “For my part I made no resistance, neither did I turn away…” (Isaiah 50:5-6), “the son of man does indeed go to his fate even as it has been decreed” (Luke 22:22).
• The second reading (Philippians 2:6-11) also reminds us of the identity of the ministry of Jesus which was one of humble service and obedience to the will of the Father because “though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God; but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave” (Philippians 2:6-7).
• The theme for today’s reflection is inspired by a gospel character, Judas Iscariot – the hand that betrayed Jesus. We can all criticize Judas for his betrayal, for giving up the one with whom he shared the same table, dish, and cup. For me, Judas was only an instrument to fulfil God’s divine plan. It could have been anyone else.
• Meals are important to us as humans. When we eat together, it shows signs of unity, trust, affection, freedom, emptying of oneself, confidence, and loyalty. Despite all these symbols, Judas still betrayed Jesus.
• When we gather at the Holy Mass which is also a Eucharistic meal, a Passover meal, a meal of thanksgiving, a meal of love and togetherness, a communion. Do we not symbolically share the same chalice and ciborium with Jesus and with one another just as Judas did? Do we too who share the same Eucharistic meal not betray each other in various ways?
• Just immediately after sharing the same chalice and ciborium and we leave the church, we return to business as usual. When dipping our hands into the same chalice and ciborium should make us love each other more, make us holy, pure, and spotless; rather we go back to sin even energized to continue to betray Jesus - just like Judas we betray our brothers and sisters. We become multiple hands that betrayed Jesus multiple times.
• In one way or the other, we are betraying Jesus and crucifying him again and again. We are making nonsense of his passion and death for us through our various lifestyles. The lifestyle of reckless sin, denial, the quest for vain glory and places of honour (Luke 22:25), gossip, malice, syncretism, etc., all these amount to betraying Jesus and crucifying him multiple times over. When we betray Jesus, there is a grave consequence: “But alas for you by whom the Son of man is betrayed” (Luke 22:22).
• Dear friends in Christ, let us not be the hands that betray Jesus but the hearts that befriend him. The passion and death of Jesus was a difficult one, I imagine. He felt the weight and pain of betrayal, just as we, too, feel when betrayed. Like the Psalmist today, he cried out, “My God my God; why have you forsaken me” (Ps. 22:2). but he still went on with the passion and death for our sake. We must therefore not make rubbish of the passion of Christ, rather, we must make it a transforming experience in our life. We, too, must compare our various experiences of denial and betrayal with that of Jesus; we must imagine the weight of the cross on our shoulders and traveling distance. Let it be a life-changing experience for us.
• We must also remember that those who stand with Jesus through his pains and agony without betraying him have their reward: “They will sit on the thrones to judge the tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:30).
• We live in a world full of distractions and temptations; it is not easy to completely resist the ploy of the devil, but just as Simon was prayed for, to strengthen others. We, too, must pray for each other and support each other so that our faith may not fail and that we may not continue to betray Jesus or be put to the test.
• Hard times will come. It is already here, but it is our mutual support for each other that will help us conquer despite our bodily weakness and susceptibility to sin. The question is, is there anything that I am doing that is a betrayal of the love Jesus expressed for me by dying on the cross? Am I crucifying him again? What side of the divide am I on: those who betray Jesus or those who befriend him?
• Because of our human weakness and the kind of world we live in, we have all betrayed Jesus in one way or the other; but if we are truly contrite and resolved to make a good effort not to betray him again, his words come true in our lives “father forgive them for they know not what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
• May God give us the grace to see the true meaning of the ultimate prize he paid for us and to make it count as a sinless life through Christ our Lord, Amen!
• Happy Sunday!!!