Opposite Extremes: Reflections on the Readings for Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, Cycle A

If you haven’t already read the readings you can find them here.

Matthew 21:1-11
Isaiah 50:4-7
Psalm 22
Philippians 2:6-11
Matthew 26:14-27:66

Palm Sunday is characterized by two gospels, with seemingly opposite messages. On this day we begin the Mass with a gospel reading that celebrates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. But the Mass closes with the telling of the Lord’s Passion and ultimate sacrifice for our sins. This is to prepare us for the events of the week including the Last Supper, Jesus washing the feet of the apostles, His trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate with all of their false testimony, His humiliation and death on the Cross, all for our sake. We have to be taken down to the depths so that, like Jesus, we can rise up on the day of the Resurrection, Easter.

In the beginning gospel reading, Jesus comes on a colt, the foal of a donkey, as foretold of the Messiah by Zechariah. (Zechariah 9:9). Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem to the cheering of the crowds is one of those events that is documented in all four gospels.

The crowds greet Him with cheers and shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David.” They cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road before Him. As we read of Jesus’ instructions to the apostles to find the colt He clearly is making the connection to the prophecies concerning the Messiah. In the gospel of Luke the pharisees call on Jesus to rebuke the people to which He replies, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!” (Luke 19:40)

As we process inside and begin the Mass we get a foretaste of what is to come. The first reading comes from one of the Suffering Servant prophecies from Isaiah. Like Jesus, the Servant willingly submits to the injustices showered upon Him. Referring to St. Athanasius of Alexandria, The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (ICSB) notes: “When the Savior was struck, He endured it patiently; when He was reviled, He did not revile; when He suffered, He did not threaten. Instead, He gave His back to those who beat Him, His cheeks to their blows, and His face He did not turn from their spitting. Finally, He accepted death, giving us an image of virtue and an example for conducting ourselves.”

All of this abuse was in obedience to the Father. The phrase, “setting my face like flint,” reflects the determination of the Servant to do God’s will.

The 22nd psalm is a recollection of Jesus’ words from the Cross. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” It is a psalm both of lamentation and deliverance. Like Jesus, the psalmist is surrounded by enemies who wish him ill. Nevertheless, he retains his hope in the Lord. Again from the ICSB, “The psalm shows that suffering can draw us closer to God.” In the end, the psalm shifts from petition to praise, confident that God hears our pleas and will help us. In verses not read today, the psalmist refers to the future when “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD ...”

St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians recalls Jesus’ emptying of Himself and obediently accepting the humility and suffering thrust upon Him. Even though He was in the form of God, He humbled Himself by becoming human and then submitting, “even to the point of death, death on a Cross.” Crucifixion was an extreme punishment, so abominable as to be forbidden to Roman citizens (much like our provision against cruel and unusual punishment). Later Paul would exercise his Roman citizenship to avoid crucifixion resulting in his martyrdom being achieved by beheading. However, in Jesus’ case His obedience results not in total humiliation but exaltation “to the glory of God the Father.”

The focal point of today’s readings is the Passion of Jesus itself. Matthew takes us from Judas’ decision to betray Jesus, through the Last Supper including the institution of the Eucharist and the prediction of the apostles’ desertion of Him, including Peter’s denial. Most parishes will “act” out the Passion, with the priest speaking the part of Jesus and others, including the congregation, speaking the various voices. It is significant that the congregation speaks the voice of the crowd as it is the sins of all of us, the crowd, that brought Jesus to this giving of Himself.

Early on we see the connection of Jesus’ Passion to the prophecies in Scripture. Jesus says, “The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,” later reflected in Luke’s gospel about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:27). We see several references to “the Cup.” After the meal Jesus “took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.” Later, in the garden of Gethsemane, He asks the Father to “let this cup pass from me;” but in total obedience adds, “yet, not as I will, but as you will." In John’s account Jesus again expresses His obedience as well as explaining the purpose of His passion, “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?” (John 18:11) Fulton Sheen explains, “Everyone else came into the world to live; He came into the world to die.” (Life of Christ)

The ICSB explains that the Seder (Passover meal) involves four cups of wine. “Here Jesus takes the first or second cup; either he was sanctifying the feast (cup one) or He and the disciples had just finished singing Ps 113-114 (cup two). The Eucharistic cup that Jesus consecrates ... was probably cup three, the ‘cup of blessing,’ which was drunk after the main meal.” Cup four is the final cup, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)

  The night continues with Jesus being brought before the Sanhedrin. Jesus was silent as many false witnesses were presented. At one point the high priest asks Him point-blank if He is the Son of God. Jesus says, “You have said so,” and recalling the divine imagery from the book of Daniel says, “From now on you will see 'the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power' and 'coming on the clouds of heaven.'" The high priest tears his robes and declares "He has blasphemed!” This was a religious trial.

Matthew continues to describe the events of the evening, including Peter’s third denial as the cock crows. Binding Jesus they lead Him away and hand Him over to Pilate. Thus begins the political trial. The Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus on religious grounds but to get Rome’s involvement, they had to use the charge that He was a threat to Caesar as a king.

Pilate asks Him if He is the King of the Jews, to which Jesus replies, “You say so.” The chief priests and the elders accused Jesus of many things, but He remained silent. Pilate recognizes that Jesus’ issue is religious and tries to release Jesus, but the crowd had been stirred up by their leaders and cried out, “Let him be crucified!" At this point Pilate, fearing a riot, acquiesced and washed his hands “saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood.” He then turned Jesus over to be scourged and crucified.

Matthew details the mockery Jesus underwent at the hands of the soldiers; the crowning with thorns and physical abuse after which they “led him off to crucify him.” Simon, a Cyrenian, is pressed into service to help carry the cross. At the Place of the Skull, Golgotha, the scene reflects the 22nd psalm read earlier, with the soldiers casting lots for His garments. “And they placed over his head the written charge against him: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” “INRI” represents the Latin initials for His “crime.” (“Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum” )

The earth reacts as Jesus dies: darkness comes over the land, there is an earthquake, rocks were split, and the veil of the temple is split from top to bottom. The splitting of the veil indicated that “the barrier between the face of God and His people was removed, and the termination of the Old Covenant was prophetically announced.” (ICSB)

Then Jesus is taken from the Cross and laid in the tomb.

So what are we to make of all of this. Jesus had told us the conditions for following Him: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34) Sheen explains, “Only those who were willing to be crucified with Him could be saved by the merits of His death and only those who bore a Cross could ever really understand Him.” (Life of Christ) His death (and Resurrection) gave meaning to the suffering (our crosses) we endure in our lives. These trials are a test of the genuineness of our faith. (1 Peter 1:6-7) The true triumph of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is His victory over death and sin by His Passion and then the Resurrection on Easter.