Homily, Palm Sunday 2023
From The Pastor
People will often ask, why did Jesus have to die? People also ask, did the Father send the Son to die on a Cross? As a point of reflection, Jesus did not have to die; he chose to die. Did the Father send Jesus to die on a Cross. No, the Father did not send the Son to die on a Cross. The Father sent Jesus as the Incarnate Son in the image and example of Divine love to save the world from the ravages of evil, sin, and death. Jesus was not forced onto the Cross. The Cross was the consequence of evil and the weight of sin on all humanity. It was not a preconceived script of how the life of Jesus was to end. Sin has its death and for Jesus the Cross became the instrument of torture as well as the revelation of his glory.
How Jesus died is quite different than why he died. Hanging on a cross was the customary form of death for those charged with the offenses cast upon Jesus. The Cross was chosen because it was the most humiliating, shameful, and socially controlling way to ruin anyone who fell under its judgment. This was an intentional form of death to lessen the chance of social rebellion and attacks against the ruling parties of Rome and the Temple.
The sin of human pride, envy and jealousy certainly played a role in Jesus’ death. Actions that insighted the authorities included his breaking the Sabbath, the cleansing of the Temple, and the power to raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus was gaining social power as more people came to believe in him. Those in control of social and religious power could not take the risk to let Jesus change the minds and hearts of the people. Sinful and oppressive systems of power will use any means to retain control over people under their oppression.
Why Jesus died on the Cross reveals the meaning and intention of a Divine purpose. Sin and evil depend on lies, deception, and control over others to secure the illusion of power and authority. This is known as the Kingdom of the world, or the Kingdom of Satan. The Kingdom of God is one of justice, love, and peace characterized by surrender, humility, and dying to self for the sake of others. This is the way of God in the Divine nature revealed in the person and the life of Jesus.
Jesus died willingly, without resentment, or bitterness out of love for the world, for humanity, and for each living thing in perfect self-giving. Why? The only answer is because of the essence and truth of Divine love. God as the essence of love and unity, would not allow his creation to be separated from the union of Divine love. Jesus, fully realized in his human nature with full awareness of his Divine nature, offers himself for the salvation of the world. This is a mystery realized in the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus. The humanity of Jesus invites us to realize all that is possible in our own lives; that we share the origin, nature, and identity of Jesus through our faith in God expressed in our love for one another.
Dying to self out of love for others can sound stark, overly spiritual, and only for the elite of holiness. It is not. The fabric of love is already sown into each of us. Yes, we are imperfect, selfish at times, distracted by sin, and often enough just lazy. However, consider the greater truth. Without conscious awareness, we are giving ourselves to the needs of those around us. Caregiving is self-giving love. Attending to an aging parent, a troubled child, or a person with a disability is dying to self for the good of another. Cleaning up somebody else’s mess, paying someone else’s bill, or righting a wrong just because it is the right thing to do is an act of self-surrender for the sake of others.
The radical, total, and complete self-giving of Jesus is beyond our knowing. Or is it? Jesus did it in the way only he as the Christ could do it. We can do it in the best ways we know how in the circumstance of our own life with intentional love. Opportunities to love constantly surround us. It may be someone at home, at work, in a school environment, or in public. No one needs permission to be kind, generous, compassionate, or attentive to the needs of others. No one needs to be timid, embarrassed, or fearful to serve the needs of others. To think this way only serves to protect the ego of a me-first, self-centered world.
The Cross reveals the beauty and the truth of love. It is not best lived through theological analysis. At the end of the day, the truth is obvious and simple. Love wins. Forgiveness heals, mercy matters, and living for others will bring happiness here and hereafter. To do these things as best we can with love honors and imitates the Cross. Do not let yourself be psyched out by the radical love of the Cross. God is simply telling us who he is, what he wants for us, and how to find it.
If you love Jesus, love others more. If you trust Jesus, let him love you and allow that love to bear fruit. If you know you are forgiven, be an agent of forgiveness for others. If you cannot find a kind, loving, or merciful person, you be one and inspire others to follow your example.
Father John Esper
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