Today we begin the holiest of all the weeks of the year. It is a week – we remember - in which the greatest drama in the history of the world reached a fever pitch. It is a week when the most significant change that could ever take place on behalf of humanity took place – because the God-Man Jesus Christ willingly died a human death for us: a most brutal death, a most gut-wrenching death, a most magnificent death!
But that is later in the week! Today we celebrate how Jesus himself begins the orchestration of his final week. Jesus was in control not only of this week! He was in control of his whole life; but especially this last week: not one thing would happen that would not fulfill a prophecy; not one thing would happen that was not his Father's explicit will; not one thing would happen that was not intended to contribute to our salvation: yours and mine – and all who have ever come before us, are with us now, or will come after us!
Earlier this Lent we said that Jesus lived his entire life in the shadow of the Cross of Good Friday! He was God's Suffering Servant. He knew it and he wanted to be such! This being so he never perceived it as something to be feared or dreaded: Jesus ran towards that Hour and that Day and that Cross with everything that he had: BECAUSE HE LOVED US – because his Father loved us – and they wanted to SAVE US FROM OUR SINS and GIVE US ETERNAL LIFE WITH THEM! That is all there is to it! So very simple! Yet so very difficult for many to comprehend and believe.
Why would God do such a thing? BECAUSE HE LOVED US! We all were doomed to a dark and horrible experience of oblivion at our death because of the sin of our first parents! There was NO WAY TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE by ourselves. A GOD-MAN was the only solution! And so God himself provided it! He sent his Son – whose obedience turned everything around – whose obedience was an act of extreme humility – whose obedience included being murdered on a Cross. And yet the Son did not shy away from this because he knew that this was the only way to do it! The sin of Adam was ABSOLUTE AND TOTAL DISOBEDIENCE – the remedy had to be ABSOLUTELY FREE AND WILILNG AND LOVING OBEDIENCE! Jesus was the man to do it!
And so, we hear in the second reading that Jesus did not cling to being God: he emptied himself and took upon himself our entire human nature (except sin) so that he could transform it by his death and resurrection! Quite an amazing plan! And it worked!
In the first reading from Isaiah we hear that the one with the well trained tongue, who would suffer greatly, would not shield himself against attack because he knew that God the Father would make him victorious in the end – he would not be disgraced at all but highly favored, honored and rewarded.
And so on this Palm Sunday – as we read in the pre-Mass Gospel passage - we recall how Jesus planned for his own Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem for this great and final week to which he was looking forward so much his entire life. What better way to enter Jerusalem than by means of a small parade – a great disguise for a show of spectacular spiritual force – rather than political or military force: the King of the Jews entered riding on a lowly donkey – because he was powerful enough to lower himself joyfully to become one of his creatures, so he could rescue them! The waving of the palm branches, the chanting of Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the Lord's name – was entirely fitting!
The Jewish religious leaders no doubt were very curious as to what Jesus was "up to now." "King of the Jews" indeed! But time would tell! In just a few days – all hell would break loose, Satan would be defeated – and the King of the Jews, Jesus the Christ would reign triumphant!
We hail you Jesus as our King! Hosanna to you! Blessed are you who come in your Father's name – and in your own! We love you! We will walk through this week with you! Help us keep our resolve!
Amen.
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