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[ Good Friday 2024 ] There are multiple consecutive “trials” that Jesus must endure in the Gospel.
The 1st trial has been going on
for more than 3 years in his ministry. In this trial or test, Jesus is often
testifying to those who do not fully understand what He is really teaching or
doing. During this 3 year trial, Jesus raises the dead, heals the sick, forgives sins and
preaches God’s word. In some cases, even
those on his side do not quite get what is going on.
During this 1st trial - recall
that Jesus made – in the Gospel of Mark – 3 explicit
predictions or prophecies of “Good Friday” his Passion and Death, 3 statements
that were a call to humility for himself and his disciples. After 1 of these
predictions, James + John came around with their famous request asking for
“choice or 1st class” seats at Jesus’ right and left. So much for
humility.
So, the 1st trial has been
going on for a while. There is evidence
that Jesus is the Son of God but his witnesses are not reliable. Even when Jesus does something as “popular”
as multiplication of the loaves, Jesus’ approval is mixed. Some are ready to
leave him when they realize the connection between the bread they just ate and
his body and blood. So much for loyalty.
The 2nd trial starts in the
Gospel today. That is, Jesus has been “charged” accused of religious blasphemy
and claiming to be the expected Messiah.
Wesley
Smith, a Christian author, summarized it this way: “. A conviction of blasphemy
under Jewish law required the testimony of at least 2 witnesses” but those who
testified against Jesus couldn’t even get their stories straight.” (https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2013/08/a-contemporary-review-of-the-trial-of-jesus)
The case against Jesus in this 2nd
trial is, so to say, “falling apart”. No
reasonable prosecutor will take this to trial and this is where the Gospel
picks up and opens in the Gospel of John chapter 19 with Pontius Pilate – the
governor - stating what the prosecutors did not want to hear:
“Look,
I am bringing [Jesus of Nazareth] out to you, so that you may know that I find
no guilt in him.” (John 19:__)
On a physical level, Jesus has proven to
be “breakable” in that he has already been scourged, forced to wear the crown
of thorns. But nevertheless, Jesus is still
around and he’s not yet been convicted of anything.
His enemies need a new way to put a stop
to him.
So, like a basketball or soccer player
trying to change directions to make a score, they pivot. This Passion Narrative
today is the 3rd trial in which Jesus hauled not only before Pilate
but before King Herod and his accusers now redefine the charges as not being
about “religion” but rather about “rebellion”.
In other words, Jesus should be regarded
as a dangerous revolutionary who has claimed to be a King and thus he is a
threat to anyone under the rule of the Roman Empire.
Pilate – who does not see Jesus as a threat says to the crowd – perhaps with
sarcasm or tongue in cheek: “Behold, your
king!” (John 19:___)
The emphasis is from Pontius Pilate is to the crowd and to you – is that
Jesus is YOUR KING, your authority.
Do you – do I – recognize this that Jesus is our King, our ruler?
In the end, Pilate in his weakness, washing his hands of the matter and
does hand Jesus over to be crucified. And, Jesus is put to death as a
revolutionary. So much for royal privileges!
In this trial, we see that Jesus is not
simply a wrongly accused man with whom we can identify as an innocent victim.
Rather, he is the Son of God and he gives new meaning to our own sufferings and
trials.
There is a key moment in Jesus’ trial and
sufferings when he is on the “witness stand” of the cross and he cries out “My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Pope Benedict XVI wrote that we might
associate these words not only with our own trials but that of many in our
world who are abandoned, suffering and marginalized by enemies or who live in
poverty.
“My
God my God why have you forsaken me” is not problematic because so many are
saying it, but because for many, the cry seems to be go unheard.
B16 wrote that this cry echoes in
our ears because we might say, “Where are you God that you could create such a
world, that you can look on while your most innocent creatures often suffer the
most terribly, as sheep are led to the slaughter and cannot open their mouths.”
(Benedict XVI, “Good Friday Section I”, Dogma and Preaching, p. 288)
Children suffer who cannot open their
mouths, unborn children, mothers and fathers also suffer who cannot open their
mouths for help to their children.
Jesus is our model under trial.
Jesus is the lamb led to the slaughter who
opens not his mouth, seeming powerless, seemingly chained and “behind bars”
But, it is precisely when Jesus is “behind
bars” and chained that he shows even when gives up his life, he is not being
pushed around: “I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes
it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power
to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
When you and I give up ourselves
generously, do we sometimes feel “pushed around” or “put down”? We are also
being tested.
A powerful example of this is the 20th
century World War II era martyr in Auschwitz, Maximilian Kolbe to whom the
opportunity came to give up his life for another. In the Auschwitz camp, a man
was to be put to death and was a husband and father. Maximilian Kolbe, a
priest, volunteered to take his place. The Nazi guards, caring only about their
quota, their number, took Father Maximilian Kolbe who laid down is life freely.
You and I might not be asked for public
martyrdom and certain death but we can demonstrate and strive for freedom not
just by getting “time off” or “holiday”, but accepting suffering willingly.
2 of the spiritual works of mercy are: “To
bear patiently those who wrong us. AND
To forgive offenses.”
We can say today – Thank God it’s Good
Friday because we have a model in Jesus of how to do this.
In our sufferings, large and small,
we
can choose to lay down ouir lives and unite ourselves to Jesus who died on the
cross and put our sins to death.
And, in the confessional, going to
confession, to a priest, he gives us the opportunity for forgiveness 70 times 7
over and over again.
We are also on trial
Our trials are a parallel to ROUTINE
EVERYDAY TRIAL OF JESUS, the RELIGIOUS TRIAL OF JESUS and the REVOLUTIONARY
TRIAL OF JESUS.
ROUTINE.
EVERYDAY.
For you and I might find ourselves on
trial – on a daily basis – trying to remain faithful in many ordinary things,
for years, on a routine basis. Jesus is our model in this regard as we also try
to unite ourselves – as He did – to our Father in heaven. In ordinary things, from making lunch or
dinner for our families, to driving our children to where they need to be, in
forgiving one another’s faults we are on trial each day. It is a trial based on
humility and loyalty.
RELIGIOUS. You and I might find ourselves on trial
“religiously”. Jesus was put on trial for blasphemy, for religion.
The Good Friday Gospel reminds us not to
be afraid of being authentically religious and faithful. It is a MULTIPLE
CHOICE test… with multiple choices being to be virtuous in terms of our speech,
in terms what we say, in forgiving other’s faults in coming to church
regularly. These are multiple choices and opportunities to witness to those who
do few or none of the above
REVOLUTIONARY You and I might at times be on trial for being
too “revolutionary”. These days, the Gospel virtues of marriage, family, the
sanctity of life, or even just the
choice to have a regular traditional Funeral Mass for a loved one with time for
prayer and visitation and Mass. These regular ritual is often accelerated and
it may seem revolutionary or reactionary to do things more slowly.
Jesus’ suffering as the Son of God gives new meaning to our
suffering.
As
St. Paul writes in Romans: “all things work together for those who love God ”.
Suffering in this regard can be something good.
Thomas Merton writes: To believe in suffering is pride: but to suffer,
believing in God, is humility.
As we are on trial, we are also witnesses called
to believe and speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So help me God.
God, come to our assistance in
pursuit of this goal. END
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