On the other hand, we later proceed in a sorrowful recounting of the crucifixion as a criminal of the same Jesus we hail as a king. “Crucify him! Crucify him!” This echoes disturbingly as the passion narrative goes on. And we listen to the account of Jesus giving up his last breath. The mood is, needless to say, sorrowful.
This seeming contradiction, I submit, is an excellent backdrop against which we can appreciate both Jesus’ resolve in turning down the people’s false expectations of him as a messiah and his unwavering trust in and submission only to the will of his Father.
We recall that the Lenten season begun with the readings on the temptations of Jesus in the desert (First Sunday of Lent). It is helpful to notice that truly the tempter haunted Jesus until his last moments. Towards the end of the passion narrative just before Jesus gave up his last breath, he would face his final temptation. Notice how similar is the test with that of the desert event: “Let him save himself, if he is the Messiah of God, the chosen one.” And “If you are the king of Jews, save yourself.” Finally, “aren’t you the Messiah? Then save yourself and us.”
The people, the soldier, and the criminal hanging on the cross challenge him to display his power. The challenge to save himself means to prove to the world that He is the one they have expected to come. The people’s joy on his entry to Jerusalem is laden with such expectations of a powerful messiah who will put an end to their oppression. If Jesus sees himself according to this expectation, then dying on the cross is out of the question; for dying means suffering the utter humiliation of defeat and meaninglessness. Indeed this is Jesus’ greatest temptation: To listen to the people’s challenge to save and prove himself; but in doing so, he will have to turn his back to the Father. His final temptation is to escape his death as it seems to lead to meaninglessness and to put things into his own hands.
But again Jesus’ total submission to the will of the Father prevails. Just before he expires, Jesus prays to the Father with so much trust in his love and fidelity: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
Here Jesus has shown us that, even in the face of seeming meaninglessness and utter defeat, he has faith in the wisdom of the Father. In the depth of his passion and the unfathomable mystery of his own death, he believes in the love of his Father. He trusts that in the loving hands of his Father everything will turn out fine.
We know, of course from the vantage point of Easter, that Jesus is vindicated. But to go through the experience of suffering and uncertainty of Lent is essential for the development of our capacity to trust in God’s love and fidelity. We are always tempted to put matters into our own hands. We desire so much to end the suffering around us as to be tempted to do it in our own terms and solutions. Oftentimes we tend to put our trust in our own plans and schemes oblivious of what God truly wills.
Let us unite our sufferings with Christ’s own passion, then we can also share in his resurrection. Armed with unwavering faith, we can face life’s challenges, confident that God's grace will guide us through the darkest valleys and towards the light of Easter joy. May we always hold in our hearts the same trust that Jesus exhibited, knowing that in God’s loving hands, we will find our true path, leading us to the fullness of life.
Father, I am superficial. I don’t see beyond what meets the eye. I don’t always understand your ways. Grant me then the grace to trust in you always and submit things into your loving hands. Amen.
