Palm Sunday Year AHUMILIATIONS ARE THE STEPPING STONES TO SUCCESSIsaiah 50:4-7
Philippians 2:6-11
Mathew 26:14, 27:66
Good morning dear friends in Christ Jesus! How are you all?
Friends do you all know the different names of today’s celebration? We call it b>Palm Sunday, Passion Sunday, Hosanna Sunday etc. Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before the Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and it is mentioned in all canonical Gospels.
Palm Sunday include a procession of the faithful carrying palms, representing the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem. Today’s liturgy invites each one of us to reflect on the sufferings of Jesus. 2000 years back Jesus suffered but you and me suffer every day of our life situations.
The world human right commission reports that every year the death rate is increasing in our country. There are many causes for the death. One of them is that people, children, and youngsters are unable to accept humiliation, insults, shame in their lives. When they are challenged to face, they are frustrated and want to escape from it by committing suicide. Most of them feel useless, self-pity and good for nothing, failure becomes a block for their growth.
But when we turn the pages of the successful people we see failures, insults, shame, humiliations are the guiding light for growth, achievement and success of the great people. Once Mother Theresa approached a rich man and begged for his help to feed the poor. The rich man spit on her face. Mother Theresa responded with a smile and humbly said in a low voice ‘this is enough for me please can you give something for my people’.
When Mahatma Gandhi went to Africa, he was humiliated in the public. He endured very patiently and accepted them willingly without reacting. Thus, he remains as beacon of inspiration to most of the people. Therefore the insults, humiliations and shame turns as a stepping stones for success.
In a similar manner Jesus is hailed as a king, and his kingship is not like that of the world today. Jesus as a king humiliated and insulted but he never reacted to it rather he endured them patiently, accepted them willingly so his kingship remains so strongly down through the centuries. Today’s liturgy invites us to reflect on the humiliation of Jesus and how he endured them successfully. Today as we carry the palm leaves in our hands are we going to humiliate Jesus like people of Jews or do we learn anything for our life?
The Humiliation of Jesus.
01. JOURNEY OF A KING
When Jesus was born the three kings from east went to meet Jesus because they knew that Jesus too was a king. As sign of offering they offered Gold, myrrh, incense. Today the same king journeys not on the horses, or elephant, but on the Donkey.
Donkey is considered as low in all animal kingdoms. People use it for carrying the dirty clothes or things etc. Being a king journeying with donkey is a great shame.
02. HOSANNA TURNS TO CURSING
Being a King journeying in the donkey itself is great shame. Now the whole crowd sings loudly that b> “Hosanna to the Son of David!" “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” here the people honour him Hosanna but the same people also say when pilot said to the people b> “Behold your King” people in one voice cried out loudly b> “take him away, take him away”. Thus, people humiliated Jesus by saying b>crucify him; crucify him. normally the king gives judgement to the people here people judge their own King Jesus.
03. BETRAYAL BY A TRUE FRIEND
During the life journey of Jesus, he had many followers. Jesus prayed and selected 12 members among the great crowd and he named them as apostles. Jesus trained these apostles and thought them the values of the kingdom but all his teachings becomes vain in the life of Judas. Judas was attached to money rather than Jesus and his teachings. Just for thirty pieces of silver coin Judas betrays his own friend Jesus.
04. DENIAL OF A CLOSE FRIEND
b> ‘Show me your friends and I'll show you your future’ says Chaplain Ronnie Melancon. We are identified by our own friends. Good tree bears only good fruits at the same time bad tree bear bad fruits. Thus, if you have good company of friends your life will be good but if you have bad company of friends your life becomes evil. Here Jesus considered Peter as very good friend. Because when Jesus asked the disciples b> “who do you say that I am?” all the disciples were silent but Peter proclaimed to Jesus saying b> “you are the messiah”; because of the proclamation of Peter Jesus awards him with key of the kingdom of heaven but today when the people asked Peter b> “you also were with Jesus” but Peter boldly denied three times saying b> “I do not know what you mean, I do not know the man”. Thus denial of friend is a greatest insult to Jesus.
05. FAIL TO CONSOLE AT THE TIME OF SUFFERING
At the time of last supper Jesus clearly tells to the disciples that He will be arrested by the enemies and will undergo lot of sufferings, finally they will crucify him. Also he told the disciples that one of you will betray me. In particular to Peter b> “You will deny me three times before the cock crows”. After saying all these words Jesus takes them to the Mount of Olives to pray in order that he will be strengthened to take up his sufferings. But the disciples were sleeping and yielded to the temptation. Even though Jesus woke them up and asks them to stay with him for one hour yet the disciples were not ready to spend their time with Jesus. Though Jesus had 12 disciples yet he was left alone in the time of his sufferings.
06. THE ARREST OF JESUS
When Jesus walked in the streets of Galilee and Nazareth. People were crowed everywhere. People considered Jesus as a healer, Rabbi, friend of all, messiah etc. but today they arrest him as thief. Again Jesus is humiliated in the public.
07. SUICIDE OF HIS OWN FRIEND
What is the purpose of Jesus coming to this earth? The Bible says that Jesus came so that we may have life; life in abundance. Also Jesus too gave life to so many people. He raised the dead, cleansed the leper, forgave the sinners etc. thus Jesus gave them new life. Yet failed to save the life of his own friend Judas. If the words of Jesus penetrated the heart of Judas he might not have committed suicide. Judas was in company of Jesus but his aims, desires, goals are totally different. So, the death of his own friend brings shame to Jesus.
08. PUNISHMENT FOR RIGHTEOUS MAN REWARD FOR WICKED MAN
In the book of proverb 11: 21 we read that b> “be assured, an evil man will not unpunished, but those who are righteous will be delivered”. The life of Jesus was contrary to the world. Pilot knew that Jesus was innocent. Yet he was not able to free him. At the same time he asked the crowed b> “whom do you want to release for you Barabbas or Jesus?” People also aware that Barabbas is prisoner, murderer, etc. yet people demanded Barabbas to be released and they wanted Jesus to be crucified. Hence, Jesus is humiliated in front of the crowd.
09. HUMILIATED BY THE SOLDIERS
Though Pilot had power, position and authority he was not able to free Jesus from the wrong accusation of the Jews. He washed his hands as if he is innocent and ordered Jesus to be scourged and crucified. The soldiers humiliated Jesus in so many ways. They stripped his garments, placed a crown of thorns on his head, gave a reed in his right hand, and mocked him saying Hail, king of Jews! , also they spat upon him, took the reed and struck him on the head. Thus the Messiah was insulted, humiliated by the soldiers.
10. HONOURING WITH THE SYMBOL OF SHAME
From the olden times onwards the cross is identified as symbol of pain, suffering etc. the Romans punish the victims with crucifixion because they considered that b>cross is a symbol of Shame, insult, and humiliation. Jesus is honored with cross. Finally he was crucified in the cross. It the extreme expressions of humiliation between heaven and earth.
So, dear friends Jesus not only under gone humiliation and shame during his passion and death but from the moment of his birth Jesus endured humiliation and shame. Each one of us has beautiful houses but in the birth of Jesus, the Great King, and the Messiah was born in the manger. It was the first humiliation. Also, during his life on the earth he had no place to lay down his head.
Thus from birth to death Jesus was humiliated. But he never yielded to humiliation and shame rather he found ways to overcome. Instead of reacting to the situations he responded to it with positive attitude. He endured all kinds of humiliation with total faith and trust in God without doubting. For Jesus humiliation was not a big problem. It was a blessing and an opportunity to pour out the unconditional love of the Father to the humanity and complete the Mission of the Father which was entrusted to Him.
But when we look at our world today, people are finding difficult to face the daily realities. Students commit suicide and fail to accept the failures in the exam. They feel that failures are shameful, insulting and humiliating aspect in their lives. When the people are not able to accept humiliations then there won’t be any growth in life. They cannot achieve their goal and victories.
So dear friends, when you are humiliated, insulted do not worry but have courage and faith in yourself and in God. Thus you can overcome your humiliations. Do not afraid to face humiliations in your life; because humiliations are the stepping stones for your success. Jesus is the Model who won over everything and shows us the way for true happiness.
May Jesus who underwent all kind of humiliations give you courage and faith in your lives.
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