The passion of Christ and the incidents that preceded it explain some moments in human life. When we see a glimpse of our anticipated desires and begin to rejoice, we forget that behind every genuine success, lies some unedited pains. Jesus was seeing riding on a donkey into Jerusalem with fanfares around his entry, and the people shouting Hosanna. The disciples believed the moment had arrived for Jesus to ascend David’s throne and restore the kingdom of Israel. Little did they know that their Lord has come to a decisive moment in his life as he embraces his suffering and death with a royal procession.
We often greet pain with sadness because we do not know what it will produce in the end. When we understand and know the rigours involve in our life purpose, we shall truly embrace them with gladness. The time will come, however, when the pains shall get into us, but the courage to move on will never be lacking. Jesus was filled with mixed feelings and emotional pains, but he was resolute. He saw the suffering before him; he saw the calamities that will soon befall Israel. He knew he is the answer, he therefore embraced the moment.
Swiftly, the crowd couldn’t understand the turn of event in his life, as he began to utter words they couldn’t understand. His actions made them felt he was off his head. If they had known his inner struggles, they would have chosen to die with him. The shift from Hosana to crucify, explains the dynamics of love and hate. We may think that people love us by their confessions and gestures. We will see the shock of our life, the day we do or are accused of doing something which they hate with more intensity than their love for us. When all attempt to pin him down with a just reason failed, the elders and the chief priests accused him of blasphemy and treason.
Moreover, Jesus’ mood shifted rapidly, from joy to sorrow, from bold proclamations to quiet reflections, from tearful words to everyday speech, from heartfelt pleas to the Father to stern warnings for the people. These sudden changes left the disciples confused, even doubting their past glorious experiences with Jesus. What if he wasn’t the Messiah? Events unfolded so quickly, they had no time to process or reflect-especially when their all-powerful Master was arrested, something they never thought could be possible.
However, Jesus knew the disciples would abandon him. He understood their limited grasp of events and how the drastic changes in him during his final days left them confused. In the same way, he knows everything we go through today and understands our struggles, even when we don’t fully understand his ways. He will never allow us to die in our denial and betrayals. He simply wants us to accept our faults and draw strength from his passion. He is the Lord.
Above all, the Passion of Christ reminds us that nothing truly good comes without a cost. To attain greatness, sacrifices must be made. We pray for the grace to endure the challenges that come our way, trusting in God’s plan for our lives. Amen.
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