Skip to main content

Remember Me Jesus






Remember Me Jesus
Lk 22: 14 – 23: 56
Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Introduction
At today’s Passion Sunday reading, we hear of Jesus’ crucifixion according to the gospel of Luke. For most of Luke’s account, the crucified Jesus is jeered and mocked by everyone except for one of the criminals who was crucified with him who recognized him as king and savior. 

The Gospel
Today’s reading is taken from Luke who presents to us his version of the crucifixion narrative. Here, we find Jesus crucified with criminals, one on his right, the other on his left. In Luke’s narrative, we see a Jesus, who despite being jeered and mocked at, prays for the crowd’s forgiveness because “they did not know what they were doing.”
Luke also presents the extent of the mockery on Jesus. First they divided his garments by casting lots. Second, the rulers who were there, sneered at him and said: “ He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God.” Then there were soldiers too, who together with everyone else jeered at him as they approached the crucified Jesus to offer him wine. They too called out loud to Jesus saying: “ If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself. Lastly, they placed an inscription above Jesus that reads: “ This is the King of the Jews”  - an epithet that served to point at Jesus’ kingly delusions.
What separates Luke’s narrative, however, from the other gospels is his story about the two criminals who were crucified alongside Jesus. One of the criminals reviled Jesus saying, “ Are you not the Christ! Save yourself and us.” The other criminal, however, rebuked him and said in reply: “ Have you no fear of God, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “ Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied to him: “ Amen, I say to you, today, you will be with me in Paradise.”

Reflection
Luke has portrayed to us a forgiving Jesus in the midst of hostilities. The crowd that was present during the crucifixion did not mince words when it came to insulting and mocking Jesus. The first of these insults was when they took off Jesus’ clothes.
In the time of Jesus, persons whose liberty had been taken away lost their right to wear clothing. People like prisoners, slaves, prostitutes and demented people were stripped of their clothes because they have lost the right to clothe themselves (see Deut 28:48, Isa 20:24). Moreover, there is also no evidence to suggest that the Romans allowed people to wear any underwear (or loincloth as it was then called ) while being crucified. This would suggest that Jesus was completely naked while hanging on the cross.
Then, Luke somehow describes the mockery on a downward progression beginning with the rulers, then the soldiers and finally the criminal who was hanged alongside Jesus. Their mockery zeroed in on some common points like calling Jesus the Christ of God and the King of the Jews. Added to the mockery was the temptation presented to Jesus to save himself since he himself saved other people.
It is, however, interesting to note that the mockery that people hurled against Jesus were all true - that he was indeed the Christ of God and the King of the Jews. Ironically, Luke places on the lips of Jesus’ mockers this ancient  Christian confession of faith about Jesus. 
But amidst all these hostilities was a different voice that stood out against the rest; a voice that claimed Jesus’ innocence (“this man has done nothing criminal”) and a voice that recognized his kingship as he begged Jesus to remember him in his kingdom (“remember me when you come into your kingdom”).   This voice coming from one of the criminals who hanged alongside Jesus was the lone voice of faith that believed in Jesus and his saving power. Among all the voices that were heard there, his voice alone called Jesus by name, saying “Jesus, remember me… “ In addressing Jesus by name, this lone voice revealed Luke’s theology of the name of Jesus: that “there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved” ( Acts 4: 12).
While Luke’s narrative of the crucifixion seems dark, grim and cruel, it nonetheless painted some light in the heart of this dark and cruel event. The jeering, the mocking and the humiliation Jesus suffers at the hands of his oppressors seemed to amplify all the more that he was indeed the Christ and that he was indeed the King of the Jews. The temptation presented to Jesus to save himself is answered by his offer of salvation to one who has sought salvation. But most of all, the real light in the heart of darkness was Jesus himself, who continued to forgive and offer salvation even in the midst of cruelty and hostility – a king who generously dispensed mercy and salvation despite his rejection and humiliation.

Prayer
Dear Jesus, you were a merciful, forgiving and kind savior even in the tragedy of the cross. You asked forgiveness for those who mocked and shamed you. You offered the hope of salvation to one who believed in you. You were the light in the heart of darkness, the only hope of those who seek new life. Remember me Jesus when you come into your kingdom where you live forever and ever. Amen.

“ There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” – Acts 4: 12







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ash Wednesday

#DAYLIGHT – Daily #MenOfLight #GospelReflection February 26, 2020 Ash Wednesday Gospel: Mt 6: 1 – 6, 16 – 18 Sharer: Bro. Mike Lapid +++++++++++++++++++++++ Gospel “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2  “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3  But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4  so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5  “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6  But whenev...
Post a Comment
Read more

Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower 15 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Mt 13: 1 – 9 Introduction Today’s reading presents to us the parable of the sower. This parable compares God to a sower sowing the seed of his word. The Gospel That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2  Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3  And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4  And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5  Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6  But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7  Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8  Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth...
2 comments
Read more

The Road to Jerusalem

The Road to Jerusalem Luke 9:51-62 13 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Introduction Today’s Gospel speaks about Jesus’ resolute will to head to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was to be the place where he would suffer and die. His determination to head to the city of David speaks of the urgency of this task and his single mindedness to fulfill his mission. The Gospel Today’s Gospel was written by Luke the evangelist. Luke tells us that when the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. But before that, Jesus and his disciples had to pass by a Samaritan village. Jesus sends ahead of him some messengers who entered a Samaritan village to prepare a lodging for him. But the people in that village refused to receive him as they came to know that he was headed towards Jerusalem. Samaritans and Jews in those days were at odds with one another. Samaritans were generally unfriendly to Jews heading to Jerusalem as they passed ...
Post a Comment
Read more