(Adobe Stock Photo)
By Kene Ugwu
The gospel for Palm Sunday sheds light on the unquantifiable love that God has for humanity. Christ, the Son of God, allowed himself to be betrayed by a mere mortal, he accepted persecution, he accepted the sadness of the cross, he submitted himself wholly to torture and to be judged by humans, and ended up with death upon the cross, accepting crucifixion for us, for our freedom. What manner of Love is this that God sent his only begotten Son to die that we may have life everlasting?
This period marks the final moments in the life of Christ, the end of an era, the fulfilment of God’s promise to his people. All that played out in this passage of the scripture could not have been if God had not predestined it to be so. Beginning with Judas, one of the 12 and someone considered a firsthand recipient of his master’s teachings, yet he did not take to heart the relationship he shared with his master; he was the conspirator who sold him off for 30 pieces of silver. For Judas, it was transactional; it was about what’s in it for him.
Yet God allowed it to happen because the only way to reconcile man to himself is by these expressions. Jesus already knew a price had been placed upon his head. Imagine what it means to foresee your death and still eat from the same plate with the person who is to betray you. He offered himself freely on the table of the Passover meal. Further into the gospel reading, we see how Jesus was arrested and whisked away like a common criminal. They brought him before the Sanhedrin, the chief priests, and even though they did not find anything against him, he was still condemned to death.
This is God himself who was condemned in full innocence to a torturous death on the cross. All these are expressions of his love; he had the power to avert humiliation and torture, yet he still allowed himself to be subjected to it. He accepted his crucifixion because only by doing so could he deepen our understanding of his unwavering love for us. He chose submission to the will of God so that by his flesh and blood he may establish an everlasting covenant with God’s people, and by his death and resurrection he will purchase us freedom as a demonstration of his love towards us.
As Christ has demonstrated for us today, may we reciprocate this gesture by allowing love and sacrifice to lead in our dealings with our fellow humans. Many times, we are tempted to approach life and relationships as transactionally as Judas did, but we have been made to understand that there is more in sacrificing for the good of others, rather than attaching selfishness to it, because by living a life of sacrifice, we will be fulfilling God’s purpose for us.
Christ was sorrowful and saddened in Gethsemane over his coming death and crucifixion, and wished that it pass over him, but in all that, he never wanted his wish to be done against the will of God. Why? Because he knew that as much as he wished and had the power to avert his persecution and death, the bigger picture is that by his dying, humanity will be united with God. So, he submitted to the will of God rather than his own. This is what sacrifice means: giving it all, living for others, and not forcing your will at all costs. Jesus had the power to cause a legion of angels to fight for him when the soldiers came to arrest him; he had the power to bring down thunder and fire on the people persecuting him. Instead, he chose you and me as his priority; he chose the same Jews, the Sanhedrin and the chief priests who were persecuting him. In other words, he rejected exercising his ability to free himself so that you and I would enjoy freedom both in life and on the resurrection morning.
In this last week of Lent, may the passion of our lord Jesus Christ remind us that he accepted all the agony on our behalf, and therefore we now have a renewed hope. May we model our ways to walk every inch with Christ in this renewed hope. May God help us to open our hearts to his gentle voice, grant us the grace to watch and pray when the storm rages, and ultimately, may he prepare our hearts to accept crucifixions when they come our way against our will, so that in accepting we will live a life that loves and sacrifices as Christ, and in so doing become worthy to join him on the resurrection morning.
This year’s Renew Lent reflections are offered by participants in the Archdiocese of Regina’s Lay Formation Program, a journey of faith, prayer, and leadership development for parish ministry. Our next intake begins in Fall 2027. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to contact Deacon Eric Gurash at [email protected] or 306-721-6724.
