The Greatest Act of Love

A Reflection on the Gospel for April 10th, 2022:
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

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Luke
22.66 – 23.49 (shorter)
(For the longer version, see the printed edition of Living with Christ.)

When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought Jesus to their council. They said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” Jesus replied, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” All of them asked, “Are you, then, the Son of God?” Jesus said to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!”

Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate. They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Christ, a king.”

Then Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He answered, “You say so.” Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for an accusation against this man.” But they were insistent and said, “He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.” When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.

When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see Jesus perform some sign. Herod questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer.

The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.

Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. I will therefore have him flogged and release him.”

Now Pilate was obliged to release someone for them at the festival. Then they all shouted out together, “Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us.” (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.”

But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

As they led Jesus away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the Cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.

A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with Jesus. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing.

And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”

The soldiers also mocked Jesus, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

Having said this, he breathed his last.

When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.” And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts.

But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
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Years ago, when I was working as a chaplain at a hospital in another province, I worked with chaplains from a variety of denominations. On the first day back to work after the Easter weekend, a chaplain friend announced she changed denominations over the weekend. She said she could not understand why we would focus on the horrors of Christ’s crucifixion. “We should focus on His acts of love,” she said to me. I was dumbfounded. First, because of the speed at which she switched her religious affiliation – like she was changing socks! And second, that she did not feel that Christ’s death, His sacrifice for all, was the greatest act of love. Ever. How could she not see that? 

I was so perplexed, that I didn’t delve deeper into conversation with her. But I recall this incident each year in the last days of Lent as we approach Easter. I love the sense of order within our Catholic faith. We know what will happen at Mass. We know what happens at certain times of the year. We know the stories of Jesus. The familiarity is a comfort, however at the same time, it can make me complacent or lazy in my faith. I can simply go through the motions of whatever Church season I find myself in, and like my chaplain friend, miss the point entirely. 

The gospel passage at this time of year is long and it would be easy to let it just float over me. But this is the point: to hear the full story of Christ’s last days; to recall the greatest love that could ever be given to me and for me. Love isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. It can be, but love is also pain and hurt – and sacrifice. It is in those latter moments that we don’t necessarily see Love. But that doesn’t mean Love isn’t there. In the Gospel, we hear about a Jesus who allows others to make up their own minds. He lets others do as they choose to do. He allows others – even people He has lived with and loved – to hurt Him. He allows others the freedom to make their choices so that He too can make a choice: the choice to love them despite their actions. There is no greater love.

This Lent, I chose to be intentional about who Christ is for me; to watch for where He entered into my daily life. Some days were more successful than others. As I approach the most holy days of the Christian Catholic calendar, I want to have that sense of intentionality. In the coming days, I pray I can open my whole self to this familiar Gospel and allow it to stir up something unfamiliar. To let God’s words and the actions of His Son impact me in new ways so I don’t simply skim the surface of the readings. I pray the same for you. May we all fully experience the greatest act of love. Ever.




​Aurea Sadi
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