Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion C

Image: Detail of the Tomb Effigy 
of Elizabeth Boott Duveneck Frank Duveneck
(1848–1919) Date: 1891, cast 1927. 
Photo by Rick Morley.

March 20, 2016

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After his resurrection, Jesus was thronged by hundreds of people in heaven.

Most were there to welcome him; some were there to thank him for the help he had given them while on earth.

A few were there in wonderCin wonder at how he had endured so much during his passion.

When the excitement died down, these latter few cornered Jesus to ask him how he had managed to accept so much pain and suffering.

They discussed what had made him do it.

Was it the thought of getting it over and getting to heaven?

No

Was it the memory of all these grateful faces of people he had helped during his lifetime?

No

Was it a matter of duty to accomplish what God had sent him to do?

No

Was it to inspire all of Jesus' followers to hang in there when the going got rough?

No

So the twenty-question interrogation continued until one of the group finally asked Jesus directly what had kept him going.

Jesus' answer was simple.

He was about ready to give it all up when Judas turned him over to the soldiers for thirty pieces of silver.

This betrayal was shattering.

Just when Jesus thought it could get no worse, Peter turned on him by denying him three times.

This was worse than the sting of any whip-lash.

Jesus felt that his whole life had been wasted on men he had trusted,

but who ran in the face of adversity.

Just when he was about to give up, Jesus noticed something that gave him all the support he needed to make his ordeal worth it.

At a short distance away, he caught sight of a small group of women who were standing watch with him.

They feared no one, didn't care whether anyone saw them.

What scared the men away brought these women closer.

They knew what it meant to suffer for others and they were not going to abandon the one who was suffering for them.

And for Jesus, this made all the difference.