THROUGH JESUS, GOD DRAWS ALL THINGS BACK TO HIMSELF

 

The Chief priests and the Pharisees unite in a plot to kill Jesus, not because he broke the Sabbath law by healing the sick, but for blasphemy in claiming himself to be the Son of God and for raising Lazarus from the dead. They found a worth issue to accuse him of, using the tactic of scapegoating:  a hierarchical group of a society, in a conflict situation, decides to blame an individual allegedly responsible for the social, political and religious instability.

That these religious figures like Caiaphas preserve their socio-religious positions and influences, the group decides that “one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” This scapegoating strategy is followed even today by political and religious leaders.  But God stands for the Truth. He stands for the ‘scapegoated’ victims. God does not want divisions and violence, instead, He wants a society based on love, justice, peace, forgiveness, compassion and unity. Through Jesus, God wants to draw all People of all nations on earth, to Himself — as one body in the One Lord of all.

The Pharisees and the socio-political leaders were socially, psychologically and ideologically insecure. They felt unsafe, apprehending a people’s uprising against them and the Roman Occupants. There was a sense of future uncertainty about their continuity, control and dominance over the Jewish society. We know well that all conscience acknowledges the truth, the good and what is just. They knew what they ought to have done. Their socio-religious instability and insecurity pressed on them to put Jesus to death and be done with.  From the heaven, His home, Jesus who descended to the earth for the sake of humankind, was killed by his own kith and kin. He who  became a man for us all, –  lived, taught, served and healed – was betrayed, denied, scourged, crowned with thorns, mocked, spitted upon, whips blowed, weighed down by the heavy Cross, hands bound, stretched and nailed to a wood, crucified, side pierced with a sword, died and was buried.

A somber Good Friday recalls the crucifixion and death of Jesus on Calvary, inviting Christians to accompany Jesus in his suffering on the cross.  No Mass is celebrated on this day. Tabernacles are empty of the Eucharist all over the world. The faithful and all people of good will (People of God), are drawn to the cross, following in the footsteps of Jesus on to Calvary. But, why? Precisely because it perfects human nature through his Passion. As a fully human person, Jesus identified himself with sinful humanity and did not want to die. No human being wants to die just for the sake of it.  Rather, Jesus accepted it, as his Father’s will– to take upon himself the sins of the world. He chose obedience to death out of a filial love –  an obedience learnt through human nature.

 

Christ’s Passion on the cross, led him in the midst of human frailties that destroyed him; but made it clear that “by his stripes we were indeed healed.” Entering into “godforsakenness” his  sacrificial death brought “the divine light to the darkest place”, writes Bishop Barron. His willing obedience in sacrificing his self, Jesus “reestablished the right relationship between divinity and humanity.” All this happened for establishing the Kingdom of God, inhabited by a united people of good will. The Son Jesus who called God his Father accomplished so, in full agreement with the Father. As the image of the Father, he executes his Father’s project: bestowing new life to all. Humanity had pinned their hopes on Him.  In facts, he fulfils that hope, raising humanity up, by falling down and dying. The dormant life-principle inside the ‘seed’ grows by being mixed with the earth, water, heat, air and light, that together crack open the seed, to bring much fruit.  This dying self leads to regeneration – a new life. “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” because this grain of wheat dies to produce much fruit, by bringing all people where God is. And Jesus said, “it was for this purpose that I came to this hour”. The enemies “of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” (cf. Jn12:20-30). In the Gethsemane Garden Jesus prayed for the strength to fulfil this project of the Father. On the Cross with courage he conquered death, to give new life to humanity and to all beings on earth – bringing all things to completion.

God’s work was undoubtedly all finished at the beginning of the world. It was in perfect unison, but humanity failed Him  through disobedience. God fixed ‘another day’ for people to listen to him (obey) and reach Him.  The covenant of creation, once broken through idolatry and earthly preoccupations, was renewed and sealed within human hearts with a desire to seek intimacy with God, and be with Him forever. The New Covenant, therefore, was established through Jesus’ death on the Cross, extending to all peoples. Jesus draws everyone to Himself by service of love, indicating how all peoples in all times will be able to see him and encounter him. His death on the Cross will bring forth fruitfulness for all peoples. Through his Resurrection, the dead grain of wheat will become the bread of life for the entire world (cf. Benedict XVI, Wednesday Audience, June 14, 2006). God will lift him up and draw all peoples to himself through his Son and in the Spirit, and all nations will experience Jesus through this sacrificial love. From the Cross Jesus draws all to experience God’s love.

Jesus is more than a spiritual teacher. Bishop Barron says: “Something else is at stake in him and our relation to him.” As the Son of God, Jesus is divine. Jesus declares: “The Father is in me and I am in the Father.” So are we. According to Charles Williams, the basic foundation of Christianity is “coinherence,” – mutual indwelling of all plants, animals, planets, human beings, angels, and saints. According to Bishop Barron, the oneness of all sons, brothers, daughters, sisters, mothers, fathers, associates, Church members, is established through the Trinitarian relationship – God, the ultimate reality marked by the capacity for unity by a mutual act of love.  Therefore, we all are related and inter-linked. Jesus’ death and resurrection invites us to enter fully into their plural divine-coinherence, whose linking love is the Holy Spirit.

The inner blindness (Jn 9:39) often keeps human race from this union. The Jewish hierarchy presumed that “the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.” We know well that earthly nationhood and nationalism are on the rise today. But the desire for an “everlasting possession” (Genesis 17:6) has been there in human history – to be God’s and with God as His descendants. But the rulers and religious leaders have failed to keep this covenant. Kingdoms were divided, people forced into exile, Jerusalem fallen (Ez 33:21), temple pillaged, and kings deposed. Yet, God will gather the scattered children from among the nations and bring them back to the promised land. God will make them one nation. Jesus, the new David, through his ruling from the Cross, will bring peace on earth. God will dwell on earth. He will be our God and we will be his people. There will be one kingdom, one nation, one God, united by an everlasting love.

 

The new commandment of love, given by Jesus at the Last Supper, was executed on the Cross. The high priest Caiaphas fail to realize the truth; he thinks by eliminating Jesus, the problem of destabilizing the society caused by Jesus, will be solved, and consequently, it will preserve the status quo. But, we know, Jesus’ death will gather the dispersed children of God: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself” (Jn 12:32). Jesus’ death becomes the key to the Kingdom of God on earth.

 

According to Sarah Coleman, the Cross is a symbol of death and life, hate and love, violence and peace, accusation and forgiveness, sin and purity, brokenness and wholeness, as well as of gathering to all people to one community of brothers and sisters. Through it, affirms Bishop Barron, “everything is gained, destruction and restoration, death and victory. The cross, once the cruelest form of execution, is now a symbol of abundant life.”

 

Christ died for people out of a choice made in love. God manifested his love through human Jesus to reveal his divinity. Bishop Barron says that the cross was a brutal instrument, through which “the fallen powers of the world are subverted; sin, death and the devil are vanquished.” The crucifixion is “the portal to the resurrection” – to a new life, a new humanity, a new earth.

 

As St. Paul says, we are called to share “in his sufferings and become like him in his death.” We read, “Though he was of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness, and in his appearance found as a man, he humbled himself by being obedient to death on the cross.” (Phil 2: 6-8). Through this humble act of will, God fulfilled the plan of uniting the whole humanity in Christ. As we gaze at Christ hanging on the cross, let all pain and anguish, struggles and achievements be seen with God’s lens, that goes way beyond the perspectives of this earthly life.

God is ever alive and active in creation, wherein  no created thing can escape from His grace. God in flesh has uncovered all secrets and has raised up all who have slept in sin. Jesus who died in the flesh, God has freed Him and all those in bondage, and has enlightened those in darkness. All beings, created in His image, are welcomed to live with Him, in Him and through Him, forming only one person, one Body. God has “refashioned our warped nature in His image”, to restore to us the life with Him, for the Kingdom of heaven has been prepared for us all from all eternity (cf. Office of reading, Ancient homily on Holy Saturday).

 

 

THE ROASTED AND SHARED PASSOVER LAMB

 

 

Christ, the Passover Lamb, clothed in humanity that is capable of suffering, sacrificed himself for the  suffering people of God.  He triumphed over the diseases of soul and body. He dealt with a fatal blow the man’s destroyer, death. He was led like a lamb; slaughtered like a sheep. He ransomed humanity from servitude to the world; freed us from slavery; from darkness to light. He sealed human souls with his Spirit and blood.  He covered death with shame. He smote sin and robbed iniquity of offspring. He chose humanity to be his own forever.

Saint Melito of Sardis writes: “In Abel he was slain, in Isaac bound, in Jacob exiled, in Joseph sold, in Moses exposed to die. He was sacrificed in the Passover lamb, persecuted in David, dishonored in the prophets.” He was a man who was made to hang on the tree; was buried in the earth, and raised from the dead. The mute lamb, the slain lamb, the lamb of God was seized from the flock, dragged off to be slaughtered, sacrificed in the late afternoon, died in the early evening, and buried at night. But no bone of his was broken; his body knew no decay. He is alive and active now in the world.

Jesus’ disciples prepare a Passover supper with the eating of a lamb, sacrificed in remembrance of the lambs of the original Passover, whose blood had been smeared on the doorposts. In Exodus 12:1-8 we read: “If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share in the lamb in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb[…]That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.”

Through this Passover meal, Jesus affirms John the Baptist’s prophecy that he would be the unblemished Lamb of God, to be sacrificed. This sacrifice, made present at every Eucharist for our sake only, because God does not need  it. “We participate in the act by which divinity and humanity are reconciled”, when we eat his body and drink the blood of the Lamb. 

But we, like Judas at the Last Supper, fail to see the sacrificial Lamb. We get busy in ‘doing what we plan to do’ – betray Jesus. Human history proves that God is often opposed by stubborn people, preferring sin to sanctity, evil to good. Being in intimacy with Jesus, is no guarantee of  one’s faithfulness in fellowship — the sanctity of the  Last Supper is destroyed by a friend’s betrayal, preferring darkness to light (truth), money to service, a hateful kiss to love. In fact, Judas asks in exchange,  “What are you willing to give me?”(Mt 26:15). It is the same Judas, in order to hide his betraying action, over-confidently self-affirms, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Most of us act and behave that way.

The Prophetic Servant, the gentle Lamb  is called, commissioned and disciplined by God, into a well-trained tongue in order to  communicate  the word loud and clear, to all the nations (John 17:8). This gentle Lamb lies low, beaten and scourged, face struck and spat upon, yet obedient to God’s plan and not disgraced, because Jesus knows God will vindicate him.  We too are disciplined by God through our suffering, and  infidelity so that we may fully embrace his love. At the same Supper, Jesus washes the disciples’ feet –a visual demonstration of the new commandment: “Love one another,” through loving charity.

How can we console Jesus with our own compassion and solidarity as he hangs upon the cross? The answer is: through the very lives we live today. To relieve the loneliness and ease others’ suffering and pain, we need to go beyond being near Jesus and his Cross. We must tend to him in others by carrying ‘our own crosses’. We must recognize the present grewsome realities in the world, in our country and in our own neighborhood, and offer acts of mercy and solidarity, being  moved by love. Christians in the local communities can support the social works done by the local agencies, clubs, association, etc.  irrespective of creed, caste and colour.

 

Foreign donations have helped the Churches in various ways to expand its infrastructures and works of charity through the development and sponsorship projects. Christians groups, dioceses and parishes, spend crores on building magnificent churches. It’s time shift radically and attend fully to building the human beings, the temples of the Holy Spirit. People will experience Jesus only by following him on the way to the Cross, to save humanity through loving service.

On Holy Thursday and Good Friday, we are invited not just to ritually wash the feet of twelve persons, perform the passion narrative and kiss the crucifix; instead go out to the periphery and serve the needy, through voluntary service. This is the challenge for all Christians – doing the will of the Father, as Jesus did.  We have miles to go, in order to support and cooperate with all those who work for the common good. As we face a tough time to witness to Jesus dying on the Cross for the salvation of humanity, we need to act to unite people, and work for Peace and Justice.

How can I serve those in need in the coming days?

Let this be our prayer: “Lord Jesus, it is so mysterious to see how people rejected you, your message of merciful love, and your mighty works. You were the innocent one who went about doing good, healing the sick, casting out demons, and feeding the hungry, and yet you were condemned and crucified by your people. Help me to embrace suffering and persecution for the sake of your name.”

 

মুক্তিপণ যীশু মানব পরিত্রাণে উৎসর্গকৃত এক পাস্কার-মেষশাবক

 

যীশু খ্রীষ্ট, আমাদের পরিত্রাণের নিস্তার-পর্ব  এবং এই পর্বের মুক্তিপণ-মেষশাবক, দুঃখভোগ করতে সক্ষম যিনি, মানবতার পোশাক পরিহিত যিনি, ঈশ্বরের দুঃখভোগকারী লোকদের জন্য তিনি নিজেকে উৎসর্গ করেছিলেন। তিনি আত্মা ও দেহের রোগব্যাধি  জয় করেছিলেন। তিনি মানবজাতির  ধ্বংসকারী – মৃত্যুকে– মারাত্মক আঘাত করেছিলেন ।   তাকে মেষশাবকের মতোই নিয়ে যাওয়া হয়েছিল; ভেড়ার মতো জবাই করা হয়েছে; পাঁঠার মত বলি দেওয়া হয়েছে । নিজেই  মুক্তিপণ হয়ে,  তিনি মানবজাতিকে দাসত্ব থেকে পৃথিবীতে মুক্তি  এনে দিয়েছেন; আমাদেরকে দাসত্ব থেকে মুক্ত করেছেন ; অন্ধকার থেকে আলোর দিকে নিয়ে এসেছেন । তিনি তাঁর আত্মা এবং রক্ত দিয়ে এক  সীলমোহরে মানুষের আত্মাকে একহৃদে  আবদ্ধ  করে রেখেছেন ।  লজ্জায় মৃত্যুকে ঢেকে রেখেছেন। তিনি পাপকে আঘাত করেছেন এবং বংশধরদের পাপ-অন্যায় লুটিয়ে  নিয়েছেন। মানবতাকে তিনি চিরকালের জন্য আপন করে নিয়েছেন। অনেক কিছু সহ্য করে সবার মধ্যে উপস্থিত থেকেছেন।

সার্ডিসের সাধু মেলিটো লিখেছেন : আবেলে তিনি নিহত হন, ইসাহাকে  আবদ্ধ, যাকোবে অপরিচিত  ও  নির্বাসিত, যোষেফে  বিক্রি ও মোশিতে অনাবৃত ও মৃত্যুমুখি  হতে হয়েছিল । তিনি নিস্তারপর্বের মেষশাবক হয়ে বলি হয়েছিলেন, দাউদে নির্যাতিত  এবং   প্রবক্তাদের মধ্যে অসম্মানিত হয়েছিলেন।   তিনি এমন একজন মানুষ ছিলেন যাকে ‘গাছে’  ঝুলিয়ে রাখা হয়েছিল; তাকে মাটিতে সমাহিত করা হয়েছে এবং তিনই মৃতূদের মধ্য থেকে পুনরুত্থিত হয়েছেন । এক নিঃশব্দধারী  নম্র  মেষশাবক, এক নিহত মেষশাবক, –এই  ঈশ্বরের মেষশাবককে পাল থেকে ধরে নিয়ে যাওয়া হয়েছিল; তাঁকে বলি দেওয়ার জন্য, মিথ্যা ভাবে, জোড় করে, টেনে নিয়ে যাওয়া হয়েছিল; শেষ-বিকেলে বলি দেওয়া হয়েছিল, সন্ধ্যার শুরুতে মারা গিয়েছিলেন  এবং রাতে তাঁকে কবর দেওয়া হয়েছিল। কিন্তু তাঁর কোনো হাড় ভাঙেনি, গুড়ো হয়নি; ক্ষতবিক্ষত হয়েও তাঁর শরীর ক্ষয় বলে কিছু জানে না। তিনি এখন পৃথিবীতে জীবিত ও সক্রিয়।

আমরা প্রত্যক্ষ করি, রাজা সলোমনের মতো যীশুও একটা গাধার পিঠে চড়ে জেরূসালেম নগরদ্বারে প্রবেশ করেন। লোকেরা দায়ূদের রাজ্যের উত্তরাধিকারী ও  "ইস্রায়েলের রাজা, হোসান্না" বলে তাঁকে অভিনন্দন জানায়। কিন্তু, যখন  যীশু জেরুজালেমের মধ্যে প্রবেশ করবেন, তখন কিন্তু যীশুকে কাঁটার  মুকুট পড়িয়ে দেওয়া হবে এবং ক্রুশ থেকে তিনি রাজত্ব করবেন – একদম সলোমনের বিপরীত!

এটাও আমরা লক্ষ করে থাকি, যীশুর যন্ত্রনাময়ের সময়কালীন, শিষ্যরা ব্যর্থ হয়েছিল এবং যীশুকে ত্যাগ করেছিল। গেৎশিমানী উদ্যানে শিষ্যেরা বেশ কয়েকবার ঘুমিয়ে পড়েছিল; তারা জেগে থাকতে পারেনি। যীশু যখন প্রার্থনা করছিলেন তখন তারা তাঁর সঙ্গে যায়নি। যীশু যখন ধরা পড়লেন তখন তারা সৈন্যদের কাছ থেকে পালিয়ে গেল। পিতর কেবল  দূর থেকে পিছু নেয়। কিন্তু সে তিন তিনবার যীশুকে চেনার বা জানার কথা অস্বীকার করে। পিতর  বলে ওঠে, “আমি ওই লোকটিকে  চিনিই  না”। ইহুদীদের মধ্যে যারা যীশুর অলৌকিক কাজগুলো দেখেছিল এবং তাঁর বাক্য শুনেছিল, তারা যীশুকে পরিত্যাগ করেছিল। তারা যীশুর পরিবর্তে একজন খুনি দস্যুকে মুক্তি দিতে বলেছিল।

 

যীশু ক্রুশ থেকে চিৎকার করে বলে ওঠেন, "ঈশ্বর আমার, ঈশ্বর আমার, কেন তুমি আমাকে পরিত্যাগ করেছ?”  যীশু যখন শেষ নিঃশ্বাস ত্যাগ করেন, তখন মহিলারাও ক্রুশ থেকে অনেক দূরে ছিল। বাকি এগারো জন প্রেরিতের মধ্যে কেউই পিলাতের কাছে তাঁর মৃতুদেহ চাইতে আসেনি। একমাত্র আরিমাথিয়ার যোসেফই তা করতে  সাহস পেয়েছিল। একমাত্র পরজাতীয় শতানিক (সেঞ্চুরিয়ান) জনসমক্ষে সেই ক্রুশের তলায় যীশুকে ঈশ্বরের পুত্র হিসাবে তার বিশ্বাস স্বীকার করেছিল। যীশুর প্রতিপাদনের প্রমাণ হল এই : "তাঁর শিষ্যদের দ্বারা পরিত্যক্ত, যুদাসের দ্বারা বিশ্বাসঘাতকতা, পিতরের  দ্বারা অস্বীকার, যাজকদের দ্বারা ঈশ্বর-নিন্দার অভিযোগে অভিযুক্ত, একজন হত্যাকারীর পক্ষে হওয়া এক জনতার দ্বারা প্রত্যাখ্যাত, অন্ধকার দ্বারা পরিবেষ্টিত এক মহাসভা এবং রোমীয় সৈন্যদের দ্বারা উপহাসিত(যারা যীশুকে ক্রুশে দিয়েছিল), এবং আপাতদৃষ্টিতে তাঁর স্বয়ং ঈশ্বরের দ্বারা পরিত্যক্ত।  এই এক মর্মাহত ঘটনার্থিক মুহূর্তে যীশু সম্পূর্ণরূপে প্রতিপাদিত হয়। ঈশ্বর মন্দিরকে উপাসনার স্থান হিসাবে প্রতিস্থাপন করার পরিবর্তে, তার জায়গায় তাঁর নিজের পুত্রকে উৎসর্গ করে যীশুর আর্তনাদে সাড়া দিয়েছেন: এই ঈশ্বর-পুত্র যীশুকে অইহুদী ও ইহুদী সকলেই একইরূপে স্বীকার করবে" (রেমন্ড ব্রাউন, সুসমাচারে খ্রীষ্ট..., 163)।

আমরাও কি যীশুর কাছ থেকে পালিয়ে যাব? মানব পরিত্রাণের জন্য  মুক্তিপণ হয়ে উৎসর্গকৃত  এই মেষশাবক-যীশুর যন্ত্রনায় সহমর্মি  হয়ে, আমরাও কি প্রতিপাদিত হব? সাক্ষীর প্রমাণ হব? যীশুর শিষ্য হয়ে  আমরাও কি আমাদের ক্রুশ কাঁধে  তুলে নিতে প্রস্তুত? খ্রীষ্টের জন্য এবং গরীব-অভাবীদের জন্য আমি কীভাবে দুঃখকষ্ট এবং আত্বত্যাগকে আলিঙ্গন করতে পারি? আজ আমাকে কীভাবে আমার নিজের ক্রুশ তুলে নেওয়ার জন্য ডাকা হয়েছে? তার জন্য আমি কি উপায় বার করেছি?