Thân Phận Người Tôi Tớ

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THÂN PHẬN NGƯỜI TÔI TỚ
CNLỄLÁ-C : (Lc:22:14-23:56)

Khởi đầu Lễ Lá là cuộc rước lá linh đình phảng phất chút vinh quang con người dành tặng cho Đức Kitô. Thực ra chủ đề Lề Lá đánh dấu bước ngoặt quan trọng trong diễn tiến cuộc cứu độ của Đức Kitô, để làm nổi bật thân phận Người Tôi Tớ của Ngài. Thân phận người tôi tớ ấy vừa được Thiên Chúa Cha an bài, vừa được loài người áp đặt trên thân thể Đức Kitô như con chiên hiền lành bị đem đi giết khi giờ đã điểm.

Quả thực, Thánh Phaolô đã xác định về thân phận tôi tớ của Ngài: "Chúa Kitô tuy là Thiên Chúa, đã không nghĩ phải dành cho được ngang hàng với Thiên Chúa; trái lại, Người huỷ bỏ chính mình mà nhận lấy thân phận tôi đòi...''(Pl 2:6) Vì tự hạ như thế, nên Ngài đã bằng lòng chịu mọi vất vả nhọc nhằn, xỉ nhục cay đắng và chịu lấy án phạt của thân phận người tôi tớ. Tiên Tri Isaia đã phác họa Ngài trong Bài Ca Người Tôi Tớ: "Tôi đã đưa lưng cho kẻ đánh tôi, đã đưa má cho kẻ giật râu; tôi đã không che giấu mặt mũi, tránh những lời nhạo cười và những người phỉ nhổ tôi...''(Is 50:4-7)

Thân phận người tôi tớ của Ngài càng rõ hơn khi bước vào thành Giêrusalem để chịu chết cho nhân loại. Chính Ngài đã dạy các tông đồ những lời trăn trối đầy cảm động: "Vua chúa các dân ngoại thì thống trị dân, và những kẻ có quyền hành trên dân thì bắt họ gọi mình là ân nhân. Phần các con, thì không như thế, vì ai cao trọng hơn các con thì hãy trở thành như người nhỏ nhất, và kẻ làm đầu, hãy trở thành như người hầu bàn... Thế mà Thầy, Thầy ở giữa các con như người hầu hạ..." (Lc 22:24-27) Đức Kitô chẳng những hầu hạ trong Bàn Ăn Thánh Thể giữa các tông đồ, nhưng Ngài đã trở thành người tôi tớ thực sự mà Tiên Tri Isaia đã phác họa trong cuộc khổ nạn của Ngài. Ngài đành câm lặng không lời chống đối thở than và phó mặc cho loài người hành hạ, xỉ nhục, bắt vác thập giá lên đồi sọ và chịu họ đóng đinh giữa trời buồn tím đau thương cô đơn tất tưởi. Người tôi tớ trên tất cả các người tôi tớ ấy đã can đảm nhận lấy cái chết trong tình thương bao la vô bờ, bởi Ngài đã trao cả nhân loại cho mẹ Ngài chăm sóc và trút hết tình thương vào cái chết với lời kết thúc sau cùng: Mọi sự đã hoàn tất!

Mỗi lần ai đó cảm thấy cô đơn, đau thương dập vùi, hãy cố nhìn lên thân phận người tôi tớ của Đức Kitô, để nhận lấy sức mạnh trong trái tim yêu thương bao la của Ngài mà bước đi trong hành trình nhục nhằn kiếp người. Người đó sẽ còn thấy mình đang được đỡ nâng giữa đoàn người con cái của Chúa từ sau cuộc khổ nạn của Ngài cho đến hôm nay. Sức mạnh Đức Kitô người tôi tớ ấy không còn là sự thất bại của một nô lệ, nhưng theo Lời Thánh Phaolô, "đã được Thiên Chúa tôn vinh và ban cho một danh hiệu vượt trên mọi danh hiệu". (Pl 2:8-9) Hãy tin tưởng và bước đi theo Ngài.

Lm. Raphael Xuân Nguyên

Scorned and Rejected
(John Walsh)

Looking back on what happened on the first Good Friday, it strikes us that there is nothing so terrible, so soul-destroying for the truly sincere person, who wishes to help those in need of conversion, than to be met with rejection and injury. To-day we recall how such was the fate of Jesus Christ, God's own beloved Son. During his earthly life Christ had worked, preached, striven without sparing himself, in order to deliver people from the burden of their sins and from the fear of death, only to be met, for the most part, with a cynical indifference, and finally to be condemned out of hand to a most cruel death. Long before this, Nicodemus - the one who came to Jesus by night - had foreseen this impending tragedy.

He had tried to reason with the chief priests and Pharisees, “Surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgment on a man without giving him a hearing, and discovering what he is about” (Jn 7:50). But the answer he got was the harsh one of prejudice and bigotry. “Are you a Galilean too?” they mocked at him. “Examine and see for yourself that prophets do not come from Galilee.” In other words they were fixed in their mistaken belief that God would never show his saving power except within the limits of their own little closed group. The thought of these hardened hearts, of the many who would turn away from his gospel message of self-commitment to the Father, of the existence of treachery, even in the ranks of his specially chosen Twelve, these were some of the things that kept crowding in on Christ's troubled mind in the darkness of Gethsemane, a darkness that reflected the dark night of his soul. His human nature rebelled at the seeming futility of his endeavours, at the inevitability of his being delivered by the Temple authorities into the hands of the Romans, and at the thought of the terrible penalty that would be exacted should this be so.

In the struggle to overcome his natural fears and revulsion, we are told how the perspiration poured down his face and became as large drops of blood falling to the ground. But the greater his suffering, the more intense became his prayer, and in his prayer of utter abandonment to God he summoned up courage to face whatever lay before him. “Father, if it is your will, take this cup away from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” He had gone into Gethsemane in an agony; he came out with a victory won, and with peace in his soul, because he had talked with God. Throughout the several mock trials that ensued, that calm never left him. Not once, before the high priest and his council, did he offer a single word in defence of himself, even when they deliberately employed false witnesses to try and make their trumped-up accusations stick. But the witnesses contradicted each other; the case against Jesus was in disarray. At last the high priest asked of Jesus the kind of question which was strictly forbidden by the Law, a leading question, whereby the accused would be condemned by his own evidence. He asked it upon oath, so that an answer had to be given. “I put you on oath, by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Promised one, the Son of God.” When Jesus answered “yes” the charge became blasphemy, and the cross an inescapable certainty.

But since blasphemy cut no ice with Pilate, further mention of it was dropped, and the charge against Jesus before the Roman court was turned into a political one, that of claiming to be king and telling people not to pay taxes. Fearing civil disorder, Pilate, although certain the charge was a false one, yielded to the mob baying for Jesus' blood, in preference even to that of the renegade Barabbas. Having failed to win their sympathy by having Jesus scourged, crowned with thorns, mocked as a king, Pilate handed him over to be crucified. Triumphant now the crowd followed their victim on his dolorous way to Calvary, mouthing blasphemies, insults, mockery and derision, until death gave him merciful release. “Come down from the cross,” they taunted Christ, “and we will believe in you.” But it is precisely because he did not come down, that today we continue to believe in him. For, whereas the Jews turned their backs on God because he did not reveal himself as a figure of power, Jesus has shown, for all time, that God is sacrificial love. From the Father he begged forgiveness for his executioners. “A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends,” he had said at the Last Supper, but the one who would do so for his enemies had to be of divine origin. Never should we forget the sacrificial offering of himself for us by God's own divine Son.

Luke's Passion account
(Jack McArdle)

Theme: This is Luke's account of the passion and death of Jesus. What makes it different from the accounts in the other three gospels is that, for one thing, there is much more space given to the role-played by Peter in the whole scenario. Luke never actually met Jesus, and it is generally accepted that his gospel is strongly influenced by his association with Peter. Peter got it wrong many times, and Luke's gospel recounts most of them. Standing out, also, is the role of Judas, although, unlike Peter, who repented and wept bitterly, this gospel spares us the details of how Judas ended. I suppose it is fair to say that each in his own way had aspirations of grandeur. They were determined to look after number one, no matter what happened. I'm not sure that either of them understood what Jesus meant when he spoke of those who are the greatest in his kingdom. This account is filled with many and diverse personalities~ from Herod to Pilate, to the two men being crucified with Jesus, and, of course, there was Barabbas. It would prove worthwhile if I took time out to reflect on the role of each, and to see each one against the role of Jesus, who is at the centre of the story.

Teaching: In the midst of all the many scenarios being acted out around him, stands Jesus, the innocent one. Each of the others has a personal agenda. It is very important that we see Jesus as standing out from all that surrounds him. He said that he had come to fulfill a mission, and he could not be at peace until that mission was completed. His is the centre and key role, and all the other persons revolve around that. His mind is fixed and firm. His mission is one of love, and there is no road so lonely as the one of unreciprocated love. In a most extraordinary way, his mother, while not understanding, would have been the only one to be unselfish and humble enough to be there; to share the pain, and to cling to the hope that all of what is happening is part of a plan that is beyond her comprehension. Those with a hidden agenda could not possibly see beyond their own immediate interests.

Jesus had told the story several times of the farmer, the king, or the landowner who sent servants to collect that which was owed. On each occasion, the servants were rejected and maltreated. One man sent his son, and he was killed. This is where that story is being fulfilled. It is a case of not liking the message, so you shoot the messenger. If you listen to the message you will have to change many things in your life. If you are a self-righteous Pharisee who is perfect in your own eyes, then, of course, you have no need to change. Yes, indeed, Jesus hadn't a hope in such surroundings. And yet it is important to remember that he lived with hope, with love, and with total faith and trust in the Father. It is interesting to note that today's gospel ends with the words “When the captain of the Roman soldiers handling the execution saw what was happening, he praised God, and said “Surely this man was innocent.” And when the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what happened, they went home in deep sorrow.” Innocence will out...

Peter is not the only moral coward in this story. It is interesting to see the bind in which Pilate found himself. Herod found nothing wrong, but, because he was a selfish bully, and Jesus refused to perform for his entertainment, he set out to make a complete mockery of him.
Pilate, on the other hand, clearly saw that Jesus was innocent, and was of a mind to let him go. Because he was such a moral coward, and because of his own self-interest, he bowed to the demands of others, and made a decision which was not according to his own conscience. In the words of today's gospel “the crowd shouted louder and louder for Jesus' death, and their voices prevailed.” Once again, moral courage and integrity lost out, the bully prevails, and the innocent suffer. This is a scenario we see repeated again and again in the very days in which we live.We can condemn the men and women of violence, but we must admit that they are committed to whatever they believe in. It is significant that today's gospel tells us that “Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted “Kill him.” We are all familiar with gangsters, drug barons, and dictators meeting a violent death. They who live by the sword shall die by the sword. These people had a goal, whether it is power, control, wealth, or whatever, and they followed that right up to the moment of their death. Why should Satan have all the best music? Despite the mob violence involved in today's gospel, there are people whose hearts were touched, and who were changed for the better in the midst of it all. Peter wept bitterly, as he repented of his cowardice, and he would eventually die for Jesus. One of those being crucified with Jesus asked for help, and was offered heaven right there. The captain of the Roman soldiers saw what had happened, and he turned to God in prayer; while those who witnessed the execution went home visibly upset, and, one can surmise, were profoundly effected for the rest of their lives.
Practical: Above all days in the year, this is one week when I should take a few moments out to read the gospel narrative on my own, and to reflect on it. I am suggesting to you that you should do that, and I leave it to you how and when to do it. One practical obstacle to be overcome might be to get your hands on a copy of that gospel. This may not be easy, because the leaflets here in church may be needed for the next Mass. However, your very efforts to ensure that you get a copy for your personal reading will, in itself, be a test of your commitment.

One week from today is Easter Sunday. We celebrate the triumph of Jesus over the final enemy, death. It is only correct and just that, if I wish to join in the victory, that I should contribute something to the battle or the struggle. There is no sharing in Easter without some role in the events of Good Friday. This is not to say that I have to, or can earn salvation. Far from it. It does mean, however, that I must be called into a decision-making situation relative to Jesus. Paul says that it is Jesus' blood and our faith that combine to produce our salvation. There is nothing automatic about God. When we speak about Jesus in the Mass, for example, we use the past tense. Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. By your cross and resurrection you have set us free... In other words, Jesus has completed his part of the formula of salvation, and the rest is up to me. We are entering into Holy Week. It is a sacred time, a time of decision, a time for involvement. Just as at Christmas, this too requires my yes, my personal decision to be part of the events I commemorate, celebrate, and reflect on. Please make sure that your participation throughout this week is active; that it is something that draws you into the mainstream of salvation. This could range from the quiet prayer to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, from reflection on the events to the decision or decisions required to avail fully of the benefits and blessings resulting from those events.

Passion Narrative
(Peter Briscoe)

The reading of the Passion narrative in today's Mass is one of the high-points of this week's liturgy; it carries its own impact independently of any comment or homily, i.e. providing it is well-rehearsed and presented. It is particularly important that it be well done today since many members of our congregations will not be at the Good Friday Liturgy. Given the length of the gospel and its innate effectiveness, the homily today should not be long and should take just one aspect of the narrative for reflection.

Today's Gospel is called the “Passion,” a word derived from the Latin that draws attention to the suffering that Jesus endured during the last day of his life on earth. So, one possibility for us today is to offer some reflections on the meaning of Christ's sufferings, on what they have to say about human suffering in general. One of the things to be noted is the lack of detail about the individual sufferings of Jesus. We are told the basic facts of course, i.e. concerning the violence of his arrest, imprisonment, some abuse and mockery (all the usual degradation of the condemned man in the world of the time) and the actual crucifixion. There is however no indulgence in the gory details in all their physical dimensions and perhaps we should take a leaf out of the evangelists” book in this regard. What is highlighted throughout is the human and personal struggle to be faithful in the face of apparent futility and the victory of evil.

We see this especially in the Gethsemane scene. Jesus' agony (a word meaning “struggle') about the chalice of his father will. His mission seems to be about to end in failure - failure to convert his own people, failure to have faithful disciples around him. As he suffers, they sleep; and when they finally wake up to what is about to happen to their Master they desert him. Jesus has to face this failure and the apparent futility of all his life's struggle to bring in the Kingdom of God. We may get the impression that the futility is ~overcome as Jesus accepts the Father's will “Yet not my will but yours be done” and as he faces the future with determined resolution, saying to the disciples “Rise, let us be going.” This is undoubtedly Jesus' continuing acceptance of the Father's will, his acceptance against all the appearances that the futility he experiences her is somehow transcended by the divine mystery. So he goes to face the friend who betrays him, the leaders who betray their people, the official who betrays justice. He accepts the continuing struggle to the end, yet he receives no consolation in his acceptance, the futility remains, as finally on the cross he feels abandoned not only by man but by God “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And so we are told “he yielded up his Spirit” and in giving it up for the Father he has given this Spirit of his life to all men who come to him in faith.

In trying to find the sense in all this that Jesus endured, that we usually summarise under the title of “the cross,” we must not jump too quickly to the resurrection to solve the problem of its apparent futility. The resurrection, of course, cannot be left out of the picture, but if we jump to it too quickly there is the danger of seeing it simply as a “deus ex machina.” The fact is that the resurrection is the other side of the cross, the cross which has its own contribution to make the redemption of broken man.

In the above examination of the sufferings of Jesus I have drawn particular attention to the theme of futility because this is the aspect of suffering that touches us all. Both for those who suffer physical or mental affliction and for the fortunate who don't, the problem of meaning always arises - “What is the purpose of it?” “Why me?” For the sufferer it is no abstract philosophical question but very often the burden of an apparently useless life. Have we any answer to these questions? People have tried to find the answer in personal guilt, that it's punishment for wrong-doing in their past or in that of their society. Such a theory can never cover all the cases as the Book of Job demonstrates. No doubt the wrong-doer may be brought back to his senses by some trial but what of the innocent? Here it does not seem possible to find a solution in the past or in the person themselves, here we can find nothing to explain away the problem, we can only grasp for a solution in the future, a purpose beyond the person themselves, but for this to work the person themselves has to accept this purpose.

Here we have the notion of vicarious suffering such as is described in Isaiah's “Song of the Suffering Servant,” a poem that influenced early Christian understanding of the Passion of Christ. We return to the problem of guilt. There is the mystery of evil in the world and somehow it is possible for the innocent to voluntarily atone for the guilty. Christ was the innocent, the just man who freely accepted the pain and failure of the cross to atone “for the many.” It is only the mystery of his love which could accept such futility. So at the end what we believe is that only incomprehensible love has anything to say to the sufferer. It does not offer easy explanations but a challenging purpose. For the one who accepts the love of Christ in faith it is possible to accept suffering as a way of sharing in his love for others and of sharing in his work of redemption. If such a purpose can be accepted then the futility is in fact overcome.

Complete Let-Down
(Liam Swords)

Jesus Christ was not the first man to die for a cause, nor the last. He was not the first or the last innocent man to be put to death. He was not the only one ever crucified. There were on that very same day two others. Even as regards physical pain it is at least possible that others have suffered as much. What then makes the passion so different? And it is undeniably different.

The gospel account is roughly about two newspaper columns long, and even though I've read it, or heard it read hundreds of times, it still affects me. I wonder why? I think the answer lies in the details - the completely human and utterly shabby circumstances in which Christ died.
Take for example the behaviour of his friends. Was there ever such a complete let-down? Judas, one of the twelve, especially chosen. One can feel the hurt, almost the unbelief in Christ's gentle words, “Friend, why are you here? Judas would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?'
One could almost stomach the betrayal of Judas had the other eleven remained faithful. No way. One short line tells their story: “And they all forsook him and fled.” And Peter - surely not Peter. Think of all those miracles Christ worked, specially for him. He raised the dead child to life, set him walking on water, was transfigured before him. Only a few short hours be fore, Peter had boasted, “Even though all abandon you, I will follow you to prison and to death.” - but at a distance, a safe distance. And when he was cornered a jibe or two from a servant girl looking for notice, Peter the Rock disintegrated. “He began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man.” That must really have hurt Jesus. “And Jesus turning looked at Peter and Peter went out and wept bitterly.” And these were his friends, his only friends. The people he lived with and loved. The people he showered his miracles on and shared his secrets with. And not one of them lifted a finger for him.

What has this story to do with us? It is the story of our salvation. But it is more, much more. It is the story of our lives. There isn't a part in the whole sordid script that we, you and I, wouldn't play to perfection. Peter in his pride and Peter in his fall and, hopefully, Peter in his repentance too. We'd fit in perfectly with the disciples who fled at the first sign of danger, or with Caiaphas and the high priests, with their self-righteousness and eagerness to reform others while ignoring themselves, or with Pilate in his abuse of authority, or with the mob with its thirst for excitement and blood. And Judas? Let's face it - there's a Judas in all of us. There are times and situations in all our lives when Jesus could easily say to us as he said to Judas, “Friend, why are you here?” The truth is, it was only his friends who could really have crucified him so.

Additional Bidding Prayers
We pray:
- for the victims of tyranny and injustice everywhere.
- for those who suffer mental, physical or spiritual anguish.
- for the courage to defend those who axe oppressed.