Palm Sunday

 

Voting for Jesus with firm faith.

 

“Whom do you want me to release for you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” (Matthew 27:17)

 

Jesus’ triumphant entry to Jerusalem is like a political candidate gaining large numbers of supporters that could give him enough votes to win the election. Those people who spread garments and branches on the road were casting their ballots for Jesus of Nazareth. They believed that this man should be the king of Israel.

 

Although Jesus had been in public service for a few years, his powerful teachings and amazing deeds had spread quickly throughout the country. If this man could raise Lazarus who was dead for four days, then he could liberate the people from their foreign oppressors. If he could feed more than five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, then he can uplift the economic condition in Jerusalem. If he could heal all kinds of sickness and disabilities, then he can make Israel a great nation. With these credentials, Jesus had already won the hearts of many people.

 

However, after Jesus was arrested, flogged, and humiliated, his supporters suddenly declined in numbers. When Pilate asked the people which prisoner should be released, Barabbas’ supporters shouted louder than those who voted for Jesus. So the governor released Barabbas from prison and he handed Jesus over to be crucified.

 

Many of Jesus’ followers who remained loyal to him were shocked and frustrated with the decision of the majority. Many of his supporters had a change of heart at the final hour of election. Standing beside a political figure Barabbas, they saw Jesus as an ordinary person and a carpenter. Standing in front of Pilate, they looked at him as a powerless prisoner. Standing in the sight of the priests and the Pharisees, they saw a false prophet and a blasphemer. Standing naked with a crown of torn on his head, they saw a false messiah.

 

I think many of us had experienced the triumphant entry of Jesus into our lives. When good things take place in our lives, we give praise and glory to God. When everything is doing well in our family, in school, and at work, we say that God is good and loves us. We can confess loudly that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.

 

However, when things turn bad, ugly, or painful, we sometimes question God’s plan for us. When those things we are hoping to happen did not happen and those things we don’t want to happen had happened, we might start having doubts about our faith. And even in good times, we don’t usually do what Christians should be doing. It is hard to resist a temptation when it involves giving up what we really desire or making sacrifices for the sake of the Lord.

 

There will be critical moments in our lives that we need to be firm with our faith in God—both in good times and in bad times. Those moments can either weaken or strengthen our faith in God. Jesus’ words are true and full of life. His words opened the eyes of the blind; brought hope to the poor and the captives; healed the sick and the disable; and brought Lazarus back to life. Jesus is the Word of God. We must hold on to his promise that there is life after death, and that there is a place for us in his kingdom where sorrows, pain and worries will turn into joy, comfort and peace. The kingdom of God is not of this world.

 

Day by day we will be challenged and tempted by different forces in this world in order to get our votes and to separate us from the love of God. Therefore, whatever is happening in our lives, we should be strong in faith and always vote for Jesus.

 

-- The Rev. Fr. Jojo Pamatmat

Good Friday

 

Where was I when they crucified the Lord?

 

“And carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.” (John 19:17)

 

During Holy Week, our journey with Jesus to Jerusalem ends in Golgotha where he was crucified. By retracing back our steps inside the city, we may find ourselves in different situations. We cannot judge Judas without judging ourselves. There were times when we betrayed the Lord in exchange of personal gains and interests and sometimes for convenience. We have days of false hopes and expectations in life. Jesus did not promise us that, by being his followers, everything we desire will be granted. We can feel the guilt of Peter for denying the Lord and the fear of the disciples who fled away after Jesus was arrested.  Jesus did not say that that by accepting him as our Lord and Savior, there would be no risks and dangers. There were times in the past when we hide ourselves and ignore the voice of our conscience because of fear. It happens when people are kept silent and blind when injustices and corruptions are blatantly happening around them.

 

Also, there are fear of change and fear of the things we don’t fully understand that make some people in position of power violate the human rights of others and prevent other capable leaders from doing the right thing. The high priests were afraid of the implications of Jesus’ teachings in the lives of the people and in their tradition and authority in Jerusalem. They planned to have Jesus arrested and to put him on trial. They even presented false accusations and false witnesses against him. To protect the status quo, they denied justice to an innocent person.

 

The same fear haunted the governor of Judea. Because of his fear of political reprisal if he failed to gain the majority support of the people, Pilate complied with the crowd’s desire of releasing Barabbas and handing over Jesus to be crucified. To maintain peace and order in his province, he allowed unjust punishment to be inflicted to an innocent person.

 

In several occasions, however, we are simply spectators of the things happening in the world. We are busy attending our own needs, dreams and security, except in rare situations when we are forced to do something out of necessity, like what happened to Simon from Cyrene whom the soldiers compelled to carry Jesus’ cross for a period of time. Whether Simon carried it involuntarily or not, he had witnessed the suffering of Jesus and knew the burden of his cross.

 

If we think of the two criminals crucified next to the Lord, maybe there are instances in the past that we behaved like one of them who was blinded by his own faults and arrogance, without showing any regrets and fear of God. Perhaps it is less painful to see ourselves in place of the other criminal who sincerely repented and surrendered himself to the Lord.

 

In spite of our failures and weaknesses, there are special moments in our lives that we remain faithful to the Lord like some women disciples had shown. When Jesus was arrested, the women tried to find where he was being held and stayed vigil near that place for long hours. The women were also in the courtyard, shouting the name of Jesus for his release. They wept and followed Jesus as he carried the cross. They were with him until his last breath.

 

In following the suffering Lord, we cannot avoid to fall down along the way, troubled by grief, guilt and fear. We may feel helpless and hopeless. However, we must not forget that God never abandon His children. God will do everything to remind that to us. By turning our eyes on the cross, we will see how much Jesus loves us. His cross has the power to change us. It points us to God Almighty who can create new and wonderful things out of chaos and darkness. Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross was a partial fulfillment of the prophecy about the Messiah. The other part of it reveals his glorious resurrection and ascension. And when the day of his return comes, he will bring us into the joy of eternal kingdom. The cross of Jesus is not only a sign of our deliverance. It is the way to our salvation.

 

-- The Rev. Fr. Jojo Pamatmat

Holy Saturday

 

In Christ, there is life beyond death

 

“So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock.” Matthew 27:59-60

 

We do see death everyday. We can read tragic stories in newspapers and we can also watch them on television. Somehow, we can feel the pain and sorrow of those who are left behind even though we don’t know those people. And it is more painful and horrible when death strikes our loved ones. Usually, we are not prepared when that happens. It seems that death can only happen to other people, but not to us. So we try not to think about it as much as possible.

 

But when death strikes someone dear to us we have no choice but to consider the reality of death and the shortness of life. We remember those things more important than earthly treasures. When someone has been taken away from us suddenly, we wonder how we can go on without him. There are mixed feelings of fear, worry, grief and sorrow. However, none of us should bear the pain alone. We need all the support we can get from our friends and other people. We need to hear the assurance that God loves us and that there is life beyond death.

 

We Christians believe in the resurrection of the dead. Our faith in Jesus Christ gives us this hope and assurance. Although there is nothing permanent here on earth; those things that are really important in life can last forever in God’s kingdom. With God’s grace and mercy, we will find the courage to face the loss of a loved one and the grace to deal with the changes that will happen in our lives.

 

Considering the conversion of Joseph of Arimathea when the Lord died. When other disciples of Jesus were hiding for fear of the authorities, Joseph came forward boldly and courageously to do, not only what was demanded by Jewish piety, but to act generously and humanely by providing his own tomb for the decent and proper burial of our Lord’s body. Joseph, a secret disciple, revealed himself in public that he was a believer, a follower, and a disciple of Jesus. It took time for him to realize that Jesus was the Messiah whom he was waiting for. With prayers and self-examinations, he finally understood Jesus’ teachings and the sacrifice he made on the cross. It took him a lot of courage--a leap of faith--to do what he believed he must do to serve the Lord.

 

The death of a loved one can be a life-changing experience for many of us. In Christ, life is changed, not ended. The Lord’s death and resurrection can transform our lives. In times of need and at critical moments, we should hold on to our faith in Christ. By doing so, we will find the strength and guidance in making crucial decisions in life as we continue our journey here on earth until the time we join with those who have gone before us in God’s kingdom.

 

-- The Rev. Fr. Jojo Pamatmat