20240329 INNOCENT SUFFERING AS A VICARIOUS SACRIFICE
29 March 2024, Good Friday
First reading |
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 © |
The servant of the Lord, an expiatory Sacrifice
See, my servant will prosper,
he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights.
As the crowds were appalled on seeing him
– so disfigured did he look
that he seemed no longer human –
so will the crowds be astonished at him,
and kings stand speechless before him;
for they shall see something never told
and witness something never heard before:
‘Who could believe what we have heard,
and to whom has the power of the Lord been revealed?’
Like a sapling he grew up in front of us,
like a root in arid ground.
Without beauty, without majesty we saw him,
no looks to attract our eyes;
a thing despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering,
a man to make people screen their faces;
he was despised and we took no account of him.
And yet ours were the sufferings he bore,
ours the sorrows he carried.
But we, we thought of him as someone punished,
struck by God, and brought low.
Yet he was pierced through for our faults,
crushed for our sins.
On him lies a punishment that brings us peace,
and through his wounds we are healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each taking his own way,
and the Lord burdened him
with the sins of all of us.
Harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly,
he never opened his mouth,
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter-house,
like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers
never opening its mouth.
By force and by law he was taken;
would anyone plead his cause?
Yes, he was torn away from the land of the living;
for our faults struck down in death.
They gave him a grave with the wicked,
a tomb with the rich,
though he had done no wrong
and there had been no perjury in his mouth.
The Lord has been pleased to crush him with suffering.
If he offers his life in atonement,
he shall see his heirs, he shall have a long life
and through him what the Lord wishes will be done.
His soul’s anguish over
he shall see the light and be content.
By his sufferings shall my servant justify many,
taking their faults on himself.
Hence I will grant whole hordes for his tribute,
he shall divide the spoil with the mighty,
for surrendering himself to death
and letting himself be taken for a sinner,
while he was bearing the faults of many
and praying all the time for sinners.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 30(31):2,6,12-13,15-17,25 © |
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
In you, O Lord, I take refuge.
Let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, set me free,
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
It is you who will redeem me, Lord.
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
In the face of all my foes
I am a reproach,
an object of scorn to my neighbours
and of fear to my friends.
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
Those who see me in the street
run far away from me.
I am like a dead man, forgotten in men’s hearts,
like a thing thrown away.
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
But as for me, I trust in you, Lord;
I say: ‘You are my God.
My life is in your hands, deliver me
from the hands of those who hate me.
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
Let your face shine on your servant.
Save me in your love.’
Be strong, let your heart take courage,
all who hope in the Lord.
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
Second reading |
Hebrews 4:14-16,5:7-9 © |
The Lord burdened him with the sins of all of us
Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we have the supreme high priest who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must never let go of the faith that we have professed. For it is not as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.
During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard. Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.
Gospel Acclamation | Phil2:8-9 |
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Christ was humbler yet,
even to accepting death, death on a cross.
But God raised him high
and gave him the name which is above all names.
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Gospel | John 18:1-19:42 © |
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ
Key: N. Narrator. ✠ Jesus. O. Other single speaker. C. Crowd, or more than one speaker.
N. Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kedron valley. There was a garden there, and he went into it with his disciples. Judas the traitor knew the place well, since Jesus had often met his disciples there, and he brought the cohort to this place together with a detachment of guards sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees, all with lanterns and torches and weapons. Knowing everything that was going to happen to him, Jesus then came forward and said,
✠ Who are you looking for?
N. They answered,
C. Jesus the Nazarene.
N. He said,
✠ I am he.
N. Now Judas the traitor was standing among them. When Jesus said, ‘I am he’, they moved back and fell to the ground. He asked them a second time,
✠ Who are you looking for?
N. They said,
C. Jesus the Nazarene.
N. Jesus replied,
✠ I have told you that I am he. If I am the one you are looking for, let these others go.
N. This was to fulfil the words he had spoken, ‘Not one of those you gave me have I lost.’
Simon Peter, who carried a sword, drew it and wounded the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter,
✠ Put your sword back in its scabbard; am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?
N. The cohort and its captain and the Jewish guards seized Jesus and bound him. They took him first to Annas, because Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had suggested to the Jews, ‘It is better for one man to die for the people.’
Simon Peter, with another disciple, followed Jesus. This disciple, who was known to the high priest, went with Jesus into the high priest’s palace, but Peter stayed outside the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who was keeping the door and brought Peter in. The maid on duty at the door said to Peter,
O. Aren’t you another of that man’s disciples?
N. He answered,
O. I am not.
N. Now it was cold, and the servants and guards had lit a charcoal fire and were standing there warming themselves; so Peter stood there too, warming himself with the others.
The high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered,
✠ I have spoken openly for all the world to hear; I have always taught in the synagogue and in the Temple where all the Jews meet together: I have said nothing in secret. But why ask me? Ask my hearers what I taught: they know what I said.
N. At these words, one of the guards standing by gave Jesus a slap in the face, saying,
O. Is that the way to answer the high priest?
N. Jesus replied,
✠ If there is something wrong in what I said, point it out; but if there is no offence in it, why do you strike me?
N. Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
As Simon Peter stood there warming himself, someone said to him,
O. Aren’t you another of his disciples?
N. He denied it, saying,
O. I am not.
N. One of the high priest’s servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said,
O. Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?
N. Again Peter denied it; and at once a cock crew.
They then led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the Praetorium. It was now morning. They did not go into the Praetorium themselves or they would be defiled and unable to eat the passover. So Pilate came outside to them and said,
O. What charge do you bring against this man?
N. They replied,
C. If he were not a criminal, we should not be handing him over to you.
N. Pilate said,
O. Take him yourselves, and try him by your own Law.
N. The Jews answered,
C. We are not allowed to put a man to death.
N. This was to fulfil the words Jesus had spoken indicating the way he was going to die.
So Pilate went back into the Praetorium and called Jesus to him, and asked,
O. Are you the king of the Jews?
N. Jesus replied,
✠ Do you ask this of your own accord, or have others spoken to you about me?
N. Pilate answered,
O. Am I a Jew? It is your own people and the chief priests who have handed you over to me: what have you done?
N. Jesus replied,
✠ Mine is not a kingdom of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this kind.
N. Pilate said,
O. So you are a king, then?
N. Jesus answered,
✠ It is you who say it. Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.
N. Pilate said,
O. Truth? What is that?
N. and with that he went out again to the Jews and said,
O. I find no case against him. But according to a custom of yours I should release one prisoner at the Passover; would you like me, then, to release the king of the Jews?
N. At this they shouted:
C. Not this man, but Barabbas.
N. Barabbas was a brigand.
Pilate then had Jesus taken away and scourged; and after this, the soldiers twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him and saying,
C. Hail, king of the Jews!
N. and they slapped him in the face.
Pilate came outside again and said to them,
O. Look, I am going to bring him out to you to let you see that I find no case.
N. Jesus then came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said,
O. Here is the man.
N. When they saw him the chief priests and the guards shouted,
C. Crucify him! Crucify him!
N. Pilate said,
O. Take him yourselves and crucify him: I can find no case against him.
N. The Jews replied,
C. We have a Law, and according to that Law he ought to die, because he has claimed to be the Son of God.
N. When Pilate heard them say this his fears increased. Re-entering the Praetorium, he said to Jesus
O. Where do you come from?
N. But Jesus made no answer. Pilate then said to him,
O. Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?
N. Jesus replied,
✠ You would have no power over me if it had not been given you from above; that is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater guilt.
N. From that moment Pilate was anxious to set him free, but the Jews shouted,
C. If you set him free you are no friend of Caesar’s; anyone who makes himself king is defying Caesar.
N. Hearing these words, Pilate had Jesus brought out, and seated himself on the chair of judgement at a place called the Pavement, in Hebrew Gabbatha. It was Passover Preparation Day, about the sixth hour. Pilate said to the Jews,
O. Here is your king.
N. They said,
C. Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!
N. Pilate said,
O. Do you want me to crucify your king?
N. The chief priests answered,
C. We have no king except Caesar.
N. So in the end Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
They then took charge of Jesus, and carrying his own cross he went out of the city to the place of the skull or, as it was called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified him with two others, one on either side with Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote out a notice and had it fixed to the cross; it ran: ‘Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews.’ This notice was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city, and the writing was in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. So the Jewish chief priests said to Pilate,
C. You should not write ‘King of the Jews,’ but ‘This man said: “I am King of the Jews.”’
N. Pilate answered,
O. What I have written, I have written.
N. When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus they took his clothing and divided it into four shares, one for each soldier. His undergarment was seamless, woven in one piece from neck to hem; so they said to one another,
C. Instead of tearing it, let’s throw dice to decide who is to have it.
N. In this way the words of scripture were fulfilled:
They shared out my clothing among them.
They cast lots for my clothes.
This is exactly what the soldiers did.
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother,
✠ Woman, this is your son.
N. Then to the disciple he said,
✠ This is your mother.
N. And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.
After this, Jesus knew that everything had now been completed, and to fulfil the scripture perfectly he said:
✠ I am thirsty.
N. A jar full of vinegar stood there, so putting a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick they held it up to his mouth. After Jesus had taken the vinegar he said,
✠ It is accomplished;
N. and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.
Here all kneel and pause for a short time.
It was Preparation Day, and to prevent the bodies remaining on the cross during the sabbath – since that sabbath was a day of special solemnity – the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken away. Consequently the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with him and then of the other. When they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead, and so instead of breaking his legs one of the soldiers pierced his side with a lance; and immediately there came out blood and water. This is the evidence of one who saw it – trustworthy evidence, and he knows he speaks the truth – and he gives it so that you may believe as well. Because all this happened to fulfil the words of scripture:
Not one bone of his will be broken;
and again, in another place scripture says:
They will look on the one whom they have pierced.
After this, Joseph of Arimathaea, who was a disciple of Jesus – though a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews – asked Pilate to let him remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission, so they came and took it away. Nicodemus came as well – the same one who had first come to Jesus at night-time – and he brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, following the Jewish burial custom. At the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in this garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been buried. Since it was the Jewish Day of Preparation and the tomb was near at hand, they laid Jesus there.
INNOCENT SUFFERING AS A VICARIOUS SACRIFICE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISA 52:13-53:12; HEB 4:14-16; 5:7-9; JOHN 18:1-19:42]
We all go through suffering in life. No one is exempted from suffering, not even Jesus the Son of God, not even God Himself! But we all suffer from different causes and for different reasons. Some of our sufferings are caused by our sins that come from foolish thoughts, unwise words and hurtful actions. In other words, what we reap is what we sow. If we accept these sufferings positively, then as the letter of Hebrews say, we can learn obedience to God’s will and truth. But there are sufferings that come from natural causes, human infirmity and bereavement. This is part of nature in a disordered world and we have to accept them humbly as God’s mystery in creation. However, the greatest form of suffering which we find difficult to accept is innocent suffering caused by man’s selfishness and evil. We suffer unjustly when we are condemned for an offence that we did not commit, or the consequences of other’s sins and negligence. Unjustified suffering is the most difficult to accept in life. We all feel the need to justify ourselves and clear our name so that the truth would be revealed.
Yet among the different forms of suffering, unjust suffering is what can truly change lives and turn hatred to love. In the first letter of Peter, he wrote, “it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.” (1 Pt 2:19-21)
The three scripture readings show us how Jesus suffered innocently and unjustly. Jesus suffered for the truth of God’s Kingdom. When Pilate asked Jesus whether He was the King of the Jews, Jesus made it clear, “Mine is not a kingdom of this world: If my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews.” But Jesus did not deny His kingship. In reply to Pilate, Jesus said, “Yes, I am a King, I was born for this, I came into the world for this; to bear witness to the truth, and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice.” So Jesus came to the world to reveal the truth about man and about God, about what is right and true.
In the trial before Pilate, St John showed that those who were on trial were the chief priests, Pilate and the crowd. The chief priests were bent on having Jesus put to death because He was a threat to the religious institution and their status quo. They connived all kinds of reasons to put Him to death. But because they had no power to put a man to death, they had to accuse Him of a political crime, that Jesus was a rebel by claiming Himself to be the King of the Jews. But as the trial unfolded, the real motive was unveiled because Jesus called Himself the Son of God. It was a religious crime. Even then, in itself, the title “Son of God” is ambiguous as a charge as Israel and the King of Israel was also called the son of God.
But it was not just the chief priests alone who were on trial; Pilate too! He knew the truth but he sought to rationalize the truth away. Clearly, he knew that Jesus was wrongly accused. But instead of acting rightly, he sought to have Jesus scourged and beaten in order to appease the crowd so that they might not ask for His crucifixion. He even sought to use Barabbas as a bait to deter them from crucifying the Lord. His judgment was clear, “I find no case against him.” To save himself from an unpopular decision, he made a compromise, “according to a custom of yours, I should release one prisoner at the Passover; would you like me, then, to release the king of the Jews?’ At this they shouted, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas.’ Barabbas was a brigand.” Pilate was not strong enough to stand on his principles – he tried to do the right thing but caved in to the manipulation of the chief priests and the popular demand for His death.
Jesus’ innocent suffering is required to expose and convict their hypocrisy. Isaiah prophesied, “As the crowds were appalled on seeing him – so disfigured did he look that he seemed no longer human – so will the crowds be astonished at him, for they shall see something never told and witness something never heard before. Without majesty, no looks to attract our eyes; a thing despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrow and familiar with suffering, a man to make people screen their faces.”
Truly, Jesus did not suffer for Himself or because it was fated, but freely for our salvation. This is the real difference between our suffering and that of Jesus. This is what Isaiah wrote, “And yet ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried. But we, we thought of him as someone punished, struck by God, and brought low. Yet he was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins. On him lies a punishment that brings us peace, and through his wounds we are healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each taking his own way, and the Lord burdened him with the sins of all of us. By his sufferings shall my servant justify many, taking their faults on himself.” Jesus suffered and died for us.
But how can innocent and unjust suffering be the cause of our salvation? The truth is that we are moved by someone who suffers for us in our place and not just on our behalf. Jesus took our sins and the consequences of our sins upon Himself so that we can be moved to repentance of our sins. St Peter wrote, “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Pt 2:22-24) We are called to suffer for the greater good of others so that by our innocent suffering, we reveal to them the mercy and love of God.
The letter of Hebrews tells us that it is not “as if we had a high priest who was incapable of feeling our weaknesses with us; but we have one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he is without sin. Let us be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help.” Jesus in His suffering could identify with our suffering so that none of us could say that that God does not understand the pain we carry in us when we suffer injustice. But He teaches us that, in the final analysis, forgiveness is the way to heal ourselves when we are powerless over evil. Rather than using violence to fight against violence, we must overcome hatred by love, war by peace. “Harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly, he never opened his mouth, like a lamb that is led to the slaughter house, like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers never opening its mouth.” Jesus shows that forgiveness is greater than revenge, seeking the salvation of others is greater than seeking justice. We too must learn from our Lord to forgive those who have hurt us, who have accused us wrongly and who have misunderstood us.
We must bear our sufferings positively because we know the truth will be revealed one day, just as Jesus was vindicated by His Father at the resurrection. The truth will finally prevail. Indeed, His innocent suffering inspired Peter, who denied our Lord, into conversion and repentance. The centurion who saw His death said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” (Mt 27:54) Unfortunately, Judas killed himself in despair over his sins. However, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, the two Pharisees who were the hidden followers of Jesus, now came out to identify themselves as Jesus’ disciples.
But we cannot do it alone. We need the grace of God to suffer with and for others, and even at times, to take their place. The letter of Hebrews says, “During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard.” Like our Lord, even when He was on the cross, He prayed, “In you, O Lord, I take refuge. Let me never be put to shame. In your justice, set me free, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Our response is the same that Christ uttered on the cross, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Indeed, let our innocent suffering perfect us in the love of Jesus so that, like Jesus, we can transform the lives of others and lead them to God’s love and mercy and be instruments of God’s salvation.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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