How many times have we read the Passion Story we have just concluded? How many times have we really read it—and been gripped by the horror of the pain and the steep humility of our Savior, the Son of God?
Our readings today all build to this humility—and yet and the same time show shadows of the Divinity of our Lord. It starts with the simple things like—how did Jesus know there would be a colt in a particular place that the disciples would find for him? How is it that the suffering of Jesus would be so clearly foretold by Isaiah in our second reading? In the Passion, how did Jesus know his betrayer? And of course, how did he give his own body and blood as food and drink?
And yet, beyond the hints of His Divinity are the deep, so dark accounts of his suffering, of the ridicule he faced, the physical punishments he would endure, and the ultimate horror of his death—a suffering and death which were accompanied by a darkness in the sky the likes of which caused even the soldier to say that this was clearly the Son of God. And to seal it all, his dead body was taken off the cross and placed in a tomb, a place of lasting darkness where he was laid to rest. And if the story were to end there, as it does in the Passion account, we would not be here today. For what we as humans have always sought is light, not darkness—Truth, not lies. And of course, we know the rest of the story—the story that comes out of darkness into a wonderful light at Easter with the Resurrection, where Jesus conquers sin and death and proclaims the Truth.
How can this help us today? In a very real way, many of us have spent the past year in darkness. Some have lost friends and family members. All of us have been cut off from others that we love, in hopes of mutual protection. And yet, Easter still happens. The light of Christ, which is pure love, the love of a God so deep that He became one of us and suffered that we might be redeemed pierces the darkness. While our separations must, in some ways continue out of love for each other, that same love can help keep us connected. For that was His command to us—to Love one another. So, on this still difficult Easter, I would encourage you to look beyond the darkness of our current state—to look toward the Light of Christ that does conquer all evil. Some of us—hopefully, most of us will live beyond this darkness. And while we wait, we know that it is the Light of Christ—and the love he commands that maintains us. We look beyond the tomb of Good Friday to the Joy of Easter. Never forgetting the pain he endured for us—but empowered by that example of love we have faith in a brighter tomorrow when we will emerge out of the darkness.
