Passion Sunday

Today’s message for us comes directly from the passage of scripture we are about to read together. There will be no additional comment from me, no attempt at further interpretation. The text stands on its own, the passion of our Lord According to Matthew.

Just a few comments before we read. First, about this word “passion.” What probably pops first into our mind is the modern usage of the word characterized by what might be found in romance novels or television shows like “Desperate Housewives.” Passion is a kind of unbridled sexual desire that in many cases causes people to do irrational things they otherwise would not do. Obviously, this is not the meaning before us today. When we refer to Christ’s passion, we’re focusing on the Latin meaning of the word which means “to suffer.” The Passion of Christ refers to the sufferings he endured in the period following the Last Supper through the Crucifixion.

All four gospels record this passion, although not in identical ways. When you come for our Good Friday service of Darkness, you will hear Christ’s passion according to John. Today’s reading is Matthew’s account.

In Matthew, Jesus fulfills his God-given destiny foreshadowed in the Scriptures and inaugurates a new age of history of resurrection life. Jesus is the obedient Son of God, tenaciously faithful even in the midst of extreme suffering. Jesus' trust in God, tested in the cruelty of death itself, is not in vain.

As we read, pay attention to the key players in the drama. Jesus remains calm in the face of his terrible destiny. The chief priest and elders launch a desperate plot. Judas is a tragic figure, giving Jesus up to death, leading to his own tragic end. Peter gives in to fear, denying he ever knew Jesus as he watched the trial unfold.

Pay attention also to the different scenes and the movement from one to another. There is the opening scene where Jesus speaks to the disciples of what is to come and a woman shows her devotion to the Lord. We move to the Last Supper and the revealing of the betrayer. Then it’s on to Gethsemane, where Jesus prays and gives himself over to the Father’s will. We have the trial, the crucifixion, Christ’s death, and the anticipation of the dawn of a new age as the graves of the saints are opened and they are raised to new life.

Also, as we read, we participate by reading the parts marked “people” and in bold print. Sometimes we are frightened disciples. Sometimes we are the angry crowd, calling for Jesus’ death. Sometimes we are the soldiers, mocking him. Finally, we are those standing at the foot of the cross, who, after watching all that has taken place, say with awe and wonder, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

So, let today’s message begin, “The Passion of our Lord According to Matthew.”