Passion Sunday
Reading I:
Isaiah 50:4-7 II:
Philippians 2:6-11
Gospel
Matthew 26:14-27:66
Interesting Details
-
Mt
26:14-75 shows an overall pattern in which the disciples fail more, while
Jesus commits more of Himself and suffers more:
14-16 Judas plots against Jesus
17-19 Jesus prepares the Passover
20-25 Judas' betrayal is predicted
26-29 Jesus institutes the Eucharist
30-35 Peter's denial is predicted
36-46 Jesus agonizes in the Gethsemane
47-56 the Disciples flee
57-68 Jesus is tried
69-75 Peter denies Jesus
- Jews of the period would admire the way Jesus suffers: without any
complaint. Even the statement "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me" is the first line of Psalm 22
(Psalm
22:1) that concludes with God honoring his people.
- Jerome cites three main themes (not discussed here) for
Mt
26:1-28:20:
"christology (especially through prophetic knowledge and fulfillment), a
polemical emphasis on the responsibility of
Jewish leaders and their supporters, and a series of moral examples, primarily
by Jesus, but also of Peter and Judas, the women, other disciples, and the
gentile soldiers."
One Main Point
Jesus suffers and dies.
Reflections
- Follow Christ and the disciples. Am I committing myself more like Christ, or
drifting further away like the disciples?
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A synthesis by the Vietnamese Christian Life (Dong Hanh) Community