Transcription
In a world that values reaction through war and subjugation, God reveals redemption through restraint. Very often when we are misunderstood, we feel the urge to defend aggressively. When we are hurt, we want to hurt back. But the suffering servant shows us another way. Strength is not in shouting louder. It is in trusting deeper.
Sisters and brothers, a very hearty welcome to each one of you to the Palm Sunday. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to remind ourselves of the journey that Jesus made towards Jerusalem. Setting his face naturally not to stop in Jerusalem but towards Calvary from Hosana to the cross. Let's reflect and journey with Jesus to understand the nuances of this Palm Sunday for each one of us in our own lives too.
A small town once organized a grand welcome for a young man who had grown up there and later became very successful. The whole town gathered at the entrance. Children waving flags, people clapping, music playing. As he entered, everyone shouted his name, proud that he belonged to them. He smiled, waved back, and greeted them warmly.
But later that evening, something unexpected happened. A poor man in the same town fell sick and needed help. This successful man went quietly to visit him, sat beside him and spent time caring for him. There were no crowds, no music, no applause, just silent service. The next day, hardly anyone spoke about what he had done. The celebration was well remembered. But the sacrifice was totally ignored.
That is very much like what happened to Jesus Christ on Palm Sunday. When he entered Jerusalem, the crowds cheered. Hosana. They waved palms and celebrated him like a king. But when he later carried the cross, there were no cheers, only silence and rejection. Yes, it is easy to celebrate Jesus when everything feels joyful. But the real question is, will we stay with him when that road becomes difficult?
Sisters and brothers, to truly grasp Palm Sunday, we must step into the sandals of the people of Jerusalem. The people were living under Roman oppression, taxed heavily, politically suppressed, and longing for liberation. For centuries, they had been waiting for a Messiah, a king like David, who would overthrow their enemies and restore Israel's glory. So when Jesus enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey, fulfilling Zechariah 9, rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king is coming to you. Righteous and having salvation is he. Humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Crowds shouting, "Hosana, save us now." People waving palm branches, a symbol of victory and nationalism. This was not just a religious procession. It was a political expectation. They believed this is the one who will finally change everything. But they misunderstood how Jesus would save. They expected a king who would take power. Jesus came as a king who would give his life. And this misunderstanding becomes the tragedy of the passion narrative in the Gospel of Matthew. The same voices that shout hosana will soon cry crucify him. The same hands that wave palms will soon reject him. Palm Sunday therefore is a moment of misplaced expectations.
Into this confusion, prophet Isaiah through the first reading speaks powerfully. Isaiah presents a servant who listens deeply to God, speaks a word to the weary and endures suffering without resistance. "I gave my back to those who struck me. I did not hide my face from insult and spitting." This is not weakness. It is intentional surrender. Jesus lives this prophecy in the passion. He is betrayed yet does not retaliate. He is falsely accused yet remains silent. He is beaten yet continues to love.
In a world that values reaction through war and subjugation, God reveals redemption through restraint. Very often when we are misunderstood, we feel the urge to defend aggressively. When we are hurt, we want to hurt back. But the suffering servant shows us another way. Strength is not in shouting louder. It is in trusting deeper.
When we journey through the passion narrative in the Gospel of Matthew, especially chapters 26 and 27, one truth becomes painfully clear. Jesus did not fail. He simply did not meet human expectations. The people of Jerusalem were prepared for a Messiah, but only of a certain kind: a political liberator, a powerful ruler, and a visible conqueror. But Jesus reveals a completely different identity. He conquers not by power but by surrender. He saves not by killing enemies but by forgiving them. He reigns not from a throne of gold but from the cross of wood. This is why the cross becomes a scandal. Even his closest followers struggle. Peter cannot accept a suffering Christ and ends up denying him. Judas is perhaps lost hope when Jesus does not act as expected, and the crowd turns away because their hopes collapsed. Yes, they wanted salvation without sacrifice.
One of the most striking moments in the passion narrative is Jesus' silence before Pilate. "He gave him no answer, not even to a single charge." This silence is not helplessness. It is purposeful obedience echoing the suffering servant of Isaiah. He does not defend himself. He does not prove his power, nor does he escape suffering. Why? Because his mission is not to win an argument, but to save humanity through love. Sometimes the greatest strength is the ability to remain silent and trust God.
Sisters and brothers, we know well that in human thinking, the cross is defeated. But in God's plan, the cross is the place where sin is defeated through love's victory. Notice the irony in Matthew's passion narrative. Jesus is given a crown of thorns. He's clothed in a scarlet robe. He's mocked as king of the Jews. Yet without realizing it, they proclaimed the truth. He is the king.
Even today, we struggle with the same misunderstanding. We often expect success without a struggle, faith without sacrifice, and blessings without obedience. When life becomes difficult, we ask, "Where is God? Why is this happening to me?" Like the crowd, we are tempted to walk away when God does not act according to our expectations.
St. Paul brings us to the heart of this mystery. "He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross." This is the Greek word kenosis: self-emptying. Jesus lets go of status, embraces humility, and chooses obedience over comfort. And because of this, God highly exalted him. This reverses our usual way of thinking. World's logic against God's logic. World's logic says climb higher, but God's logic would say go lower. World's logic says hold power, but God's logic would say surrender power. World's logic would say save yourself. But God's logic says give yourself.
Palm Sunday is not just about what happened to Jesus. It is about what happens within us. It's a mirror of our lives. We too are like the crowd. We praise God when life goes well. We question God when life becomes difficult. We follow Jesus until the cross appears. The real question is, do we want a savior or do we want a comfortable solution? Because following Jesus means walking with him into misunderstanding, standing with him in suffering, and trusting him in silence.
The palms we carry today are not decorations. They are decisions. They ask us, "Will you stay when others leave? Will you trust when you don't understand? Will you love when it costs you something?" Sisters and brothers, the tragedy of Palm Sunday is not that the crowd rejected Jesus. The tragedy is that they stopped following him when they saw where he was going, because the road to Calvary is not attractive. It is painful, humbling, and demanding, but it is the only road that leads to resurrection.
Palm Sunday begins with a celebration, but it demands transformation. The people of Jerusalem saw a king and hoped for change. But they missed the deeper truth. God was not just changing their situation. He was transforming their hearts. And today he wants to do the same for each one of us. So as we enter this holy week, let us move from shouting hosana to living obedience, from waving palms to carrying our crosses. Because only when hosana meets the cross does salvation truly begin. Amen.