But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ John 20:24-25

For a change I am going to talk about someone who comes from the other side of the social spectrum. She is in her mid eighties even though she looks much younger than her age. She comes from a wealthy family and lives in an exclusive neighborhood in São Paulo. She is an active member of the church. I don’t really know her at all apart from our casual but superficial interactions during church. Our worlds are so apart that it was hard to find a bridge to connect us. She tries her best to be friendly even though she knows that the social barrier is a difficult one to overcome. Despite all this, we found ourselves in the same room studying the gospel of John together. It became our bridge. All our social standing was left at the door, here we were mere Christians seeking a deeper understanding of our faith.

We were talking about something concerning the divinity of Jesus and she confessed that she had no problems with the teachings of Jesus. However, she found it hard to grasp His divinity. This is a person who never misses a Sunday. She comes alone to church. Her family have, unfortunately, “grown out” of church. She goes to church seeking for a deeper connection with God and yet she has doubts. She has problems with the principal doctrine of our faith; the divinity of Jesus. For some reason, I respected her even more after she said this. She became more real and, in some sense, vulnerable. It also revealed to me her genuine desire to know Jesus intimately. It was so strong that she wasn’t afraid to express her doubts.

The gospel of John had prepared the stage for this episode with Thomas. The apostle was introduced in bits and pieces throughout the gospel. He was always the one who asked the relevant questions; the kind that everyone wanted to ask but lacked the courage.

Thomas willingly gave up everything to follow Jesus. He wholeheartedly trusted this strange Teacher who taught things of God with authority and love. He wasn’t a mere follower of the crowd. He desired a deep and profound connection with the Eternal God and Jesus helped him sense this. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that he wasn’t going to believe on secondary testimony. He needed to see the Resurrected Christ himself. Mostly likely, Thomas understood the repercussion of such an event more than anyone else. The other disciples were still disoriented with this new outcome of our Lord’s death. Thomas knew what all this meant but first, He needed to meet the Lord for Himself. It wasn’t that he doubted the integrity of his fellow apostles. The things they claimed were too important for him to depend solely on their testimony. He had no choice. He needed to see the Resurrected Lord for Himself.

Many times we are impressed with people who never question their faith. However, this is not always a positive thing. Sometimes these people don’t go beyond the superficial. Sometimes their faith may not be so important for them and they don’t have to risk anything for it. Consequently, they have no reason to question anything. On the other hand, doubts can be a sign of a maturing faith. Some time ago, there was a book or an article about Mother Theresa’s personal writings. In them, she admitted to entertaining doubts about her faith and God. This caused a reaction which bordered on absurdity. It revealed the superficial notion that the world has about faith. It is not about blind endorsement to a set of teachings on the supernatural. It is a dynamic and living relationship with a Person which transcends our reality. In other words, our faith is constantly growing. We cannot as finite beings comprehend the Infinite in one sitting. Our Faith constantly modifies how we understand life and each step of this process is a moment of decision. Consequently, it also means leaving behind ideas and concepts that we have held onto so dearly. In the case of Thomas, he knew that Resurrected Jesus meant that he had to abandon most of the things he was taught about God since he was a child. It meant that he had to embrace something entire new and unknown to him. Each one of us come into our faith with preconceived ideas about God. As our faith matures, we find ourselves in a place where we need to abandon these ideas. Sometimes the idea of abandoning them might be accompanied by a sense of despair and fear because stepping into a new and unknown territory is always risky and frightening.

Not too long ago, I received a bizarre message from a young woman who once a homeless young girl in this city. I mentioned her many times before. In fact, the very first article I wrote for this blog is about our encounter with her. We met her when she was eleven and homeless. Today she is 41 years old and, thankfully, no longer homeless. However, her life is not a success story nor the contrary is true. Life doesn’t function in terms of success or failure. She is living her life in the best way she can. She struggles frequently with defining her own identity. Her life was one of rejection since the day she was born. She often refers to us as her parents. I have to admit we don’t do much. However, we represent people who did not reject her and this is important for her personal growth. She has clung onto her faith her whole life long. It has helped overcome many obstacles.

She wrote a message to me asking me if I believed in God. I knew that this was a message which required a follow-up phone call and long conversation. Veronica, at that moment, wasn’t going through any personal crisis which is a rare occurrence for her. She was feeling quite peaceful until she looked out her window and saw the bright stars in the clear skies. She was grasped by the immensity of the universe. At that precise moment she was grasped by the fact that she was nothing but a tiny spot in the face of the universe. Suddenly she was assailed by doubts. She began to question all the things she had believed until now. She realized that most of it was just mere hearsay; things her pastor and people had told her. She wondered if God truly cared about her, after all, she was just a mere speck in the universe. She looked back to her life and all her struggles and wondered if she just invented this figure of God as a mere coping mechanism. Veronica was having an existential crisis. One could say that she was having a religious experience. I am one of these. It was an invitation for growth. Her experiences, perhaps, were not much different from the ones Thomas experienced. She needed to make a drastic decision and she needed some assurance to move on.

Then Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ John 20:27-28

At moments like this, no words nor arguments can be adequately convincing. They could lead to despair and desperation. However, this story in the gospel brings special hope to us. It reveals to us that Jesus is willing and able to respond to us in a real and genuine manner. It is an answer only our Lord could give.

Thomas did not come out of the experience unscathed. Jesus rebuked him but not for his doubts but for the conditions he set. He limited the way the resurrected Christ should manifest to him. This attitude can lead us to despair. When we limit the way God should act in our lives, them we might fail to discern His presence in His own creative way in our lives. Thomas was saved from despair because he chose to remain in the company of those who encountered the Resurrected Christ. These were able to maintain the hope in his heart of the possibility of a real encounter with the Lord. Whereas none of their words could convince Thomas, their active testimony through their lives and friendship with Thomas kept him from falling into the permanent state of unbelief.

I asked Veronica if she went to church during Holy Week. She sent me a picture of herself and several friends in church. She once told me that even thought doubts assail her, she cannot help but pray to God. I have hope for Veronica, the woman from our church, and all our homeless youth in the street that they will have a genuine encounter with the Resurrected Christ. The threat of despair is real and strong but if they are surrounded by genuine witnesses of the Resurrected Lord, then this threat is not able to consume them. The important thing is to know and maintain hope that the Resurrected Christ will manifest Himself. It may not be as dramatic as that of Thomas. Nevertheless, it will be creative and real enough for them to confess like Thomas that Jesus is their “God and Lord”. We can have this assurance because our Lord has risen and is alive today. He is present in a real way in our lives as long as we don’t limit the way He should manifest to us.

Jesus was silent during His trial. However, He wasn’t completely quiet. He broke His silence several times. He reminded the religious authorities that He lived His life openly for everyone to see. He hid nothing from anyone. He was an open book. He answered Pilate when the latter asked Him if He was a King. Jesus never said that He was even though in other places in the New Testament He is proclaimed as the King of Kings. In churches, we have hymns singing of His Kingship. However, Jesus always made it clear that it was the accusers who claimed that He wanted to be a King. It is a curious thing which demands some reflection. However, it won’t be done in this space for now. Jesus did say that His Kingdom was not of this world. Therefore, He wasn’t a king according to the definition of this world. He was a different kind of king. Jesus had a different understanding of power. Pilate represented the Roman Emperor and yet, he was helpless when it came to doing what was right. Pilate was the perfect example of worldly power. He was good at abusing his authority but very weak in implementing what was right and good. This hasn’t changed today. Power and authorities seem to be helpless and restricted when it comes to doing the just thing. Many times they don’t even know what is justice means. They are too occupied with pleasing people. Pilate spoke a lot but got nothing done in terms of justice. Jesus, in His silence, established a Kingdom which is still alive today.

Jesus was silent in the face of the accusations. This silence really goes against our human nature. We are always trying to defend ourselves. We put a lot of stock in our words. We think our words could change things but Jesus chose to remain silent. The religious authorities were very eloquent in their deceitful arguments. The crowd willingly believed their twisted lies. They took what was good and distorted it into something evil and wicked. Today we use a term quite frequently to describe such tactics; gaslighting. The fact we have a word for this reveals that what the religious leaders did was something which is part of our human nature.

The religious leaders were provoking Jesus. They wanted Jesus to be become just like them. They wanted Jesus to say things that would win the crowd over to His side. They wanted Him to become a people pleaser. The religious leaders were not interested in the Truth. They were interested in gaining the approval of the people, the civil authorities and respect of the masses. Jesus was not going to stoop down to their level. He wasn’t going to submit to their mindset. Actually, He spoke against the dangers of this mentality.

For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Mark 8:36

Jesus wasn’t going to use His words to sway the opinion of the people. He wasn’t going to use His healing powers to win the approval of the people. He wasn’t going to succumb to the temptation of the devil. Jesus chose to be silent.

Silence in itself is not virtuous. There are many who are silent because of cowardice and indifference. Even among the crowds at the trial and crucifixion of our Lord, there were many who were silent because of fear. However, at the foot of Cross, there were disciples who were silent because they never had a voice in society. In other words, they were a people who were silenced. These were the women and a certain young disciple, John, who must have been a very young teen according to tradition. They stood silently by our Lord. They did not expect our Lord to speak. They just wanted to be with Jesus. Their hearts were filled with despair because they were losing Him. However, never once did they demand that He speak. It wasn’t necessary. They knew who Jesus was and is. They knew that He had earned His right to be silent.

The accusers and mockers of Jesus did not stop even at the Cross. They provoked Him to say something in His own defense. However, no one really said what they expected Him to say. Perhaps they wanted Jesus to promise them things that they desired. Perhaps they wanted Jesus to be their personal servant. Perhaps we should ask ourselves this question too whenever we question God’s silence. Many times do we ask where God is in times of pain and suffering. Often times we ask God to answer for His absence whenever grave injustice is done. We question God which is understandable. However, what do we want Him to do exactly? Are we expecting Him to do our will? Jesus had no need to answer His accusers and mockers. He wasn’t going to change for them nor do anything to gain their approval. He healed the sick. He brought hope to the hopeless. He received those who were rejected. He loved those who were hated by society. He already revealed to the people who He was and still is. There was no need for Him to defend Himself. There is a lesson for us who like to put too much stock in words. We should seek to follow the example of our Lord and earn our right to be silent. Words can be twisted to mean many things. Our Lord’s life remains eternally present. Seeking to live our lives eternally like our Lord is better than learning to speak eloquently. Jesus was victorious in His silence.

Our Lord’s silence judged the world. The verdict was not anything that would be expected of the kings and politicians of this world. No wonder Jesus refused to be acknowledged as a king. He is nothing like the authorities of this world, then and today. His verdict would be scandalous even today. It might provoke a lot of hatred among religious people of today. Jesus was falsely accused. He died in the place of a murderer. He was betrayed by his close friend. People made a mockery of His suffering. He had the right to do away with this despicable people and yet His judgement was plain and simple,

“Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

Any judge or politician or priest who advocates forgiveness in this broad and generous manner will be rejected and hated today. These words are comfort only to those who seek the Truth revealed in our Lord. For these, He has one final thing to say;

“It is finished!”

Jesus has lived a full and complete life transcending all time and space. It is a Life which sought to build treasure in places where thieves cannot steal nor rust can destroy. This is the Life He offers to us. This is the Life which would truly satisfy us. It is not a Life which the world understands. The world will provoke and mock this Lifestyle. Nevertheless, it is the only one which would fulfill our souls. The women and the young disciple at the foot of the Cross were filled with despair but they did not realize that Jesus hung on the Cross to overcome despair. And He did!

We may all agree that Palm Sunday has a confusing liturgy. It starts with a joyful procession followed by the sorrowful reading of the Passion. Perhaps those who are accustomed to the liturgical tradition may not give it a second thought. This would be unfortunate. The Liturgy beckons us to reflect. Firstly on the person of Jesus and then on our response to Him. In fact, the whole purpose of Holy Week is to invite us to reflect on Jesus and our response to Him.

Let us start our reflection today with the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This is not something which happened by chance. It was carefully orchestrated by our Lord. He had planned to enter into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey. This is hardly a majestic creature by any stretch of the imagination. It is a beast of the peasant. Jesus entered the city in a manner completely contrary to the kings and queens of His time who processed into cities with their majestic horses announcing their great and mighty deeds. Our politicians of today are not much different. Even the procession of popes, bishops, and priests of today do not reflect the utter simplicity of our Lord. Jesus, in His simplicity, revealed to the people who He is. This is the only thing Jesus offered to the people. No empty promises. No lies or manipulations. He just offered Himself. The people responded to this. For a brief moment, this sufficed for the people. The people were able to see Jesus as the Christ, the complete fulfillment of all things necessary for all creation to have a rich and abundant Life.

Perhaps today the title, “Christ” has lost much of its significance. For many modern people like ourselves, the title is often used as if it is the surname of Jesus. In the New Testament times, the title “Christ” was designated to the person who would fulfill all things good and necessary for abundant life. The “Christ” is the final and perfect answer to the deepest need of all humanity. After the appearance of the Christ, there was no more waiting for anyone or anything else.

Abundant Life is one thing Jesus promised to humanity. The problem is that we often have confusing ideas of what it means to have abundant life. Each generation has its fair share of confusion in this matter. Today many think abundant life has to do with material wealth. Consequently we believe that certain ideologies which we hold onto would give us abundant life. It doesn’t matter if this ideology is on the left or right, the objective is the same; material wealth. In the pursuit of this material wealth, Jesus had very little offer to us. He lived as a poor person, He came into Jerusalem as a poor person. He died as someone who had no resources to bribe and sway the opinion of the masses. In other words, He died as a poor person. Jesus has very little to offer to a world which is obsessed with material possession. If He was here today in person promising abundant life to this world, He mostly likely would be rejected if He was lucky. It is very probable that He would face the same fate as He did two thousand years ago. The abundant Life that Jesus offers still does not appeal to the vast majority of the people today.

It does not mean that Jesus is not given an important role in our lives today. We want Jesus to give us good feelings and a sense of spiritual security. However, we won’t see Him as the Christ until we accept the abundant Life that He offers us. It does not mean that we are worse than the people who welcomed Jesus in the gospel. It means that we are just like them. They recognized something powerful and special in the person of Jesus. They recognized in Him that there was genuine life. Unfortunately, they had different priorities from that of the Christ. These priorities took over their hearts and minds. The story of Palm Sunday ends in a tragic manner where the people who cried, “Hosanna to the King” ended up shouting “Crucify Him!” This is the tragic story of humanity. This is our story.

I am sure not any of us today participating in the liturgies of the Holy Week would deliberately put Jesus on the Cross. The fact is that no one who welcomed Jesus in Jerusalem thought the same. They were genuinely happy to welcome Jesus. It wasn’t just an emotional event. There was a genuine response to the prompting they sensed in their souls. It was a true religious experience for the people. However, religious experiences are not enough to transform us into good and saintly people. In fact, the most dangerous people in the world are religious people. I am not talking about fanatics. I am talking about people allow themselves to be convinced that sometimes “evil” is necessary in order to have so-called good things. The people who put Jesus on the Cross were religious people. They believed that they were doing something good. The idea for the phrase, “necessary evil” is even found in the gospels. The Pharisees said it in order to convince people of the necessity of murdering our Lord;

“You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” John 11:50

This argument of “necessary evil” still flourishes today in Christianity. It reveals to us that many in the church do not believe in the sufficiency of the life of Jesus. They believe that Jesus still needs help from our earthly wisdom. Even worse, they believe that Jesus needs the help of “necessary evil” to accomplish good in this world. This is an idea that is completely incompatible with the gospel.

The bottom line is either we believe Jesus is the Christ, the complete fulfillment for abundant Life or we reject Him as such. There is no middle road.

Having religious sentiments or even a powerful religious experience does not mean we understand the person of Jesus. It doesn’t mean we are good people. We still need to make a conscious decision. This is not a one time deal. If it was, then Jesus would not have been crucified. The people who courageously welcomed Him would have stood up for Him. We know that this wasn’t the case. They failed to recognize that He is Christ. They were holding onto the idea of what a King should. They were holding on to their idea of what abundant life meant. They could not fit Jesus into their old ideas. Instead of changing their mindset, they crucified Jesus. Jesus warned us,

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. Luke 5:37-38

Every year during Holy Week, we are challenged with the true image of Jesus. We are confronted with the Christ who broke bread with the very friend who would betray Him. He withstood insults and physical injuries without raising a finger to retaliate. He forgave unconditionally those who hurled words of hatred at Him. He showed us what it means to be a truly good person. This is the Christ of the gospel. This is the very Christ who overcame death. This Christ showed us that we can overcome this world with all it miseries and sufferings to have abundant Life. He promised us abundant Life. However, it is not a Life free from pain and suffering. It is not a Life of luxury. It is Life that this world can never offer us. It is Life that we can only discover when we are willing to give our hearts and soul to the Crucified Messiah. It is a Life which will transform us into agents of Life to those around us. This is a promise our Lord made;

“Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” John 4:14

Have a Blessed Holy Week!