Selection of the sermons of Father Ezekiel Oko
In his suffering, Jesus addresses human suffering, but what is he telling me?
In the passion story of Jesus, which we hear twice every Holy Week (first on Palm Sunday and then on Good Friday), - we encounter Jesus in his suffering. His Passion – as the Church calls this suffering – is at the same time both a sensitive acceptance of human destiny and the sanctification of this destiny. He suffers with us, but at the same time he gives meaning to our suffering through his. God identifies himself with us not only through the incarnation of the Son of God, but also through his suffering.
In his suffering, Jesus experienced all the things that make human life difficult. These are injustice, betrayal, denial, contempt, etc., things that many people suffer from to this day. In his suffering, therefore, Jesus identifies himself with all of us and with our suffering. One of his disciples betrayed him. Another, whom he regarded as the leader of the disciples, denies him three times. The number 'three' is a sign of completeness. That is, as a representative of the disciples, Simon Peter invariably denied Him (Jesus). All the other disciples also left him, especially at the points where he most needed their help.
He experienced the hatred of the Pharisees, the chief priests and the scribes. He experienced an unjust judgment at the hands of the rulers. "Crucify him!" "Crucify him!" cried the temple servants. They reproached him who has committed no sin and no wrong. They just wanted to "get away with him" because his life was dooming theirs. The suffering was so hard to bear that Jesus once said that he was abandoned by the Father: "Eloi Eloi lema sabachtani!" "My God, my God, why (for what) have you left me?" This question of Jesus shows the depth of his suffering, but he also didn't want to lose sight of the meaning of his suffering. Hence his why question!
Let us look at this passion story of Jesus with a deep sensitivity. Because this story is not one that we should only read or hear, but also experience and empathize with. We cannot experience the suffering of Christ 1:1. Because we cannot imitate the Son of God one to one. But today we come to Jesus with our suffering and accompany him in his suffering with ours. Wherever people suffer, Jesus suffers with humanity. Each of us comes with our suffering. He tells us something like: “I suffer with you and I know the heaviness of your cross. I have sanctified your cross with mine. This gives your suffering a meaning!” He does not teach us to ask “Why?” when suffering, but “Why?” Because we no longer suffer pointlessly when He stands by and accompanies us. He sanctifies our suffering and the cross that we must bear and endure in life so that it becomes a way of hope.
But what does Jesus say to the people who caused his suffering? He spoke tirelessly against unjust deeds and his suffering on the cross condemned all who make people into victims. His sacrifice is the harshest judgment and cries out for justice. But even where Jesus meets the converted perpetrators personally, he never refuses to give them a chance for change and reconciliation. He warned that his disciples would deny, betray and abandon him. But he gave her a look of love. That look says something like, “I understand your weakness; your betrayal of me; your denial; your mistakes are known to me and pain me. Nevertheless, I give you a chance to change and improve. I give you credit. Because I know that you can do better - with me and with my help. What he says at the end makes reconciliation possible: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing!" (Lk 23:34). rich promised.
Perhaps we can learn from Him to give those who caused us suffering a chance for reconciliation and change. The Cross, the mystery of which we celebrate today, is also a sign of bilateral reconciliation - reconciliation with Heaven (God) and reconciliation with one another. We should make good use of this opportunity. At the end of the service we can confess. The priest makes himself available for this. We can also liberate each other through forgiveness and show trust that we can still create the best possible future togetherness. In this sense, too, let us accompany Jesus until his resurrection.
Overview