Jesus’ Passion: Not Invited to Understand

I hopped into a car to witness the Passion of the Christ enacted by St. Anselm’s Rising Youth Ministry at Southall. But I did want to avoid offering trifle excuses on a Saturday evening. After finishing “A Day with Mary” at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Osterley, it was a long day for me. I am glad I sat with a packed congregation for the passion play at St. Anslem’s Church Southall. It evokes a sense of Jesus’ agony like never before.

“Now, you will not understand.”

As the play began, it was the scene of the Last Supper. “Now you will not understand,” a person who played Jesus’ role said to Peter – the one who objects to Jesus’ action of washing the feet. These were the first words of Jesus in the play. I began to see the passion in a new way – a failure to understand.

And that’s the problem most of the time with people in general. It is our need to understand and figure it out – an emerging frustration to comprehend the claims of God. It’s this frustration that leads to enforced suffering for others. But what is the alternative? Read more to discover it.

Who failed to understand Jesus?  And why?

Peter’s effort to Understand Jesus

Let’s talk about Peter, the chosen leader of the twelve. Peter accepted Jesus as a master in the social setting of the time. A master will never wash the feet of a slave, and Peter failed to comprehend what this reversal of the role was all about. Hence Peter’s objection to stopping Jesus from washing his feet. Eventually, Peter half-heartedly surrenders. Peter’s denial unfolds the story of lack of understanding.

How Judas’ dream crashed

Judas! It was an incredible scene in the play. The dialogue of Judas Iscariot brings out the struggle within. Judas was expecting a warrior king, and Jesus proclaimed a message of love and forgiveness. Judas was shattered as Jesus was not going to fulfil his dream to liberate Jerusalem from the Roman occupation. It’s the disillusion that led Judas to betray Jesus.

Why did the Pharisees, Scribes and Chief Priests fail?

They were Jesus’ chief opponents. They are the ones who should have had the frame of the Law to anticipate the Messiah. Their scriptural objections and legal interpretations fell short of comprehending the spirit of the Son of Man called Jesus. They were losing power, fame and money. It trapped them to get rid of Jesus rather than to seek the voice of God.

The fallacy of the Government’s Officials

They had the foolish assumption that peace is enforced with the weapons of a battalion of soldiers.   Jesus was the potential rebel who could brew a revolution that would disturb their comfort zone of enjoyment of the privileges of authority. It was the classic story where enemies become friends when their common interests merge. They joined the religious leaders who wanted the same things. They failed to understand what was happening. They indulged in doing what they could do best – get rid of Jesus.

What did Jesus’ followers, Women and Soldiers miss out on?

People get swayed by the majority opinion, even when they see the truth. It is folly to assume that the mainstream is always right. Jesus’ followers had a choice between what they witnessed in Jesus and what the authorities intended to do. It’s a basic survival instinct when we operate in understanding mode. Women were mentioned significantly in the scriptures of the time. It is extraordinary, as women’s testimony was invalid in those days. The soldiers were bound to follow orders. These are the group of people who suppress what they know is true because the cost of speaking up is death – or a grave disadvantage to a life situation.

Thomas – I still need to understand.

Sometimes, people still search for facts, even when there is a sound testimony. In his doubt, Thomas tries to understand how Jesus can rise again from death. For Thomas, Jesus was killed on the cross. It is not possible in the human mind to comprehend a resurrection.

What’s the alternative to understanding Jesus’ Passion?

We may find ourselves in different characters of Jesus’ passion. Our failure to understand will continue unless we embrace this one thing: It is a humble acceptance that we cannot understand Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection. Yes, we cannot. It is a moment of grace. It takes believing!

Believing is not the opposite of understanding. Believing is more profound – a delving into the mystery. Peter’s failure was openness to believe in Jesus. Judas could not accept a new way of fulfilling his dream of liberation. The religious leaders got lost in the details of the law and forgot the big picture of why the law exists. The government official was blinded by the illusion that everything was under their control. The disciples were like sheep led to the slaughter, offering their lives in the hands of human authority. And the Thomas of our time continues to use science to prove God is the biggest myth of our times.

Final words

The excitement is not in understanding Jesus’ passion. The joy is rather in letting Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection draw you into the mystery of God. Jesus’s words: What I am doing now, you will not understand. It remains true—one day, you will believe. After that, life can never be the same again. You will respond to those who come to you asking: We want to see Jesus.  And you will show them Jesus Christ.

Getting young people together is an achievement, and Mark Silva, the director, and Fr Jovito D’Souza, the parish priest of St. Anslem’s Church Southall, have done an amazing job. The annual presentation offers a fresh perspective on the passion of Jesus.

About the Author

Feroz Fernandes, a Catholic Missionary, identifies himself as an Uncommon Priest. Father Feroz loves adventure in the apostolate. Check out his debut book, The Uncommon Priest: Incredible Stories You Never Read. Also, the YouTube Channel Feroz Fernandes promotes a better understanding of scripture.

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