Fr. Manuel Flores, SJ
Easter Sunday
April 1, 2018
Does the resurrection of Jesus have anything to say to our time that is dominated by lies and deception, murder and violence?
Like Jeremiah we are sometimes moved to lament “Lord, why do evil men prosper? (Jer 12:1)
Truth is no longer important today, anyone can proclaim anything even if it is not true, you don’t really even have to believe what you say. Truth is dead. The deceivers, spinners, purveyors of fake news have mastered media and seem to be the masters of the world. Mastering the art of deception they are winning surveys, elections, and public opinion among the gullible and uninformed.
They have mastered how to twist the laws and manipulate the legal system, imprisoning the innocent, freeing the guilty and silencing those who would speak the truth. Thousands of killings are done with impunity.
How can we prevent ourselves from sliding into despair?
What can we learn from Jesus who himself was a cruel victim of lies and violence?
Whom are we really fighting against?
St Ignatius sees in the world the struggle between two camps: the standard of Satan and the standard of Christ. St Paul reminds us “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12)
Jesus gives essence of the Devil’s character when He speaks to the Jews who were trying to kill Him.
“You belong to your father, the devil …He was a MURDERER from the beginning… there is no truth in him… for he is a liar and the FATHER OF LIES. (Jn 8:44).
Jesus clearly reveals who is truly behind those who LIE and KILL.
Jesus shares the suffering of the victims of lies, deception and legal manipulation today.
Jesus died an innocent man. Jesus own trial was illegal for numerous reasons among which are; 1) the Sanhedrin were not allowed to conduct trials at night, and 2) a sentence of death needed at the very least a two day trial. Pilate carefully examined Jesus and declared that he did not find him guilty of any wrongdoing.
Jesus shares the suffering of the victims of gossip and slander, of those who are falsely accused and punished of crimes they did not commit. It is worthy to note that two of the holiest churchmen of our age had been victims of calumny and slander and ultimately vindicated. Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago was falsely accused of sexual abuse. Pope Francis himself was accused and ostracized for failing to do enough to defend Jesuits under his care against the Argentinian military. We can understand why in his first year as pope, Pope Francis had already preached at least 5 homilies against slander, gossip and calumny. “Slander can kill” he said.
Jesus shares the fate of those unjustly killed
Jesus shares the fate of the many victims of the drug wars (“tumakas o nanlaban”) whose estimates run from 3,000 to 12,000.
The devil failed to kill Jesus during Herod’s massacre of the innocents in Bethlehem. Now through the highest religious leaders of the Jews the devil will succeed. Jesus had many times in the gospels eluded their grasp. But now he gives himself to them: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” (Jn 10:18)
God the Father stopped Abraham from the pain of sacrificing his son Isaac, but the Father will not spare Himself from the pain of sacrificing Jesus His own Son out of love for us.
How God deceived the deceiver!
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us” (NIV 2 Cor 5:2) God allowed His Son to become sin itself! Isaiah describes how Jesus became as ugly as sin: “There was no beauty in Him to attract us” (Is 53:2) Because he truly became sin, Jesus experienced the incomparable pain of being separated from the Father: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” (Mt 27:46)
But sin dies with Jesus because Jesus had become sin itself!
By killing Jesus the devil killed sin itself.
By killing Jesus the devil proved that Jesus was the Lord of Life!
By killing Jesus the devil proved that all of Jesus claims were true!
We are enduring very difficult times of lies and deception, murder and violence. The resurrection of Jesus assures us of the ultimate victory of God, and the ultimate triumph of truth and life. The Preface for the Mass of the Christ the King describes the eternal kingdom in these words:
a kingdom of Truth and Life
of Holiness and Grace
of Justice, Love and Peace
At every moment, in every person, in every place and situation, the risen Jesus is already present, purposefully moving in the world.
As we suffer with Jesus, we shall share in the victory, power and joy of Christ!
We are not victims but victors!