Krzysztof Bronk – Vatican
The death of Jesus is not an act of fate, but a deliberate act of will
In his homily, the Pope referred to today’s Gospel, in which Jesus is condemned. The leaders of the Jewish nation decide to kill Him. The killing of Jesus is not an act of fate, but a concrete, deliberate act of will, a paradoxical reaction to the raising of Lazarus.
Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin were guided by political calculation
“The judgment of Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin arises from political calculation, at the root of which is fear: if Jesus continues to give hope, transforming the pain of the people into joy, ‘the Romans will come’ and destroy the country (cf. v. 48). The religious leaders, instead of recognizing the Messiah, the long-awaited Christ, in the Nazarene, see Him as a threat. Their view is so distorted that it is precisely the scholars of the Law who themselves break the Law. Forgetting God’s promise to their people, they want to kill an innocent man, because behind their fear lies an attachment to power.”
They kill without scruples, just like today
The Pope compared the unjust condemnation of Jesus to what is happening in the modern world. “We are witnessing two opposing dynamics: on the one hand, the revelation of God, who shows His face as the almighty Lord and Savior, on the other hand, the hidden action of powerful authorities, ready to kill without scruples. Is this not also happening today? (…) For in the history of Jesus is contained the history of all of us, starting from the smallest and oppressed: even today, how many calculations are made in the world to kill the innocent; how many apparent reasons are put forward to get rid of them!”
Let us not get used to war
The Pope emphasized that every life cut short is a wound inflicted on the Body of Christ. He appealed not to get used to the din of war. Peace – he said – is not merely a balance of power, it is the work of purified hearts.
Above evil, God’s justice
The Pope assured that in the face of persistent evil stands the eternal justice of God. It is He who frees from suffering, filling with hope and converting hardened hearts. “This mercy saves the world: it cares for every human life, from the moment it develops in the mother’s womb, until it withers, in all its fragility,” the Pope said.
God annihilates evil with His love
Finally, he once again assured that when evil rages and idolatry makes hearts indifferent, the Lord God prepares His Passover. He annihilates evil with His love. He shows that the true name of His omnipotence is mercy.
