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New Page: Must God Be Violent? A Diagnosis and Prescription for the Modern Church
Liturgy of the Palms:
Mk 11:1-11 or Jn 12:12-16
Ps 118:1-2,19-29
Liturgy of the Passion:
Is 50:4-9a
Ps 31:9-16
Phil 2:5-11
Mk 14:1-15:47 or Mk 15:1-39,(40-47)
(Mark 11:1-11)
When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount
of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, "Go into the
village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied
there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone
says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it and
will send it back here immediately.'" They went away and found a colt
tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of
the bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?"
They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then
they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on
it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches
that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed
were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of
the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in
the highest heaven!" Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple;
and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went
out to Bethany with the twelve.
(John 12:12-16)
The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord-- the King of Israel!" Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: "Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!" His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him.
(Isaiah 50:4-9a)
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to
sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens-- wakens my ear
to listen as those who are taught. The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was
not rebellious, I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck
me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting. The Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been
disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall
not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together. Who are my
adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord GOD who helps me; who will
declare me guilty?
(Philippians 2:5-11)
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in
the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the
point of death-- even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted
him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father.
(Mark 14:1-72)
It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread.
The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by
stealth and kill him; for they said, "Not during the festival, or there
may be a riot among the people." While he was at Bethany in the house
of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster
jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured
the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger,
"Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have
been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the
poor." And they scolded her. But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why
do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always
have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish;
but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed
my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news
is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance
of her." Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the
chief priests in order to betray him to them. When they heard it, they were
greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an
opportunity to betray him. On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the
Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, "Where do you
want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?"
So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go into the city, and
a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and wherever he enters,
say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where
I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' He will show you a large room upstairs,
furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there." So the disciples
set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and
they prepared the Passover meal. When it was evening, he came with the twelve.
And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, "Truly
I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me." They
began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, "Surely,
not I?" He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping
bread into the bowl with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him,
but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been
better for that one not to have been born." While they were eating, he
took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them,
and said, "Take; this is my body." Then he took a cup, and after
giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to
them, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.
Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until
that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." When they had sung
the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, "You
will all become deserters; for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.' But after I am raised up, I will go before
you to Galilee." Peter said to him, "Even though all become deserters,
I will not." Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you, this day, this
very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times."
But he said vehemently, "Even though I must die with you, I will not
deny you." And all of them said the same. They went to a place called
Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and
agitated. And said to them, "I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain
here, and keep awake." And going a little farther, he threw himself on
the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from
him. He said, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove
this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want." He came and
found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could
you not keep awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may not come into
the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he
came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did
not know what to say to him. He came a third time and said to them, "Are
you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son
of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See,
my betrayer is at hand." Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas,
one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and
clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Now the betrayer
had given them a sign, saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; arrest
him and lead him away under guard." So when he came, he went up to him
at once and said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him. Then they laid hands
on
him and arrested him. But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck
the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to them,
"Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were
a bandit? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did
not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled." All of them deserted
him and fled. A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a
linen cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the linen cloth and ran
off naked. They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests,
the elders, and the scribes were assembled. Peter had followed him at a distance,
right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards,
warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were
looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none.
For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree.
Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, "We heard
him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three
days I will build another, not made with hands.'" But even on this point
their testimony did not agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and
asked Jesus, "Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against
you?" But he was silent and did not answer. Again
the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed
One?" Jesus said, "I am; and 'you will see the Son of Man seated
at the right hand of the Power,' and 'coming with the clouds of heaven.'"
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "Why do we still need
witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?" All
of them condemned him as deserving death. Some began to spit on him, to blindfold
him, and to strike him, saying to him, "Prophesy!" The guards also
took him over and beat him. While
Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant- girls of the high priest
came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, "You
also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth." But he denied it, saying,
"I do not know or understand what you are talking about." And he
went out into the forecourt. Then the cock crowed. And the servant-girl, on
seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of
them." But again he denied it. Then
after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you
are one of them; for you are a Galilean." But he began to curse, and
he swore an oath, "I do not know this man you are talking about."
At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered
that Jesus had said to him, "Before the cock crows twice, you will deny
me three times." And he broke down and wept.
(Mark 15:1-47)
As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the
elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away,
and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of
the Jews?" He answered him, "You say so." Then the chief priests
accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, "Have you no answer?
See how many charges they bring against you." But Jesus made no further
reply, so that Pilate was amazed. Now at the festival he used to release a
prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was
in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection.
So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his
custom. Then he answered them, "Do you want me to release for you the
King of the Jews?" For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the
chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd
to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again,
"Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the
Jews?" They shouted back, "Crucify him!" Pilate asked them,
"Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify
him!" So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for
them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. Then the
soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor's
headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed
him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put
it on him. And they began saluting him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage
to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his
own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. They compelled a
passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was
Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus
to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they
offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified
him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each
should take. It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. The
inscription of the charge against him read, "The King of the Jews."
And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.
Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha!
You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself,
and come down from the cross!" In the same way the chief priests, along
with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, "He
saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel,
come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe." Those
who were crucified with him also taunted him. When it was noon, darkness came
over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o'clock Jesus cried
out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means,
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" When some of the bystanders
heard it, they said, "Listen, he is calling for Elijah." And someone
ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him
to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take
him down." Then Jesus gave a
loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in
two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw
that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was God's
Son!" There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were
Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and
Salome. These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee;
and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem. When
evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day
before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council,
who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly
to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were
already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been
dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he
granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down
the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been
hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.
Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.