The story of Good Friday had usually been cast as a case of injustice. The religious leaders, in a shady hearing, manipulated the Roman establishment to allow them to crucify Jesus. For some, the story evokes anti-Semitism and they give the answer- the Jews killed Jesus, as if a whole race is responsible for his death. Besides the reality that it is dishonest to blame a whole race for what some of their compatriots, who lived at a certain point of history, had done, it is fogotten that the first devotees and evangelists for Jesus were Jewish. For some, the question also evokes reflection- it is our sin (indifference, jealousy, inability to stand for right) that killed Jesus.

      I would like to add my voice to this reflection. What was the complaint against Jesus? Even though the trial of Jesus was shady, done in secret in the middle of the night, the complaint was valid. Jesus was charged with claiming to be the Son of God, and he really did. From the blatant statement "Before Abraham was, I am", to the more subtle act of forgiving sins, Jesus' words  and actions validate the charge that he did claim to be the Son of God. The religious leaders were probably jealous of Jesus' popularity, and also angry at him for pointing out the impurity of their hearts and for not being as outwardly observant of the law as they were. Those reasons do not negate the reality that Jesus did claim to be the son of God, a claim that  would have been blasphemous if not true. In the passion of Jesus, his claim evoked hostility to the point of connivance and indifference to the point of disregard for human dignity. 

     The passion of Jesus could be looked at as mankind's reaction to God breaking into their lives- shattering their dreams and expectatios, and pointing out the evil within them. We may be tempted to say that we are not like the religious leaders- we respect Jesus' teachings and we are not hypocrites. But how many times do we get defensive when somebody points out what is wrong in us? We rail at the other person saying they don't have the right or knowledge to judge us, calling them judgmental, mocking their standards, thereby justifying ourselves. How many times have we been indifferent/angry at God when life does not turn out the way we want? We ask God for help in fulfilling our dreams, but rail against God when he redirects us away from our dreams. We want God to validate us and our dreams, instead of being open to God giving us his dreams and walking humbly with him.

     How did the son of God react to the rejection of him? He called on his father to forgive them, revealing the God who gives grace even to those who hate him- making the sun shine on both his devotees and those who hate him. He bore all the rejection of men knowing that his death is necessary for their life- an ultimate act of unconditional mercy. But the story did not end in death, the son of God rose again. He faced evil in all its power, and he reigns victorious. He remains alive, overcoming death- evil's ultimate weapon. It is the life of Jesus, given to those who trust him, that would bring victory over evil.