Humiliation

Homily for Wednesday of Holy Week

Which would we fear most? Would it be more painful to be humiliated and ashamed in front of others, or would physical pain, torture at the hands of others, be the more painful. Of course, there is a great difference between the two. The passion of Jesus involves both. He is both humiliated before others, mocked and jeered, but he is also scourged, crowned with thorns, and nailed to a cross. Various books have been written about the physical pain of crucifixion. When movies are made of this particular event, they usually accentuate the physical pain. However, to the Middle Easterner who has grown up in a culture where dishonor and shame are to be avoided at all costs, humiliation would definitely be the more painful.

The third of the suffering servant songs which we hear today from the Prophet Isaiah accentuates the humiliation he suffers. They pluck at his beard, spit upon him, and slapped him in the face. All of these actions would be considered the greatest humiliation that a man could undergo. We know from the passion narratives that Jesus also suffered this kind of humiliation with the added mocking and jeering of the Roman soldiers and that of the crowd, including the Jewish elders and scribes. Yet like the suffering servant of Isaiah, Jesus suffers it all knowing that in the eyes of God he will not be shamed. God will come to rescue him and uphold him.

In today’s reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew, we hear the same story that we heard yesterday from the Gospel of St. John. It is clear that both Gospels considered Judas to be the one who is shamed through his actions.

I cannot help but think of other public figures in our world today who also suffer criticism and humiliation from those around him who should be his supports. This is especially true of our Holy Father Pope Francis. Consequently, we have at least three different people who have learned that honor is bestowed by God, not by human beings. Let us all learn from these examples and continue to pray for all those who suffer humiliation at the hands of others.