Christ's final prophecy of his coming Passion
The season of Septuagesima ends with the final declaration of what is to happen in Jerusalem in Holy Week.
The season of Septuagesima ends with the final declaration of what is to happen in Jerusalem in Holy Week.
Editor’s Notes
On Quinquagesima Sunday, the last Sunday before Lent, the Gospel at Mass is St Luke’s account of Our Lord warning his Apostles about his coming Passion, and his healing of Blind Bartimaeus. Fr Coleridge deals with these two incidents across two chapters of The Preaching of the Cross, Part III, including details supplied by the other Evangelists – in particular, the request made by Ss James and John, and their mother, as well as the encounter with Zacchæus the publican.
This incident belongs to his final ascent to Jerusalem, immediately before the Passion. We have previously published Fr Coleridge’s account of the miracle (and the encounter with Zacchæus); now we are publishing the earlier announcement and conversation with the Sons of Zebedee.
In this first part, Fr Coleridge tells us…
How our Lord, leaving Peræa, advances with fervour toward Jerusalem and His Passion.
That His repeated and ever fuller prophecy prepares the Apostles for the coming storm.
Why their fear, misunderstanding, and ambition reveal the mystery of the Cross unfolding.
He shows us that Christ knowingly embraces His Passion and calls His disciples to share His spirit of sacrifice.
The Sons of Zebedee
The Preaching of the Cross, Vol. III
Chapter XII
St. Matt. xx. 17–28; St. Mark x. 32–45; St. Luke xviii. 31–34
Story of the Gospels, § 128
Burns and Oates, 1182
Quinquagesima Sunday
Our Lord going up to Jerusalem
The great parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard seems to have closed the teaching of our Lord in Peræa as far as it is related in the Gospels.
We may remember that it is probable that what is there related of that teaching is only the part which seems to have been special and never to have been anticipated in any former teaching. It forms a head of instruction by itself, and seems to have been reserved, as was natural, for the latest portion of our Lord’s Public Ministry.
After this visit to Peræa, nothing remained for our Lord, according to the arrangement of Providence, but to make His last ascent to Jerusalem for the feast of the Pasch.
We know the many reasons why the disciples and friends of our Lord must have looked on this journey with apprehension. It was the first great feast which had occurred since His presence there at the feast of Tabernacles, when He had met with so much hostility from the rulers, and when His life had been in danger. He had been in Jerusalem on occasion of the minor feast of the Dedication, and then again His enemies had tried to put Him to death. After that had occurred the great miracle of the raising of Lazarus, which had led to the council against Him, in which it had been formally determined that He must die.
Even before that time His own language had frequently dwelt on His approaching Passion, and although the disciples did not understand Him, they may at least have seen that He was preparing for some great catastrophe. They knew well enough the temper of the authorities in Jerusalem, and this alone would make them fear the worst from men who had shown themselves already very unscrupulous as well as very hostile to Him.
It would seem impossible to avoid a final catastrophe, if He were again to confront them, as had been the case at the feast of Tabernacles, with all the fresh popularity and prestige which had accrued to Him from what had passed in the interval, especially His preaching in Judæa and the miracle on Lazarus, worked close to the city itself, and in the presence of a number of the distinguished men among its inhabitants.
His fervour
He Himself showed at this time a great and unusual fervour which attracted the attention of the disciples.
‘And they were on the way going to Jerusalem, and Jesus went before them, and they were astonished, and following were afraid.’
This incident is preserved to us by St. Mark, and of course comes to us from St. Peter.
‘And taking the Twelve apart, He began to tell them the things which should befall Him, saying, Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes and ancients, and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles, and they shall mock Him, and spit on Him, and scourge Him, and after they have scourged Him, they shall put Him to death, and He shall be crucified, and the third day He shall rise again, and they understood none of these things, and this word was hidden from them, and they understood none of the things that were said.’
It is remarkable here again how the prediction grows in fulness each time it is delivered. The second time of its repetition He had added the fact of the betrayal, and now He adds the details that this betrayal shall be made to the priests and scribes and ancients, and that they shall condemn the Son of Man to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles, and that He is to be mocked and spit on, scourged and crucified. He always mentions that He is to rise the third day.
There can be little doubt that our Lord’s Heart was now full of the desire for His Passion, of which He had said, ‘How was He straitened till it was accomplished!’ As the time drew near He allowed this desire to take more and more full possession of Him, and He let His disciples see this, in order to kindle in them a greater fervour, like His own.
The dwelling more and more on the details of what He was to suffer, shows us how dear to His Heart was every one of those details, how He passed them over and over again before His mind. Thus it may also be considered as an intimation to us, how dear to Him is remembrance of each detail on our part.
And of course He desired very much to prepare the Apostles and disciples for the storm which was so soon to fall upon them, and to strengthen their faith in Him, if only by the consideration that He so distinctly predicted all that was to come to pass.
The first time when He had spoken to them on this subject, St. Peter had brought on himself a strong rebuke from our Lord, because he endeavoured to turn Him away from the Passion He had foretold. On the second occasion when our Lord spoke of it, we are told that the disciples were troubled exceedingly.
But now on this, the third occasion, when the prediction had been made with so much increase of detail, it was immediately followed by the application of the sons of Zebedee, which our Lord met so graciously and yet so firmly, and which, but for His gentle words, might have brought on a division among the Apostles themselves which might have sorely grieved the Sacred Heart.
The Sons of Zebedee
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