A big word in the passion narrative is tenderness.
First, Judas was still welcomed at the Last Supper. He was not excluded. He participated in the meal, and took the morsel given to him. This is Jesus’ supreme act of tenderness. Human nature being what it is discourages us to have meals with people who hurt us the most. We don’t share a meal with people we don’t like or people who are not like us.
Second, we see Jesus’ tenderness with his disciples who were sleeping at the garden of Gethsemane. No trace of anger and impatience. This pattern of sloth and indifference we see also in the transfiguration. They are just full of inertia, and yet Jesus accepts them as they are, but challenges them to stay awake and vigilant.
Third, the look of love that is portrayed in Luke’s account of Peter’s denial the third time. The Lord simply “turned and looked at Peter” as if to say to him, “I told you so.” Franco Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth captures beautifully this scene, the look of love of Jesus. No judgment, no condemnation, no exclusion, but always looking at him with compassion and tenderness.
Fourth, Jesus’ boundless forgiveness is so radical: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.” This is the sort of forgiveness that does not wait for an apology. Even if they are not remorseful and contrite, Jesus asks forgiveness on their behalf because they don’t even know what sin is like.
A final expression of Jesus’ profound tenderness is the exchange between Jesus and the repentant criminal who was crucified with him. The criminal says: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” To that, he says: “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Jesus’ tenderness is life-giving, giving people a chance to live and be at peace. Imagine Jesus saying the same words to us, at the hour of our death or even long before death.
In 2017, Pope Francis said in a TED talk that we need a revolution of tenderness. For him, tenderness is “to use our eyes to see the other, our ears to hear the other, to listen to the children, the poor, those who are afraid of the future. To listen also to the silent cry of our common home, of our sick and polluted earth.” Jesus in the passion narrative certainly shows us what tenderness is all about.
Let us not feel sorry for the Lord as he goes through his passion. Let us not feel bad about ourselves in the face of Jesus’ suffering and death. Let us not turn away from this terrible pain that Jesus goes through and skip this scene and simply wait for the resurrection. Rather, let us be with Jesus in these moments of tenderness which are life-giving, and be inspired to become like him.
Fr. Tony Moreno, SJ
Cenacle Retreat House
Palm Sunday
2 April 2023