What is our worth in this world? What sort of criteria do we use to determine our worth? Some people seem to think that their worth is determined by how much or how little they are able to do things. Such people think that if they are talented and skilled in doing many things, then they are worth it, otherwise they think they are useless and a burden to others. This means that for some, we must always be doing something, otherwise we feel worthless, useless and helpless.
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday. Over the past few weeks, we had seen Jesus being very active in His ministry and great crowds followed Him to be healed and to listen to His words. But now we begin to see Jesus having a change in His ministry from an active one to a passive one. Jesus shows us during this time that the value of life is not dependent on what we can do but what God can do for us. When we are active and able to do things for ourselves, we do not seem to have room for God’s help, since we think we are self-sufficient. But when we are powerless and helpless, we come to realise that life is meaningless without God. Over the next few days, we would recall how Jesus will be arrested, persecuted, nailed to the cross and finally left to die. He will become powerless and helpless, but it is in His powerlessness that He will accomplish our salvation. What seemed to be a life of failure will end in victory because God is victorious over sin and death.
When we look at our lives and those around us, we too see changes taking place. There are some who were quite active before, but are no longer able to do much. For some, it seems scary and frightening to be helpless and powerless. This is because no one likes to grow old and become useless; or become sick and needing to be cared or helped by others. But we should also realise that unless we move from the active to the passive, unless we learn to let go and let God to be in control, we would not be able to experience true peace and happiness, the kind which only God can give.
Thus, during this Holy Week, let us learn not to focus too much on being active. Let us learn to be passive, and learn to discern and hear His voice. Let us journey with Jesus as we slowly die to ourselves, so that we may have everlasting life in His love and care.