Jesus Died Outside Jerusalem
Sacrificial animals were burned outside the camp; likewise, Jesus redeemed and purified us by suffering His Passion outside the walls of Jerusalem.
The High Priest would take the blood of the sacrificed animals into the sanctuary to offer it for the sins committed by the people over the past year. He offered the blood because blood is life, and the blood of every creature belongs to God. Through this rite, the community had the opportunity to be “cleansed and gain new life,” thereby restoring its union with God.
The Sanctuary stood in the midst of the camp, symbolizing security within the hostile desert environment. Here, God gathered His people so they would cease to be “nobody” and become “somebody”; for being inside the camp meant belonging to God—being worthy and important in the eyes of God and the community. Conversely, being outside the camp meant belonging to “solitude” and the wilderness—a dangerous state, as killing someone who was a “nobody” was not considered murder. Waste disposal sites were also located outside the camp; it was a place where trash was burned and where chaos and death reigned.
Originally, the Romans reserved crucifixion for agitators who threatened public order, and the executions took place precisely at these waste disposal sites. This was done to make death more shameful; furthermore, the condemned were crucified naked to signify that they were mere disposal, and their bodies were left unburied—treated as garbage—as a final act of ignominy. The fact that Christ died outside Jerusalem implied an inversion of values: God chose to dwell where there is neither a sense of belonging nor intimacy; the locus of God’s presence shifted from the Temple to the Cross.
The Cross upends our values and tells us that power is found in the powerlessness and dishonor of the Cross; therefore, to find God, we must step out of our comfort zones and encounter Christ in the scorn He endured on the Cross.
Commitments arising from the Spirituality of the Blood of Christ:
1- We cannot flee from failures and tragedies; instead, we must bring them close to the wounds of Christ so that they may be redeemed and open up new horizons of life for us.
2- We cannot cast others aside simply because they are different or because their appearance differs from our own.
3- We must rescue them from the “wastelands”:
– The homeless and those who, despite their best efforts, can never recover from life’s setbacks.
– People over the age of 50 who suddenly find themselves unemployed and unable to find work because they are no longer considered “profitable.”
– Women and children who are victims of sexual abuse or the abuse of authority—those who fear intimacy and trust no one.
– Elderly individuals who, despite receiving excellent medical care, lack affection, a listening ear, and dignity in their homes or care facilities.
– People caught off guard by life’s changes who cannot adapt to new situations and, as a result, live like robots.
4- To bear witness that God does not “create” trash; rather, trash is the product of selfishness, envy, arrogance… of our own sin.
5- Offer those who are suffering a restorative love—not a love born of pity (viewing them as “poor souls”)—so that they may realize God counts on them, for they are important to Him.
6- Be artisans of reconciliation: not adding “fuel to the fire,” but rather pouring “water” to extinguish discord and confrontation.
7- We must not let ourselves be overwhelmed by failure or when things do not go as planned, for Christ’s cross (His failure) was His greatest victory. 8- Recognize that God is above all things and did not want His Son to remain apart from the garbage heap; instead, He pitched His tent there, because His beloved children are also found on that heap of refuse. (Fr. Paulino, CPPS)