Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Religious Events
Holy Week Is Humble Week: “Beware of Becoming Caesarified”

Holy Week Is Humble Week: “Beware of Becoming Caesarified”

Last updated on: April 14, 2025 at 3:08 pm by Paul Louis Metzger

0 Comments

Holy Week Is Humble Week: “Beware of Becoming Caesarified” 2025-04-14T15:08:54-07:00 Paul Louis Metzger

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Jesus’ humble journey, beginning with his approach to Jerusalem, during Holy Week is the path to glory—Resurrection Sunday. | Image courtesy of Adrianlopezc, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Jesus’ Approach to Power

Holy Week is Humble Week. We learn from Jesus’ approach to power that great leaders guard against tyranny and dignify our common humanity. May each of us follow suit and dye our imaginations in Jesus’ blood rather than Julius Caesar’s purple.

Jesus’ Humble Journey

On Palm Sunday, Jesus rides in triumph into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey rather than a great stallion or war horse (See Luke 19:28-44). On Maundy Thursday, he washes his disciples’ feet. On Good Friday, the Roman soldiers drape him in a purple robe and crown him with thorns in mockery. Later that day, they lift him up to crucify him, the ultimate form of shame. But Jesus’ humble journey, beginning with his approach to Jerusalem, during Holy Week is the path to glory—Resurrection Sunday.

What a stark contrast to how so many rulers past and present reign. Fame, pomp and ceremony, as well as fixation with power, rather than concern for the people dominate their imaginations. Jesus’ path of humble glory serves as a stern rebuke and call to true greatness.

Marcus Aerelius’s Warning against “Becoming Caesarified, Dyed in Purple”

Interestingly enough, the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, also warned against fixation with fame, pomp and ceremony, as well as power over the people. No doubt, this is one reason why Marcus is classified as one of the “good emperors” of Rome. In his Meditations, he writes: “Beware of becoming Caesarified, dyed in purple.” Emperors wore togas dyed completely purple symbolizes their supreme royal status. (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, The Annotated Edition, translated, introduced, and edited by Robin Waterfield, Basic Books, 2021, page 132)

Marcus was not admonishing himself for being the emperor. Rather, he checks himself against the temptation of ruling as a tyrant and lording it over his fellow humans. Editor Robin Waterfield comments, “Marcus coined a new word ‘to become Caesarified.’ He is probably referring to Julius Caesar, and he means ‘Don’t become a dictator.’ At the same time, since he also warns himself against being ‘dyed in purple,’ what he wants to avoid is becoming so identified with his role as emperor that he forgets his common humanity.” (Meditations, 132, note 33)

Marcus, Stoicism, and Jesus: Universal Human Dignity

While Marcus was wary of Christianity and persecuted Jesus’ followers, one wonders how well he understood this fledgling religious movement and its founder. Regardless, there is much good in Marcus’ view of leadership and the path of glorious rule. His keen interest in Stoicism served him well in checking the seductive passion to lord it over his fellow humans who all possessed dignity regardless of race, gender, class, and nationality. In fact, Martha Nussbaum argues that this notion of universal human dignity actually originates with Stoicism. (Martha Nussbaum, The Therapy of Desire: Theory and Practice in Hellenistic Ethics, Princeton University Press, 1994; reprint 2009, with a new introduction, 12). Regardless of its origin, Jesus cherishes and affirms universal human dignity as he gave his life to save not just some, but the world. This cosmopolitan conviction and vision are sorely needed in our world today.

Marcus’ stately example, and even more so, Jesus’ glorious humility, have much to teach all of us, not simply those who wear the equivalent of purple togas today. During Holy Week, Eastertide, and Ordinary Time that takes us to the end of the church calendar year, let us beware each in our own way of being “Caesarified”. Eastertide does not bring an end to Jesus’ humble state of glory. It opens the door to ordering our entire lives throughout Ordinary Time as we await his return.

Holy Week’s Global Bearing Every Day of the Year

Holy Week, and how Jesus enters Jerusalem, has a global bearing on our lives–how we lead in our homes, work places, and more generally in the public square here and abroad–every day of the year. Let us cherish rather than forget our fellow humans and cherish one another’s shared human dignity. May we show dignified kindness and respect not simply to our fellow Christians or fellow Americans, but to everyone we meet, to all citizens of this cosmos we share.

Dye Our Imaginations in Jesus’ Blood, Not Julius’s Purple

In closing, I recall a quote on leadership one of my mentors, Dr. John M. Perkins, often shared. “Great leaders’ concern for the people far outweigh their own concern.” We see that quote on display during Holy Week as recorded in Luke’s Gospel. Upon nearing Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus weeps over the city:

As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (Luke 19:41-44; NIV)

Jesus’ triumphal entry was a humble entry. He wept over Jerusalem and its people, not his approaching death. Jesus comes time and again to bring us peace. But like so much of the Roman and Jewish leadership establishment, we so readily miss out on him because we do not look to him in his humble state, riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Holy Week is Humble Week. May each of us guard against becoming “Caesarified,” that is tyrants in the home, work place, and public square. May we dye our imaginations in Jesus’ blood, not Julius Caesar’s purple. May kindness and respect of others’ dignity outweigh our own self-concern. And may our sense of shared humanity with people right before us and across the globe reign in our hearts this week and beyond.

General Christian

Religious Events

History and Religion

About Paul Louis Metzger

Paul Louis Metzger, Ph.D., is Professor of Theology & Culture, Multnomah Biblical Seminary, Jessup University; Director of The Institute for Cultural Engagement: New Wine, New Wineskins; and Author and Editor of numerous works, including Setting the Spiritual Clock: Sacred Time Breaking Through the Secular Eclipse (Cascade, 2020) and More Than Things: A Personalist Ethics for a Throwaway Culture (IVP Academic, 2023). You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

March 29, 2025

Excavating the Person in a Throwaway Culture

Next Post

April 18, 2025 Easter Triduum: Obey Your Thirst—for God

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Humility is a powerful weapon of mass construction. "On Palm Sunday, Jesus rides in triumph ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Holy Week Is Humble Week: “Beware ..."

"There is a new counter-apologetic method which is successfully being used against the arguments of ..."

Gary M

Heavenly Father’s Day on Trinity Sunday

"A throwaway culture cannot be our way of proceeding was often emphasized by the late ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Excavating the Person in a Throwaway ..."

"Dr. Metzger, I appreciate your insight and transparency in this post. I have just added ..."

Jeff McLain

Embracing Emotions’ Full Range: From Grief ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz