Father and Joe E454: Hosanna to Crucify — Fear, Power, and How Crowds Turn

How can a society move from celebrating Jesus as Messiah to accepting (or even demanding) His crucifixion—within days? Joe Rockey and Father Boniface Hicks pick up the thread from the previous episode and go deeper into the forces that make moral collapse feel “normal”: self-interest, fear, groupthink, and the quiet pressure of power structures.

Father frames a key clarification: it’s not certain the Palm Sunday crowd and the “crucify him” crowd were the exact same people—Jerusalem was flooded with pilgrims for Passover. But even those who loved Jesus still faced a terrifying reality: Rome’s violence was real, and even the apostles fled when things became dangerous. The conversation turns practical: if corruption can become invisible from the inside, how do we train ourselves to resist the crowd, keep Scripture speaking clearly, and stay close to people with integrity—so we don’t breathe “putrid air” so long we stop noticing it?

Key Ideas

Palm Sunday’s contrast (Hosanna → Passion) is real, even if the crowds weren’t identical.

Fear is a powerful silencer: when violence is credible, even loyal followers often retreat.

Jesus didn’t present as a worldly power figure (no army, no weapons), so the “little ones” recognized Him—but lacked power to defend Him.

Groupthink pulls people downstream; self-interest (status, honor, money, security) keeps them there.

Resistance becomes possible when we: (1) honor courageous witnesses, (2) let the Gospel keep challenging our rationalizations, and (3) surround ourselves with high-integrity people who keep the air “fresh.”

Scripture Mentioned (no links)

Palm Sunday readings (Triumphal Entry + Passion narrative)

Matthew 7:3–5 (beam/splinter)

References to the apostles fleeing during the Passion narrative

Links & References (official/source only)

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson (official site):
https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/

Pope Benedict XVI (official Vatican profile):
https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en.html

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Tags (comma-separated)

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