Holy Week Meditation for April 4, 2007

From The Rev. Peter A. Munson

Matthew 26:1-5, 14-25

 

Who Betrayed Jesus?

 

"Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What will you give me if I betray Him to you?"  They paid him thirty pieces of silver.  And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray Him... The disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal.  When it was evening, He took his place with the twelve; and while they were eating, He said, "Truly, I tell you, one of you will betray Me."  And they became greatly distressed and began to say to Him one after another, "Surely not I, Lord?" "(Matthew 26:14-16, 19-22)

 

Sometimes I think Judas has gotten a bad rap.  Perhaps we want to single him out more because he took the "blood money" in exchange for betraying Jesus.  Maybe we see his betrayal as going to another level because, as this passage says, he actively looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.  And maybe what gets our hackles up more than anything is that he betrayed Jesus with a kiss.  Yes, he did the ultimate "dastardly deed".  He handed Jesus - the one who had been his rabbi, his friend, the one he thought was perhaps the Messiah - over to those who wanted to kill Him.  That is betrayal, pure and simple.

 

But there are other definitions of betrayal that I find when I look the word up in the dictionary.  How about "to break faith with"?  How about "to lead astray"?

 

Didn't just about all the disciples break faith with Jesus during this time of desperate need?  Peter certainly did, in those three separate denials.  We could make a good argument that some of the women - His mother, Mary; Mary Magdalene; Mary, the mother of James; Salome - were the most faithful ones.  But what about those crowds who had followed Him to Jerusalem and were cheering for Him on when He rode into Jerusalem on that donkey, a few days before?  Where we they?  Didn't they betray Him?  Or, if that is too strong a word, since they didn't actually hand Him over to the enemy, we can say that they deserted Him.  And, to the extent that they seen Jesus do all those amazing things in Galilee, and were following Him because of the way that He "taught with authority", and because of the compassion that He demonstrated to so many different people, to act like they had not been associated with Him - during His time of need - was surely "breaking faith" with Him.

 

Just as we all take on the part of the crowd that shouts "Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!" during the reading of the Passion Gospel on Good Friday... just as we are asked the question, "Were you there when they crucified my Lord?"...it seems to me that we all fall into the category of those who have betrayed Jesus.

 

How do I betray Jesus?

 

When I get in a tough place in my life and I start acting like maybe He really isn't available to help me, and it's all up to me to pull myself through...

 

When I don't do a very good job of following the One I call "Master" and "Lord"...

     .      When I have trouble loving my friends, much less my enemies

     .      When I don't reach out to the lost, the hurting, or the forsaken in the same way that He did

     .      When I get too busy to pray

     .      When I don't speak the full truth, when it might be a little difficult or risky to speak the truth

     .      When my actions or words don't reflect the hope and the joy that are within me... the hope and joy that are there because of who God is and what God does

     .      When I get bogged down in negative thinking and forget how much I have to be grateful for

When I am just a little too shy about sharing my faith in Christ Jesus, my Lord...

 

These are all ways that I betray Jesus, it seems to me.  Therefore, I must be careful to not put up a big dividing wall between myself and Judas, acting like Judas is light years ahead of me in the betrayal department.  No, I'm a sinner just like everyone else.  I am reminded of Isaiah 53:12:  "... He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

 

I am one of those transgressors - no doubt about it.  We all are.  It's not like there is one category for Judas and Pilate, and another category (not so bad, don't you know) for the rest of us.  The good news is that Jesus makes intercession for ALL of us.  The good news is that Jesus died for ALL of us who betray and desert Him.  The good news is that He forgives us and loves us and calls us back home, and when we come to our senses and head back home, He welcomes us - ALL OF US - with those strong loving arms, and looks into our eyes and touches our faces with those beautiful scarred hands.

 

Who betrayed Jesus?  I did.  Thanks to Him, I live still to talk about it. 

 

Lord, we need Your grace and Your strength, so that we can serve You faithfully.  Help us to do Your will.  Amen.