What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?

 

 Now Jesus stood before the governor.  And the governor asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you way."  And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.  Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?"  But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. 

 

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished.   And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.  Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you?  Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"  For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.  

 

While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him."  But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.  The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?"  They said, "Barabbas!"  Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"  They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"  

 

- Matthew 27:11-23 

 

Yesterday we read that, when morning came, following Christ's trial by night, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.  And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.  Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood."  And they said, "What is that to us?  You see to it!"  Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.  But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood."  And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.  Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me."

 

  Now Jesus stood before the governor.  And the governor asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you way."  And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.  Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?"  But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.  My study Bible remarks that the chief priests hide their real charge against Jesus -- the claim of equality with God -- because this would not be persuasive to the governor, Pontius Pilate, to sentence Jesus to death.  So instead they present a charge of treason:  they claim that Jesus called Himself the King of the Jews.  such a crime would carry the death penalty, as it was a challenge to Roman rule.  

 

 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished.   And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.  Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you?  Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"  For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.  My study Bible comments that Jesus is the true Son of the Father, and yet the name Barabbas means "son of the father."  Ironically, the crowds must choose between one Son of the Father and the other.  By influencing the crowds to choose Barabbas (see verse 20), the chief priests will indicate to which father they belong -- the devil, as Jesus has indicated (John 8:44).

 

 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him."  But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.  The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?"  They said, "Barabbas!"  Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"  They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"  My study Bible comments that three times Pilate attempts to release Jesus but the religious leaders incite the people to demand that Jesus be put to death (this is made more explicit in St. Luke's Gospel, see Luke 23:13-25).  In the end, my study Bible says, they incite the crowd to release a rebel like themselves.  (Again, see John 8:44.)  

 

My study Bible explicitly notes for us the choices at stake here, and the ways the religious leaders, in seeking the death of Christ in any way they can, repeatedly choose for the cosmic rebel, the devil who rebelled against God.  It repeatedly cites John 8:44, in which Jesus stated this in particular about those leaders.   The Gospels present these choices to us in stark contrast, and reminding us of the spiritual battle that is continuing within our world and integrated into our choices.  It is something that is most frequently hidden from us, many people dismissing it out of hand as significant -- or even real -- and most, one imagines, not considering it at all.  But again, we're reminded that the Gospels don't tell that story at all.  The reality of spiritual life is not presented as separate from our worldly lives, but in actuality a part and parcel of it, seen or unseen as it most often is.  So we are invited to consider whether or not the people in the crowds understand this, understand what they are doing and choosing. Do they understand the significance of their persuasion and following of the religious leaders to kill Jesus, to put Him to death on the Cross?  He is clearly already famous by this time, well-known as a Teacher.  Even Pilate's wife, who is neither Jewish nor a follower of Christ, has a sense that this Man is innocent, that it is unwise to rule against Him.  In the telling of her dream, we also get a sense of the truth of the spiritual reality that exists concurrently with us in what we perceive as a material world.  This story, told so explicitly this way, invites us to consider what may be happening in our own lives at any given time, the choices we are asked to make.  Noticeably, the people inciting the crowd to call for the crucifixion of Jesus are supposed to be religious leaders, leading the people in the appropriate worship of their God.  So, on the surface, appearances defy the truth and present the world with a lie.  We don't know what the perspective of everyone in the crowd was, but, as my study Bible has remarked in another note, "the crowd follows the crowd."  This is another aspect of our own spiritual battles, where there are times when we will have to take issue with the crowd and turn to our prayers and worship for guidance.  Perhaps, indeed, there is nothing more misleading then "the crowd" at significant times in life, and in observable history.  For, as in today's scene described in the Gospel, crowds are easily manipulated, perhaps especially to zealous persecutions.  We live in an age when this can happen more easily in the past through the use of modern media of all kinds.  This tells us that our vigilance is all the more important, our steadfastness in watchfulness and prayer (Matthew 26:41).  At this time in the story of Christ, the disciples are scattered and in hiding.  Let us remember His commands, even at times of great temptation and fear.

 

 

 

 

What is that to us? You see to it!

 

 When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.  And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.  

 

Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood."  And they said, "What is that to us?  You see to it!"  Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.  But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood."  And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.  Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me."

 

- Matthew 27:1–10 

 

Yesterday we read Peter sat outside in the courtyard while Jesus was on trial inside the home of the high priest.  And a servant girl came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee."  But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying."  And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth."  But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!"  And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you."  Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!"  Immediately a rooster crowed.  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So he went out and wept bitterly. 

 

When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death.  And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.  My study Bible explains that the religious Law dictated the death penalty for blasphemers (under which Jesus was convicted in the night trial at the home of the high priest -- see Leviticus 24:16).  But under Roman occupation, the Jews were prohibited from carrying out an execution.  So, therefore, they had to get permission from the governor, Pontius Pilate. 

 

 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood."  And they said, "What is that to us?  You see to it!"  Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.  But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood."  And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.  Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day.  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me."  In contrast to Peter, who repented in his sorrow (Matthew 26:75; see yesterday's reading, above), Judas is remorseful, but does not repent, my study Bible says.  It explains that suicide is not a sign of repentance, but of being self-absorbed.  There are two accounts given of Judas' suicide in the New Testament, here and in Acts 1:16-19.  

 

In yesterday's reading and commentary, we discussed the reality of St. Peter's repentance.  He cried bitter tears at the realization of what he had done.  My study Bible explains above that Judas is remorseful, but not repentant.  This invites us to examine what repentance is.  Its fundamental basis isn't simply shame or disappointment in ourselves.  Repentance is meant to bring us closer to God.  As such, we can understand St. Peter's return to Jesus and the rest of the disciples as a return in trust and love.  This is what is missing here for Judas, for he returns to the religious leaders who have no love and feel no compassion, neither do they offer him help for his sin.  They say to him, "What is that to us?  You see to it!"  This is quite something, as they were the ones who paid him the money to betray innocent blood.  The significance of blood plays its part throughout the Law and the practices of the temple, and of course also in the Crucifixion and our Eucharist in the Divine Liturgy.  In Numbers 35:33 we read, "So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it."   It's noteworthy that, according to St. Matthew, Jesus has not yet been condemned by Pilate, but only by the Sanhedrin.  Perhaps Judas takes his own judgment and punishment into his own hands in his suicide.  Perhaps the powerful significance of betrayal now makes its mark on him.  But we know of the efforts Christ has made to save him, right up until the moment of betrayal (Matthew 26:48-50).  We can all imagine the seeming impossibility of returning to Christ and the disciples.  But Judas' condition reminds us all that to be forgiven in terms of Christ's capacity as Judge means to return to Him and to give our sin to Him to resolve; outside of Christ there is no Judge who can remit sin, and outside of Christ there is no light to direct us in our lives that follow.  Judas instead has returned to the religious leaders with his money and they can and will do nothing for him.  Thus, his life is at a dead end.  We should remember, in thinking about this terrible crime, that Christ from the Cross has given forgiveness, only to be realized through our repentance, through a return to Him.  For, if He the Innocent has taken all the world upon Himself at the Cross, it is only to teach us that we must come to Him with our own wounds and injuries, which include the damages to our souls incurred through our sins as well as those sins done to us.  Most importantly, it is Jesus who will shed His blood "for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28), and He included Judas in that first cup of the New Covenant.  His blood is the atoning, covering sacrifice for all.  Judas' return of the money therefore cannot erase or reverse the sin, and neither do the heartless leaders have a solution to offer him.  Instead in their legalism they purchase a field in which to bury strangers, which does not cleanse them of their sin either.  Only Christ can properly lead us out of sin, and only Christ would have the way forward even for Judas.  In any case, speculation is moot, for we know what has happened and what Christ foresaw.  Nonetheless, to repeat, Christ made all efforts to save Judas, and we should take that as a nod to the freedom we have to change our minds, which is literally the meaning of the word in the Gospels translated as "repentance."  Let us turn to Him not only with our beauty, but also offer to Him the wounds we carry, even the things we hide from ourselves, for He is the One to show us the way through them and beyond.  For His are the wounds of love for us all.

 

 

 

 

I do not know the Man!

 

 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard.  And a servant girl came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee."  But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying."  And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth."  But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!"  And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you."  Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!"  Immediately a rooster crowed.  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So he went out and wept bitterly. 

 

- Matthew 26:69–75 

 

Yesterday we read that those who had laid hold of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard.  And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.  But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"  And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But Jesus kept silent.  And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God:  Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you said.  Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy!  What further need do we have of witnesses?  Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!  What do you think?"  They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."  Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ!  Who is the one who struck You?"

 

 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard.  And a servant girl came to him, saying, "You also were with Jesus of Galilee."  But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying."  My study Bible comments here that a girl being the first to test Peter is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  It notes that our fallen state is overcome in Christ when we shall see that it is women who are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10).  

 

And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth."  But again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the Man!"   And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you."  That his speech betrays him is said by this second girl because St. Peter speaks in the dialect or accent of the Galilean region, where both he and Jesus are from.  Jerusalem is in Judea.

 

Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!"  Immediately a rooster crowed.  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So he went out and wept bitterly.  In St. Luke's Gospel, we're given the detail that, following the rooster's crow, Jesus -- who is inside on trial at the home of the high priest, while St. Peter is in the courtyard -- gazes at St. Peter outside (Luke 22:60-62).  According to that account, Peter is so overcome with fear that neither Jesus' earlier prediction (Matthew 26:31-35), nor even the rooster crowing, call him to repentance, but only the Lord's gaze causes him to weep bitterly.  St. Ambrose of Milan is cited by my study Bible, who writes that nonetheless, "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

 

 St. Peter betrays himself, even as he denies Christ three times, as Jesus Himself predicted (see Matthew 26:31-35).  This is most humiliating for St. Peter, as it happens despite the fact that at that time, he claimed to Jesus -- and before all the rest of the disciples -- "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble."  It was after this statement that Jesus told him that, indeed, before the rooster crowed that morning, St. Peter would deny Jesus three times.  But St. Peter only replied, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  Therefore St. Peter's bitter tears cry out his humiliation and failure, the bitter understanding that he has failed himself, his Lord, and his own claim of bold allegiance before all.  There's more to this story that merits our understanding.  In proclaiming his allegiance to Jesus, he contradicted Jesus Himself when he was told that he would deny Christ three times.  It is a bold thing indeed, to deny a prophecy of Christ -- particularly about oneself!  Bold and foolish, for no one knows us like Christ knows us.  Oftentimes we are the ones who know ourselves very little; like St. Peter, our own image of ourselves hides a blindness to our weaknesses and temptations.  It is certain that St. Peter fully believed what he was saying to Christ and in front of the other disciples; most truly he believed that his courage would not fail him, nor would he be unable to muster that boldness to confess Christ even if all others failed.  And yet, we see his weakness before a servant girl and the others.  St. Peter's denial perhaps tells us something important about his character that is repeated in a few other places:  he's susceptible to the pressure of the group, his people.  When loyalties are tested, that is his temptation.  He shows this as a part of his character that will be criticized by St. Paul, when he temporarily stopped eating with Gentile Christians out of fear of the criticism of Jewish believers who did not wish to sit with those who were uncircumcised (see Galatians 2:11-13).  According to St. Paul, others were led astray into hypocrisy through this, even St. Barnabas as well.  As all of these details are included in Scripture, they all serve as mirror and warning to us all not to take temptation lightly, and to have the humility to know ourselves.  Of course, perhaps the best place to find the places we're vulnerable is through the practice of our faith in all ways possible, and through prayer.  Jesus teaches, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 18:3), and this lesson St. Peter fails when he does not heed Jesus warning about his three-time denial.  It is as little children -- plastic and malleable, receptive to learn -- that we are to come to Christ and learn from Him as disciples, and to grow in His image.  Part of that growth toward deeper faith and fuller union with Christ is to become aware of our weaknesses and vulnerabilities so that we guard against them -- and most certainly becoming like a little child in this sense is to learn the attitude of humility before the Lord.  In that sense, we trust that God knows us better than we know ourselves, and though we are led on paths that might not be comfortable, we are led to growth and to spiritual maturity through this process.  St. Peter is learning the hard way here, and with bitterness, but this is a story that easily applies to us all at one time or another -- and thus we find it in the Gospels.  It teaches us about our faith that St. Peter himself, one of the pillars of the Church and "first among equals" of the apostles, failed and grappled with his own imperfection.  But we should be grateful that his bitter tears are memorized in the Gospels for us, so that when we fail, we learn from him, for his love and repentance will send him back to the Lord, as St. John tells us in a most poignant passage of his Gospel (see John 21:15-22). For St. Peter, who endured even a terrible rebuke from Jesus, also has a capacity for humility which serves him well indeed!  In the fullness of Christ's love, we have nothing to fear.  May we all find such grace.

 

 

 

 

What further need do we have of witnesses?

 

 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard.  And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.  But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"  And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But Jesus kept silent.  And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God:  Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you said.  Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy!  What further need do we have of witnesses?  Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!  What do you think?"  They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."  Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ!  Who is the one who struck You?"

 

- Matthew 26:57-68 

 

Yesterday we read that while Jesus was still speaking to His disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?"  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.  And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"  In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.  But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

 

  And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest's courtyard.  And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.  Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.  But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"  My study Bible explains that the people who testify against Jesus misunderstand His words which are reported in St. John's Gospel.  Speaking of the temple of His body, He said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (see John 2:19-21).  My study Bible comments that some Jews believed the temple would be destroyed and a new one built by the Messiah.  

 

 And the high priest arose and said to Him, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But Jesus kept silent.  And the high priest answered and said to Him, "I put You under oath by the living God:  Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you said.  Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy!  What further need do we have of witnesses?  Look, now you have heard His blasphemy!  What do you think?"  They answered and said, "He is deserving of death."  Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophesy to us, Christ!  Who is the one who struck You?"  Jesus quotes from Psalm 110 and Daniel 7:13, my study Bible explains, confessing that He is the Messiah -- both fully Man and fully God, for only One who was divine could sit at the right hand of the Power, sharing authority with the Father.  It's clear that Jesus' statement was understood by the high priest to be a claim of equality with God the Father.  For a mere human being to claim this was punishable by death, my study Bible says (see Leviticus 24:16), but Jesus is not mere human being, and so His declaration of equality is not blasphemy.  

 

 It is interesting that Jesus tells the truth -- the plain and absolute truth -- and for that He is most penalized, and sentenced to death.  This is a court filled with false witnesses, those who lie.  But this one most innocent Witness Himself is condemned as He tells the open truth about Himself.  In that case, we must accept that it is the court which is therefore condemned here.  In this night trial (already a violation of the law), Jesus is condemned for blasphemy for stating the truth about Himself.  The others answer the high priest and claim about Jesus, "He is deserving of death."  But it should be understood that under the Roman occupation, the Sanhedrin could not carry out a capital punishment execution.  Therefore, among the other humiliations He will endure, Jesus is now subject to spitting, beating, and mocking the claim He's made by demanding "prophecies," asking, "Who struck You?"  The ultimate humiliation, of course, will come on the Cross, but that is something that will have to be done by the Romans, and we will witness Christ's trial before Pilate.  There also, Truth will be on trial, as we may read in St. John's Gospel (see John 18:37-38).  But here, we learn something very important about the Incarnation, and that is the power of the divine entering into our world, and its effects.  Jesus is the Person who is the truth (John 14:6).  Ultimately, in our understanding, what is real and true is measured against Him and His teachings . What is more powerful to consider is the fullness of the effects of the union of the human and the divine in the Incarnation, in Jesus Christ.  As these men put Him on trial, they feel they are the ultimate authority, and so they may be within the context of the society and its religious laws.  But because of who He is, they fail to understand that the ultimate authority in Him puts them on trial.  They will be accountable for what they do, and the blasphemy with which they charge Him is a charge that now may be levied upon them.  For in denying the reality of Christ, they deny the reality of God's presence, even the work of the Holy Spirit in their midst.  Ultimately this is where the Cross will lead, for all the forces -- both spiritual and human -- seeking to crucify Jesus will effectively be judged through the Cross, thus leading to our salvation and the defeat of the devil and death.  We Christians use the Cross as our symbol for precisely this reason, for it is the ultimate symbol of victory in the defeat of evil and death in our world.  Even at His Crucifixion, Jesus will hold out forgiveness for all, but we must remember that forgiveness is received and realized through repentance, and that's a journey we each must make.  Let us consider how truth is on trial, and the one Person telling the truth is condemned here, for it shows us a picture of evil, in which the world and logic and reality are upside down, for we all may go through times such as these where the innocent are condemned.  Let us stand with His truth in all that we do as well, despite the suffering -- with Him always -- that may come.

 

 

 

 

 

Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him

 

 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?"  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.  And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"  In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.  But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

 

- Matthew 26:47-56 

 

Yesterday we read that, following the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."  Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What?  Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."  And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.  So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 

 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.  Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him."  Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?"  Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.  It seems quite important to note that Jesus is still making an effort to save Judas, as He greets him as "friend."  St. Matthew's text refers to Judas as His betrayer, giving us again a sense of how deep this betrayal truly is from one who was His disciple for three years, living with Him and sharing all things in common with the others.

 

 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?  How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?"  In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.  But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.  Jesus rebukes St. Peter here (we know it is St. Peter as he is identified in John 18:10) for using the sword, for St. Peter still does not understand that Christ is going to His death willingly, so that salvation for humankind might be fulfilled.  A legion is 6,000 soldiers, my study Bible reports, so twelve legions is equal to 72,000 angels.  That Christ's death was foretold in the Scriptures served to strengthen the disciples at this hour of their greatest test.  

With one word of clear direction, Jesus sets out with clarity our whole understanding of this terrible betrayal and seizure of the one innocent and sinless Man.  He asks those who show up in the middle of the night to seize Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me."  Then He adds the words of clear direction for all of us, so that we understand why this is happening and what it is all about, and so that we have the lens through which to view it.  He says, "But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."  The disciples will take these words and remember.  They will remember His several warnings of this time before it happened.  They will remember that He goes voluntarily.  They will remember that all that happens in Christ's ministry occurs in fulfillment of the Scriptures.  They will understand that no matter how difficult things become, how devastating these actions are, and no matter what they will witness and experience, there is a plan unfolding, a sense in which God's salvation works even through the evils they will see.  And so Jesus gives clear direction, even as He is being seized and betrayed, in the midst of injustice, even as He protests that He was with those who seize Him daily in the temple openly teaching, and they did not seize Him then.  He lays out all of it. And with His words that these events happen in fulfillment of the Scriptures we are meant to understand several things.  First, that the Scriptures of the prophets do not "make" things happen, but are written because these events are foreseen in the Spirit, where time does not exist as we understand it.  Moreover, Jesus as Christ, the Messiah, comes in fulfillment of the Scriptures in terms of His whole mission as Incarnate Lord, again as foreseen (not made to happen) by God's prophets.  We can see this indicated not simply in Jesus' words here today, but throughout the Gospels and the Epistles, as various Scripture is quoted in support of that understanding.  Jesus is, in fact, the Incarnate Lord of the Old Testament, which He clearly indicates when He says to the religious leaders, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad," and, "Before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:56, 58).  Jesus' repeated predictions to the disciples of what was to come in His Passion (with considerable detail), the prophecies fulfilled through Scripture, and His teachings and sayings throughout His ministry, all confirm that regardless of what they think or see, there is one Lord in charge, there is a salvation plan being fulfilled, there is a mission of Christ in this world working out as it must -- even using the evil that comes -- and moreover, all of this foreshadows and defines their own mission to come in the world, and is the foundation of the establishment of the Church.  At the Last Supper, Jesus taught the disciples, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered' " (see Saturday's reading; Jesus quotes from Zechariah 13:7).  All of this structures a way in which we are to see that not only is there an ultimate Authority, and a salvation plan that is in place, but moreover, even the evil that occurs will somehow be used by God in a way that benefits a universal salvation.  Thus St. Paul can write, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).  None of these understandings take away from people's responsibility for their choices, as Jesus most starkly explains when He prophesies His betrayal by one of the disciples, "The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born" (see Friday's reading).  In a certain sense, moreover, this is affirmed when Jesus tells St. Peter, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword," for He's indicating that through manipulation and force we cannot necessarily control the outcome we desire; moreover we determine our own way of demise.  All of this should give us pause when we go through our own tragic betrayals, difficulties, even undergo evil things in this world that we know are wrong.  For Christ has indicated in His Passion that even the worst of things can be used by God for ultimate salvation, and so we should consider that God can create good even in our lives from the worst of wrongs and hardships.  Let us take heart in the true depth of our faith, and seek Christ's light even in the darkest of times we might face and know.

 

 

 

 

O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will

 

 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."  

 

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What?  Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."  And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.  So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."

 

- Matthew 26:36–46 

 

Saturday's reading described events at the Last Supper, the Passover supper of Jesus and the disciples. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.  For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.  But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'  But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And so said all the disciples.

 

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.  Stay here and watch with Me."  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."  My study Bible says that when Jesus speaks of this cup He's referring to His impending death.  As a human being, He wishes He could avoid it, for it is the mark of humanity to abhor death.  Jesus prays if it is possible that this cup be taken from Him, and thereby gives us full proof of His human nature.  Nonetheless, my study Bible says, He is without sin and He completely subjects and unites His human will to the Father's divine will.  

 

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What?  Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done."  And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.  So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.  Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting?  Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going.  See, My betrayer is at hand."  My study asks us to note Christ's words and their importance: "watch and pray."   It says that this is the key to Christian spirituality and our struggle against temptation.  By this, Christ's human soul is strengthened, and He faces death with divine courage.  In contrast to the Lord's vigilance, the disciples sleep.  My study Bible explains that, since body and soul are united, the spirit is paralyzed by a lethargic body.  But a willing spirit, which recognizes the weakness of the flesh, struggles against its weakness, relying on God's presence and power.  

 

 Jesus knows where He is going, He knows why He is going, in His divinity He will complete the mission of the Incarnation.  But nevertheless in the fullness of His humanity He asks that the cup pass from Him if it be possible.  For those of us who have struggled with our own temptations against the courage required in personal spiritual choices, Jesus gives us all hope.  For our Lord knows where we go, and how hard we struggle, even -- or maybe especially -- against things we know must happen, or we must find the courage to take on.  My study Bible says that "a willing spirit, which recognizes the weakness of the flesh, struggles against its weakness, relying on God's presence and power."  Personally, having struggled in difficult times, I have found this to be true on many levels and in various circumstances.  The times I didn't think I had the wherewithal to face a difficult choice, or to undertake a difficult task, I found that in prayer there was renewed energy to do so, even creativity to find better solutions than I had understood were available to me.  Many times when in Church during the Divine Liturgy, it is there that I have found the ease in my mind and heart that allowed me to pray for God's forgiveness of others who had hurt me very deeply.  Otherwise, this was indeed very difficult.  But Jesus gives us courage in showing us that even He struggled with what He had to do.  Our example is not one that is without struggle, of some sort of "perfection" in stoic virtue, but rather One who grapples with the deepest, strongest, most difficult temptations and pains of life. This is the Christ who is with us always, in all the things that we have to do.  We should try to understand that in prayer, and in seeking guidance that leads us through our lives, if we like Christ seek to follow the things He wants for us and the ways in which He wishes us to conduct our lives, then the power of such a prayer is already accompanied by Christ, by His grace.  These are the times to consider and to seek discernment about what path we're on, whether or not we're pleasing God or seeking to find God's will, even before our own.  For the One who has already struggled is there with us, has gone there before us, and would not assign us to something or somewhere He has not already gone before for us.  Such a thought should prepare us for life and emphasize that as adopted children, we are part of a heritage that guides our steps and gives us purpose, even as we seek His way through our world.  In life there will always be things that are difficult, but the One who leads us finds us meaning and value and substance, leading us to share in His virtues, even as He voluntarily shares in our struggles and difficulties and pain. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins

 

 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.  For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.  But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

 

 Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

'I will strike the Shepherd,

And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

"But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."   

 

Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And so said all the disciples.

 

- Matthew 26:26-35 

 

Yesterday we read that on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"  And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'"  So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.  When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.  Now as they were eating, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."  And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, "Lord, is it I?"  He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.  The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."  Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?"  He said to him, "You have said it." 

 

  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.  For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."  Here Jesus institutes the Eucharist, the long-awaited messianic banquet, to which (my study Bible notes) He admits even Judas (compare to Esther 7).  He is seeking by all means to save him.  Because of his wicked heart, my study Bible adds, Judas' participation leads to his condemnation (1 Corinthians 11:27-30).  In the Divine Liturgy, Christ's words are repeated, inviting the faithful to receive His body and blood.  In Holy Communion, my study Bible says, we are truly united to Christ.  It notes that Jesus gave thanks (in Greek, the root meaning to give thanks is ευχαριστω/eucharisto, from which we derive "eucharist") to teach us the following things.  First, how we are to celebrate this sacrament; second, that He comes willingly to His Passion; and finally to accept sufferings with thankfulness, knowing that God can use sufferings for ultimate good. Additionally, it's noted that the Old Covenant was sealed with the blood of bulls and goats.  The New is sealed by the gift of Jesus Christ, who shed His own blood to conquer sin and death and reconcile us with God.  Christ calls it the blood of the new covenant, which is God's promise and the fulfillment of the Law.  "New" indicates that this covenant brings immortality and incorruptible life; so therefore this covenant will always have the quality of newness (see also Revelation 21:5 in which making all things new indicates a continuous action).  

 

"But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."  And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."  According to patristic teaching, my study Bible says, Jesus also drinks the cup of His own blood.  He does this to lead all believers into participation in His heavenly mysteries.  It says that in My Father's kingdom relates to the time after Christ's Resurrection, when He will eat and drink to show the reality of His victory over death (Luke 24:41-43).  Moreover, it points to the eternal banquet of the Kingdom in the age to come. 

 

Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:  'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'  But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee."  Jesus quotes from the prophesy of Zachariah (see Zachariah 13:7), indicating not only one other aspect in which His Passion fulfills Scripture, but also what will happen to them upon His death.    

 

 Peter answered and said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble."  Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!"  And so said all the disciples.  St. Peter vehemently denies that he will be made to stumble, even on pain of death, contrary to Jesus' assertion above.  During the time of Christ's trial in the house of the high priest, we shall read of the events concerning St. Peter and Jesus' prophesy of denial three times.  Let us make a note that all the others say the same, despite Jesus' prophesy they will all be made to stumble.

 

In today's reading, we get the juxtaposition of the greatest glory and the deepest signs of evil, side-by-side, so to speak.  We are given the exaltation of the institution of the Eucharist, in which Jesus shares His body and blood, and all that might mean, with all of us.  Origen comments on these verses in St. Matthew's Gospel, "You should not marvel that He who is himself the bread also eats the bread with us or that He who is himself the cup of the fruit of the vine also drinks it with us. This is possible because the Word of God is omnipotent and is at once the bearer of many different names, for the multitude of His virtues are innumerable, since he is Himself every virtue" (Commentary on Matthew 86).  When we "dumb down" the Eucharist, and fail to understand the depth of its gift to us, we overlook these things that Origen teaches us, that the very body and blood of Christ convey to us His divinity as well as humanity, and make it possible for us also to access those innumerable virtues of which Origen speaks.  At the same time that this inestimable gift is given to us and instituted in the Church through this sacrament, so we bear witness with the Gospel to the time of the greatest imaginable evil, the betrayal of Christ and the scattering and stumbling of all of His disciples, as He has said.  It teaches us something essential and important about our world, that we are neither living in a paradise which is untainted with sin, nor are we living in a world which is wholly evil.  We in the midst of a battleground, as Jesus has witnessed for us in His own time in the wilderness that immediate preceded His ministry (Matthew 4:1-11).  We humans remain in the midst of that battleground where it is hard to tell one side from the other at times, where our world might be confused and chaotic, and there will be times when nothing is as it seems to be on the surface.  But Jesus calls us to that battleground and to that struggle, for it is in Him that we find the way, the truth, and the life, and the light that lights the way.  God expects us to struggle, not to be perfect in some material sense, but to come to the Lord with repentance and forgiveness, and also in the capacity for the tremendous arrays of virtues possible with God's grace.  Let us choose Him, even when we fail, or the world doesn't seem to offer us options for the goodness He allows.  For even through our Shepherd was stricken, He remains with us and in us.  The disciples, with one exception, will find their way back to Him even after stumbling, and so always should we, for He loved us first and desires our love in return.