"After three days I will rise"

 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.  When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.  And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.

On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.'  Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.'  So the last deception will be worse than the first."  Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."  So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.

- Matthew 27:55-66

Yesterday, we read that from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"  Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!"  Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.  The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him."  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.  Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.  So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.  My study bible says here that most Fathers teach that Mary the mother of James and Joses was the Virgin Mary, being in fact the stepmother of James and Joses (see 13:55; compare Mark 15:40, 47).  It notes that Theophylact summarizes the teaching of the Fathers to say that  James and Joses were sons of Joseph by his first wife.  Since Mary was called the "wife" of Joseph, she is rightly called the "mother" of his children, meaning "stepmother."

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.  Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him.   My study bible says, "To ask for the body of Jesus is a bold public act for this wealthy man, showing that his faith has overcome any fear."  Ancient commentators remark on the bravery of all of these people:  Joseph of Arimathea was known as a member of the council, a wealthy man with much to lose - and here he risks death to show support for Jesus, as do the women who are present.  There is already a depth of love for Jesus shown here that is to remark upon, and very great courage.

When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.  And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.  My study bible says that Jesus is buried in a new tomb so that no suspicion might later arise that another had risen instead of Christ.  St. John Chrysostom comments that the courage of these women is a model for all men to attempt to measure up to.

On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.'  Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.'  So the last deception will be worse than the first."  Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how."  So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.  Ironically, this statement, that He will rise on the third day, constitutes the very meaning of Jesus' words these people have twisted in order to condemn Him to death (see John 2:19).

So, the stage is set for what will come next.  It's remarkable that the religious authorities seek to take precautions against Jesus' rising on the third day, given that in their deliberations it was the false witnesses who twisted Jesus' teaching about His Resurrection in order to condemn Him to death.  It's like the whole world is watching, breathing, waiting -- like those women who sit opposite the tomb.  By tradition, these women, (in particular Mary Magdalene) are called "Equal to the Apostles" and we will see why.   They are also known as "the Holy Myrrbearers."   But for now these women sit and wait with Him outside of a new tomb.  They are the friends of the Bridegroom, who wait outside this new, "pristine" chamber as His body is wrapped in clean linen.  For many ancient commentators, this new tomb, also, is symbolic of the baby Jesus in the womb of the Virgin Mary.  In some ways there is a parallel here with Eastern icons of the Nativity, where Jesus is born in a manger which has always been understood as being in a cave where the animals were kept, a typical practice of the region.  The clean linen shroud would then appear to imitate the swaddling clothes in which the infant Jesus was wrapped.  The linen, perhaps most powerfully of all, is viewed as the linen in the vision in which Peter saw all animals given to him from heaven, made clean by the power of God.  Thus, the shroud, the tomb, this death -- is all made clean by the touch of Christ.  We are, in fact, awaiting a birth -- one which will open faith to the Gentile heart, for the whole world.    Hilary of Poitiers comments:  "It is perhaps not too extravagant to understand from this parallel that the church is buried with Christ under the name of the linen shroud. Just as in the linen, so also in the confession of the church are gathered the full diversity of living beings, both pure and impure. The body of the Lord, therefore, through the teaching of the apostles, is laid to rest in the empty tomb newly cut from a rock. In other words, their teaching introduced Christ into the hardness of the Gentile heart, which was uncut, empty and previously impervious to the fear of God. And because he is the only one who should penetrate our hearts, a stone was rolled over the entrance to the tomb, so that just as no one previous to him had been introduced as the author of divine knowledge, neither would anyone be brought in after him." (ON MATTHEW 33.8).   This tomb is also seen as a symbol of our "burial" with Christ in baptism, to be risen with Him as well.  For now we await a rebirth, a glorious opening of the tomb.

Truly this was the Son of God!

 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"  Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!"  Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.  The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him."  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.  So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"

- Matthew 27:45-54

Yesterday, we read that as the soldiers came out of the Praetorium leading Jesus away to the sight of crucifixion, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name.  Him they compelled to bear His cross.  And when they had come o a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Hm sour wine mingled with gall to drink.  But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.  Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet:  "They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."  Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.  And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:  THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.  And those who  passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself!  If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."  Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save.  If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.  He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"  Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.  My study bible refers us to the prophecies of Zechariah and Amos.  Amos quotes the declaration of the LORD:  "I will make the sun go down at noon and I will darken the earth in broad daylight."  The sixth hour to the ninth hour correspond to the hours between noon and three o'clock in the afternoon.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"  My study bible says here that Jesus is praying Psalm 22, which "foretold the very details of the Crucifixion.  Taken without the rest of the psalm, His cry of 'Why have You forsaken Me?' could be misinterpreted as a cry of despair.  Since He took on our nature, Jesus experiences our alienation from God in His humanity, knowing our suffering and distress, yet He does not despair.  He speaks these words in the name of humanity, completely identifying with us in our condition, for in His divinity, He is never forsaken by the Father."

Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!"  Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.  The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him."  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.  My study bible comments on the phrase yielded up His spirit that Christ's death was voluntary to the end.  Even on the Cross, His life could not be taken from Him against His will.  The note reads, "Christ accepts death on the Cross neither to receive the Father's punishment on our behalf, nor to satisfy the Father's need for blood-justice (as if God would demand such things), but so that by entering death as the divine Son of God, He can destroy this last enemy, which is death itself (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)."

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, . . .  My study bible notes that the veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple "was a symbol of the separation between God and man.  Christ's death opens the way into the presence of God for all people, giving people access to that which is the most holy of all:  God Himself."  It notes that in most Christian churches of Eastern Christianity, there is a curtain between the altar and the nave which is drawn open during the liturgical services in order to emphasize that communion with God, which was at one time sealed off from humanity, is now available to all who approach in faith.  Some denominations use the curtain either drawn or open in order to emphasize these differences at different seasons of the liturgical year, or during parts of the liturgy itself.

. . .  and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.   Here, a note reads:  "The completeness of the salvation won by Christ is signified in the resurrection of the saints from the Old Testament.  This guarantees the promise given to Ezekiel that God can and will one day open the graves of all mankind (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  The saints entering the holy city is an icon of resurrected humanity entering the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 11:10; 12:22-23; Revelation 21:2-22:5)."  Let us note this sign of resurrection of those who had not heard the name of Jesus of Nazareth; in this is "the completeness of salvation" as my study bible phrases it.

So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"  Another note says, "The centurion, a Gentile, realizes Jesus has dominion over nature, and therefore acknowledges Him as the Son of God.  Tradition knows this soldier as St. Longinos."

Immediately upon Jesus' death on the Cross, two significant events take place, giving us already the power of the Resurrection and its unlimited capacity:  (aside from the tearing of the temple curtain, the darkened sun, the split rocks and earthquakes) we are given the resurrection of the Old Testament saints, and the conversion of the centurion standing guard at the crucifixion itself.  He will also come to be known as a saint in the early Church.  Neither the earlier faithful of the Jews nor this Gentile (Roman) soldier were beneficiaries of Jesus' direct ministry, but here at this giving up, or "yielding up" of His spirit, immediately the effects of Resurrection begin -- even in those who might have been considered outside of His "followers."  Not so, according to God's mystery, God's judgment.  And the really "good news" hasn't been given yet to His disciples, who are scattered.  That will come soon.  After this "darkness at noon" we await the coming of the Light, dawning of the Resurrection.  But God's mysteries of resurrection are already at work.  Jesus' resurrection isn't just about Jesus, and it's not just about what happened to Him. It's also about where He takes us with Him, what He shares with us, and offers to us all of the time.  The Resurrection is unlimited as is God's mercy, something immeasurable by any of our standards, something that remains a mystery we can't predict, we can't call nor judge, and is not ours to decide for.  It is ours to accept as a gift, it is ours to pray for, its effects in our lives are those we share with others.  It's something we invite others into, and we pray might be shared by everyone.  The statement, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6) manifests immediately following Jesus' giving up of His spirit (in Luke Jesus says He "commits His spirit" -- again an active choice).  At this moment of what seems to be the greatest limitation possible at the hands of others, let us remember the power of His Resurrection, the true reality behind what we see.  It will always defy our expectations.

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS

 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name.  Him they compelled to bear His cross.  And when they had come o a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Hm sour wine mingled with gall to drink.  But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.  Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet:

"They divided My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots."

Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.  And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS

Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.  And those who  passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself!  If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."  Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save.  If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.  He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"  Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

- Matthew 27:32-44

Yesterday, we read that when Pilate saw that He could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.  Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they put the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.

 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name.  Him they compelled to bear His cross.  And when they had come o a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Hm sour wine mingled with gall to drink.  But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.  Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet:  "They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."  This quotation is from Psalm 22, verse 18.  The entirety of Psalm 22 is reflective of Jesus' Crucifixion.  Tomorrow's reading will give us yet another verse, this time from Jesus.

 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.  And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him:  THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.  And those who  passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself!  If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."  Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save.  If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.  He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"  Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.  Of today's entire passage, my study bible notes that "Jesus accepts mockery and endures the weakness of our body in His own to take upon Himself our sufferings.  This He accomplishes by uniting His divine nature to our human nature.  His humanity is indeed our humanity.  Although He has no sin, He was made to be sin for us, that through His flesh He might condemn sin itself (Romans 8:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 2:9)."  Of the two robbers, one would later repent (Luke 23:39-43), but at first they both mock Jesus.

Jesus' humiliation is complete.  He's surrounded by those who mock Him, those who "pass by" blaspheme Him, they ridicule Him according to their own twisting of His words.  This includes men among the leadership:  chief priests, scribes and elders.   Another text also mentions the Pharisees.  Origen comments (among others) that it is those who "pass by" who blaspheme Jesus, shaking their heads -- but none of these stand before Him or approach Him directly.  Origen finds in this act the primary symbolism of the Cross -- and how it is either approached or turned away from, or passed by.  St. John Chrysostom comments on the fullness of the humiliation of Jesus: "Consider his words. Consider his actions. Remember that he is Lord and you are his servant. Remember that he is suffering for you, and for you individually. You may be suffering only on your own behalf. He is suffering on behalf of all by whom he had been crucified. You may be suffering in the presence of a few. He suffers in the sight of the whole city and of the whole people of the covenant, both of strangers and those of the holy land, to all of whom he spoke merciful words.  Even his disciples forsook him. This was most distressing to him. Those who previously paid him mind suddenly deserted him. Meanwhile his enemies and foes, having captured him and put him on a cross, insulted him, reviled him, mocked him, derided him and scoffed at him. See the Jews and soldiers rejecting him from below. See how he was set between two thieves on either side, and even the thieves insulted him and upbraided him."  Chrysostom adds:  "By what he said and what he did he offended all our expectations to the utmost. He was forever correcting beforehand our assumptions about him. Even when all these ignominies were said and done, they could not prevail, even at that time. The thief who had lived depraved in such great wickedness, who had spent his whole life in murders and house breakings, when these things had been said, only then confessed him. When he made mention of his kingdom, the people bewailed him. These things that were done seemed to testify the contrary in the eyes of many who knew nothing of the mystery of God’s dispensations. Jesus was weak and of no ostensible power; nevertheless truth prevailed even by the contrary evidences."  (All quotations from Gospel of Matthew Commentary, Homily 87.2.)  Let us remember that the only "help" given to Jesus is from an outsider, a foreigner, Simon of Cyrene.   Yet Jesus keeps His silence.  There is power in His word, but He is the Word.  Everything He does is for the Gospel, even when He does not speak.  And the Cross conquers everything.  St. Chrysostom, in the same homily, also warns us about our own anger and outrage.  He who is on the Cross - the true Judge - completely humiliated, teaches us everything about forbearance.  Let us remember always to look to Him, silent, and the most powerful One of all.  It is He to whom we turn in our most aching times of trouble, our humiliation, weakness in the face of worldly injustice.  We endure, at His word.  Let us remember, it is Jesus who also gave us the story of the persistent widow and the Judge.  Endurance, persistence, doesn't mean we just "give up" to injustice when there are appropriate actions to take.    But silence and patience are also a part of those valuable options open to us in any situation, and God may call upon us also to develop these capabilities, even in the face of injustice.  We turn in prayer to Him, for discernment.  Jesus' actions are all in the service of justice, on a cosmic scale, and for each of us.

Hail, King of the Jews!

 When Pilate saw that He could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they put the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. 

- Matthew 27:24-31

On Saturday, we read of Jesus standing before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.  And the governor asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  Jesus said to him, "It is as you say."  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 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 the, "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!"  Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?"  But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"

 When Pilate saw that He could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.  You see to it."  And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.  My study bible points out that this verse, in which the people answer and state His blood be on us and on our children, has been used by certain groups to try to justify persecuting Jews -- which is a "grave and terrible sin."  It says, "What was seen by many as a curse is in fact a blessing invoked unwittingly, for the Lord's blood is the source of their redemption.  Furthermore, these words are spoken implicitly by anyone who sins.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that even though these particular Jews 'acted with such madness, so far from confirming a sentence on them or their children, Christ instead received those who repented and counted them worthy of good things beyond number.'  He then notes the thousands who were converted in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41) as evidence of Christ's mercy."

  Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.  And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.  And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.  And when they had mocked Him, they put the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.  My study bible notes, "Every king is proclaimed by his soldiers.  Even though the intention was mockery, it is prophetic that Jesus should be crowned and hailed as King by soldiers of the governor (see also John 11:49-51, where Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies of Christ's redemptive work).  This mockery shows Jesus as the One despised and rejected by men who bears the iniquity of us all (see Isaiah 53:3-9).  Jesus is clothed in scarlet, representing both His royalty and the sins of humanity which He has taken upon Himself." 

As we noted on Saturday, this is the territory of a world turned upside down, or inside out, whatever way we want to think of it.  In today's reading, Jesus is sentenced, scourged, mocked.  The crowd calls out "His blood be on us" as Pilate states, ceremonially washing his hands, "I am innocent of the blood of this just man."  Jesus is clothed in red, as He will be depicted in icons through the centuries, to denote His divinity - a color of royalty ("royal purple" or porphyra in the Greek -- which was really a type of deep reddish purple - see image here).  This purple does indeed resemble a color of blood.  But it seems to me that this is a peculiar picture of people who both declare themselves innocent (Pilate), and also declare a kind of guilt that extends to their descendants (the stirred-up crowd).  It is in Ezekiel that a false proverb is rebuked, which declares that children suffer guilt for their parents' sins (see Ezekiel 18:1-4).  This belief is rebuked in several places in the Old Testament, and again the proverb is mentioned negatively by Jeremiah.  In either case, God remains judge of all of us.  We don't judge of ourselves, we can't judge ourselves.  This is the sin also of Judas, in his suicide.  It is the One mocked and scourged, clothed in the royal scarlet, the One held by a whole garrison of soldiers, with crown of thorns on His head -- the One who is sentenced to a horrible death of crucifixion:  He is the One who will judge, who is the true Judge of hearts.  Whatever we think we see in this scene, it is His blood that saves us, which He gives voluntarily, which we take in the Eucharist so that He is part of us and we are part of Him, His Body in this world.  Let us consider what this means:  in some sense, we are up there with Him, and in another sense, we are in those crowds that need Him, what He is offering even in His sacrifice.  A patient God, One who extends mercy even in this situation, who asks for repentance so that we may join Him -- this is the picture we see. His royal robe clothes all of us, just as He gave us the image of His wish to be like a hen who protects all her children under her wings, as He gazed over Jerusalem before entering (Matthew 23:37).  Instead, He gave us all what we need to be bathed in this royal red-purple, the blood of His sacrifice -- the blood of His Passion and His love:  that's what we're really seeing here, symbolically, to be poured out for all of us.

Let Him be crucified!

 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 say."  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 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 the, "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!"  Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?"  But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"

- Matthew 27:11-23

Yesterday, we read that when morning came, after the Sanhedrin's night trial, 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 of 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 say."  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 not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.  My study bible notes here:  "The chief priests hide their real charge against Jesus -- the claim of equality with God -- because this would not persuade the governor to sentence Him to death.  Instead, they present a charge of treason -- that Jesus called Himself the King of the Jews.  This crime would carry the death penalty, for 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 the, "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!"  Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?"  But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"  My study bible points out that, while Jesus is the true Son of the Father, here the name Barabbas means "son of the father."  Ironically, it notes, the crowds now must choose between one Son of the Father and the other.  It says, that by influencing the crowds to choose Barabbas, the chief priests indicate to which father they belong (see John 8:44).

So what do we have here?  It's an odd -- not to say, completely crazy -- picture of a world that is in reverse, or upside-down, however we could characterize it.  The NU text, which uses fragments of Alexandrian texts as opposed to the traditional Byzantine Greek texts, even uses "Jesus Barabbas,"  although even ancient scholars (Origen) raise doubts about the use of the name Jesus here.  So, the Son is the one in chains, before the governor, on charges that He called Himself, "King of the Jews."  This is Jesus, who, in John's gospel, has refused to be forced to be made a king.  In our eyes, perhaps, we would say that the Lord of the Universe is bound in chains to be judged by the Roman Governor, Pilate.  And at the same time, the crowd wants to set free Barabbas, another "son of the father."  And who is Barabbas?  In Matthew we are told he is a "notorious" prisoner.  Elsewhere he's named with a word for "bandit" which was used to describe revolutionaries.  Mark and Luke suggest Barabbas was involved in a riot, perhaps a sort of insurrection.  At any rate, we have here a violent man, perhaps one who wishes to bring about a "kingdom" of the Jews in the revolutionary, violent sense, overthrowing the Romans in this way.  And then there is Jesus who brings a different kind of Kingdom into the world.  It clearly has other "rules" than the sword of insurrection to create a physical kingdom, as led by Jesus of Nazareth.  He's the One who entered Jerusalem one week earlier, riding on a donkey.  This is the Man who preached the Beatitudes in His most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, given to us in fullness in Matthew's gospel.  The Beatitudes also teach about a world that sees "upside down" in some sense.  We're told that those who mourn are blessed, that those who are poor in spirit are blessed, and indeed, that those who are meek are blessed -- that it is they who will inherit the earth.  Jesus is no revolutionary bandit; His Kingdom and His preaching are not about an immediate grasp of material power, but teach about endurance, forbearance, the strength of love, even turning the other cheek.  His disciples are taught to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.  So, in some way, this picture of this crisis point gives us our picture of the world, because we are always asked to make this choice.  Are we to be stirred up by people who would be populist leaders, in the name of some sort of immediate gratification of a thirst for power or movement?  Are we to be mobilized through deceit and lies, intended to make a scapegoat of others?  Are there demagogues among us?  These are choices that, in some sense, we are offered every day.  It's greatly telling that Pilate's wife had a dream about "this just man."  This pagan woman has glimpses of the heart, of the thing that is within us all, even those who may have never heard the name of Christ.  (See Romans 2:14-16.)  With Jesus standing before Pilate, the governor understands the envy behind the charge; after all, he's a political man in a world of politics and power.  But everything is upside down here, and the power of a stirred up crowd takes its toll, as it well may do anywhere today.  This is especially true when laws are ignored in favor of what is seemingly a popular choice or one made through political pressure.  So, it really breaks down into two deep choices:  do we listen to the heart, to the good that we know, even what has been enshrined in the law for the sake of justice?  Or do we go with what looks expedient, by manipulation, by force, and all kinds of pressure?  It's up to you and it's up to me, to all of us.  Prayer is a refuge, where we find what we need, even as we appeal to this bound and sentenced Prisoner.  There are countless numbers of times we may see this scene played out again in history, with other players in the roles -- maybe in the present right now when we look around.  But He was there first, for us, to show us the way out of this thinking of an upside down world, where we may not know how to choose of ourselves, where hypocrisy means we can't judge by any appearance.  Jesus prepares us for a complex world, one set in spiritual battle, not a simple and easy picture of life -- but one in which truth becomes the one thing we really need to be truly free  (John 8:32).

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 of 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 that Peter sat outside in the courtyard of the high priest, while Jesus was being tried inside.  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 are also 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 says, "While the religious Law dictated the death penalty for blasphemers (Leviticus 24:16), under Roman occupation, the Jews were prohibited from carrying out an execution.  Thus, they had to get permission from 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 of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me."  In contrast to Peter, my study bible points out, Judas doesn't repent although he is remorseful.    Suicide isn't a sign of repentance -- rather that of being self-absorbed.  My study bible also notes that there are two versions given of Judas' suicide in the New Testament:  here and in Acts 1:16-19.

Here's another sign of failure, as we noted in yesterday's reading and commentary.  This time, it's the failure in Judas' suicide -- a disciple hand-chosen by Christ, who fails to repent:  to turn to God's love, ask forgiveness, confess the sin not to those who encouraged him, but to the disciples who were his brothers in Christ.  He tries instead to undo the sin, to return the money, but this isn't really the point.  In some way, it's still a focus on the money, something in common with all the stories we've read about Judas:  that he was the treasurer, that he criticized the woman who anointed Jesus with the expensive ointment for the wasting of something valuable.  He's the one whom John names a thief.  His sin is extraordinary, true -- but these men he turns to don't represent Christ or the things that Christ taught.  Instead, they remain those who would strain out a gnat and swallow a camel:  they don't care about Judas, and they don't help him, it's just his problem in their sight.  Instead they worry about the lawfulness of blood money going into the treasury, and buy a potter's field, in which foreigners are buried.  What's the difference between remorse and repentance?  The question is important, because remorse may be one thing:  we think possibly we can fix that problem somehow, like by returning the silver pieces to those who plotted an innocent man's death in the first place.  But this doesn't "fix" things.  And often we might feel remorse for something that happened long ago, that we can't just "fix."  The answer to both things we can fix and things we can't is repentance, going to God.  Asking for a kind of transformation, with a willingness to change ourselves (or our "minds" as the word for repentance in Greek literally says).  The Greek for repentance is a word that implies a deep change of the self.  That kind of change comes with God's help, and comes from a return to God.  Peter will rejoin the disciples, and we know he will be forgiven explicitly and included by Christ (see Mark 16:7).  Where does Judas go?   Perhaps he felt he could not return to the disciples, but where is his prayer?  Does he attempt to see Christ?  He only gives back the money in an attempt to relieve himself of guilt, but there is no prayer here:  he takes his life by his own hands, as a kind of self-punishment.  Where is the God of love in this scenario?  I think it's a crucial distinction.  The emphasis here on guilt and punishment, the absence of the concept of repentance, renewal, Resurrection -- it is not here.  And love is not here, and mercy is not here.  There are all kinds of things in this world we may have remorse for.  But remorse in and of itself isn't an end -- taken to its end alone, it becomes a kind of self-centered morbid guilt that can lead away from God.  Instead, repentance is turning to God, to the power of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, and confessing and asking, "What do I do?"  There are those others also who can help us do so if they too trust the love of God.  We need Christ's power to repent, to truly change in the direction God will ask of us, to find the way forward out of this nihilistic ending of pure remorse.  Any way we go, our own self-centeredness can work to deceive:  we no more do what is right through self-destruction than we do through pure self-exaltation.  It's two sides of the same coin.  What we need instead is the rehabilitation from the love that teaches and leads us forward, beyond the sin -- and this comes through repentance.  At the early part of the reading, we read that Jesus is bound in order to be led to Pilate.  It symbolically teaches what the reality is for Judas, and perhaps all of us, without Christ -- in a kind of merciless world that doesn't teach us otherwise.

He went out and wept bitterly

 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 are also 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 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 right 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."  My study bible points out that at this crucial time, this episode is a "type", an icon or image of Eve coming to Adam with temptation (Genesis 3:6).  This time, it is Peter who is tempted to deny Christ, something he swore he would never do.  In Christ, this picture or icon is overcome (as an icon of our fallen state) when it is women who are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection.

 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 are also 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.  My study bible quotes Ambrose of Milan:  "Through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

What does it mean to face our own immaturity, unpreparedness, or lack of something to rise to an occasion the way we would like to?  In this case, Peter isn't just lacking something.  In fact, he's going against his word, and in effect, betraying Christ.  His denial of Christ was fully predicted to him by Jesus -- and yet, Peter still failed to be the person he wanted to be.  We see so much failure at these stages in the Gospel.  There is the "failure" of Judas to be a loyal disciple, even though hand-picked by Christ.  (See John 6:70.)   There is the "failure" of Jesus' ministry in the eyes of the world as He is railroaded with a phony trial and false witnesses, and declared worthy of death by the Sanhedrin.  As the disciples scatter, there is the "failure" of this movement to stand together.  There is so much "failure" here from a worldly perspective.  But life in abundance doesn't know failure.  Resurrection does not know failure.  Even in Peter's tears of repentance and recognition of his failure, there is Resurrection.  There is the power of what St. Ambrose says purges "that which cannot be defended" -- to "wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."  Every part of this ministry is a success because of the life it has brought into the world, a renewal, even in an act of bitter tears.  God's love redeems everything.  And this is really important to remember in every one of our failures.  A relationship dies from neglect, we recognize something we've done that hurt another, or let ourselves down.  It just doesn't matter what the failure.  It could be a job, an investment, perhaps we spend our lives racked with guilt for something we couldn't change.  Whatever it is, the real perspective of Christ turns it around, just as the image of women being the first to spread the word of Resurrection changed completely the image of the woman holding an apple in the Garden.  Christ's ministry doesn't know failure, wherever we are and whatever has happened.  One's life is still one's life and that is material enough for the power of Resurrection, inside of any kind of prison, self-imposed or otherwise, even past our fears, and failures.  Let us remember this power that is always making all things new, no matter what we suffer through, how we disappoint ourselves or are disappointed in the world.  The renewal remains with us, in Him.

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 right 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 the 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 the 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 suggests that the people misunderstand the words of Jesus as reported in John 2:19-21:  "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."  It says, "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 right 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?"   A note says that Jesus is quoting from Psalm 110 and Daniel 7:13.  It says, " Jesus confesses that He is the Messiah, both fully Man and fully God, for only a divine One could sit at the right hand of the Power, sharing authority with the Father.  This statement was clearly understood by the high priest to be a claim of equality with God the Father (v. 65).  For a mere man to claim this was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16), but Christ is no mere man, and thus this declaration of equality is not blasphemy."

 The words "Prophesy to us, Christ!  Who is the one who struck You?" somehow give us a most chilling encounter with those who would diminish another person.  But this just isn't "any old person."  This is Jesus, the one whose ministry encompassed all kinds of healing, impossible acts of restoration, even feeding many in the wilderness.  The contempt is clear.  So is the ridicule and the defilement and abuse.  We see Christ, not just humble, but humiliated by those who actually should know better -- those who everyday witnessed Him sitting with them and teaching openly in the temple.  This is Jesus, whom the crowds called "the prophet from Nazareth."  Even in His purely human life, there is nothing about this person that warrants what is happening to Him.  It's a miscarriage of justice from every conceivable standpoint.  Even this evening trial is illegal by their own laws.  Jesus is the victim of every injustice here on so many levels.  We could look to these people willing to stoop to every means to silence Him, to kill Him -- to get rid of Him as a public rival when the people need a spiritual leader.  We could look at Judas and imagine his motives, even as he was greeted as "Friend" by Christ in the garden at His arrest.  We can imagine what has happened to His followers.  But there is more to the picture.  There is the story of Christ.  He is the King of the Universe, Lord of lords, and King of kings.   But His humiliation isn't for the sake of power and authority.  This humiliation is that of the Kingdom, that of God's power and love and mercy, all there in Christ and in His ministry.  And it's for that humiliation that we mourn for a broken world, that does not return God's love, even as it was manifest in the human Jesus.  If we don't come to terms with our capacity for such behavior, how are we truly going to know ourselves enough to follow God in obedience?  We will see from Peter's example, up ahead in the readings, why it is important to know ourselves.  We look at Christ, the humiliated and beaten prisoner, on trumped up charges, though He did good for others -- all for envy, according to John's Gospel.  Let us remember that what is attacked by this envy is His very goodness, God's love and mercy at work in the world, the true majesty of His gift to us.  If we're not aware of what is possible within us, then how can we make true choices in our own lives?  We may find ourselves humiliating the innocent.

Friend, why have you come?

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 the 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 Jesus came 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.  Se, 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.  And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew the 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.  My study bible says here:  "Jesus rebukes Peter (identified in John 18:10) for using the sword, for he still does not understand that Christ is going to His death willingly, that salvation for mankind might be fulfilled.  A legion is 6,000 soldiers, so twelve legions equal 72,000 angels.  That this death was foretold in the Scriptures served to strengthen the disciples at their hour of greatest test."

Here in Jesus' last moments with His disciples, we see Him make one more attempt with Judas.  Jesus asks, "Friend, why have you come?"  It is a kind of last moment to confess, which Jesus is encouraging Judas to do, to come to Him with the truth and a capacity for repentance.  We see also Jesus' reaction to Peter striking the servant of the high priest, who is one of those seizing Jesus.  His final rebuke is for those who have come to seize Him, as if He's a robber and a criminal, when He was openly in the temple all during the days before this moment.  It is that moment when the disciples realize there is nothing they can do.  The courage and confidence of Jesus at this point is simply amazing.  Of course, that courage and confidence are in God.  In John 16:32, we are told that Jesus says of this moment:"  Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me."  He also adds, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  There is a kind of grand exchange here, on a colossal scale:  His Father is with Him, and He is not alone.  But at the same time, He has "overcome the world."   As I can't speak about all the things this must mean, I will suggest that to "overcome the world" is to face the fears of this cup, to feel them keenly as He has, and to make a choice based on faith and the will of God.  Life offers us all kinds of choices all the time, but the one thing I find consistently is that my faith asks me to examine my previous understanding, and then, quite often, to "overcome" it by taking a leap of faith -- to push me beyond my previous limitations and understanding into a place where I am more reliant on God than I was before.  I can't know about everyone, but Christ shows the way here for each of us.  His faith is total in God's plan for this moment.  Prayer is His example for how we choose, a continual going to God.  Through betrayal and violence, He remains in this place of loyalty and love.  He is true to His mission.

O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done

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.  Se, My betrayer is at hand."

- Matthew 26:36-46

 On Saturday, we read that as Jesus and the disciples were eating at the Last Supper or Passover Supper, 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 suggests that this cup refers to Christ's impending death.  It says, "According to His divine nature, Jesus willingly goes to His death.  As a man, He wishes He could avoid it, for it is the mark of humanity to abhor death.  He prays if it is possible that it be taken from Him, thus giving abundant proof of His human nature.  Nevertheless, Jesus is without sin and 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.  Se, My betrayer is at hand."  A note suggest to us that the words watch and pray give us the key to Christian spirituality and our struggle against temptation.  "By this, the Lord's human soul is strengthened, and He faces death with divine courage.  In contrast to our Lord's vigilance, the disciples sleep.  Since body and soul are united, the spirit is paralyzed by a lethargic body.  A willing spirit, recognizing the weakness of the flesh, struggles against its weakness, relying on God's presence and power." 

In order to understand Jesus' perspective, I think it's important to receive the great gift of His humanity.  Although He knows full well what is happening, although He has indicated to His disciples several times what was going to happen to Him, and the text of the gospel has made it perfectly clear this is a willing sacrifice He is making, knowingly -- His humanity shows through very clearly.  He is subject to our human passions as well.  He is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death.  He is sorrowful and deeply distressed.  He falls on His face to pray, and to ask that if it is God's will, He will "drink the cup."  Notice that in both requests Jesus makes in prayer, He does not avoid the cup -- He asks God the Father, if it is possible, to let it pass.  But if it will only pass from Jesus by His drinking of it, then God's will be done.  In His humanity is our humanity.  Jesus is not a superhuman with strange magic powers, or with the strength of a superman.  He is, instead, as fully human as any of us, while at the same time also fully Divine.  What we find here in the garden of Gethsemane is His human expression, and at the same time the soul that will not desert God's plan -- even the human will bending despite its pain and sorrow.  Jesus remains the model for all of us not only because of His great expressions of divine power and love, of healing, and even Resurrection, but because of this great humanity that is here.  When I am exceedingly sorrowful, and I have a difficult choice to make, there is no better model than Christ.  I learn forbearance from His example (not perfectly, of course!)  That's an ongoing process.  Jesus helps me to see the necessity of my own development of detachment in faith.  He also teaches that this doesn't mean we don't fully feel all our feelings and even the painful.  Instead it means facing both, and choosing one:  God's way.  Even His closest friends, in some sense, betray Him with their sleep.  He's alone, and praying.  Don't we go through something similar in our lives?  Let us be thankful for His gift of His humanity, His Incarnation.

I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered

 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 the 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, my study bible has a long note:  "Jesus institutes the Eucharist, the long-awaited messianic banquet, to which He admits even Judas (compare Esther 7), seeking by all means to save Him.  Because of his wicked heart, Judas' participation leads to his condemnation (1 Corinthians 11:27-30)."  When we receive communion during the liturgy, we are invited with Christ's words, to receive His body and blood.   It is something that unites us to Christ.  Jesus gave thanks (in Greek, this is the root of "eucharist") in order to teach us (1) how we must celebrate this sacrament, (2) that He goes willingly to His Passion, and (3) that we accept sufferings with thankfulness, for we know God can use our sufferings for ultimate good.  The note continues, "The Old Covenant was sealed with the blood of bulls and goats.  The New is sealed by the gift of Christ, who shed His own blood to conquer sin and death and to reconcile us with God.  Christ calls it the blood of the new covenant, which is God's promise and the fulfillment of the Law.  By new, He means this covenant brings immortality and incorruptible life; this covenant will always have the quality of newness."   The eternal "newness" of the covenant reminds us of the words from Revelation 21: "Behold, I am making all things new!" (v. 5).  For many, as we've read before, is an Aramaic expression which means "for all."

"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.  My study bible notes that Church Fathers teach here that Jesus also drinks the cup of His own Blood.  Similar to His Baptism in the Jordan, He drinks this in order to lead others and bless; in this case it is to lead all believers into participation in His heavenly mysteries.  It notes that, "In My Father's kingdom relates to the time after His Resurrection, when Christ will eat and drink to show the reality of His victory over death."

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.  Jesus quotes from the prophecy of Zechariah (see Zechariah 13:7).

"I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered."  Perhaps we're not quite capable of grasping how profound this statement, this prophecy, really is.  It tells us how much we have need of leaders, spiritual teachers and leaders who, simply by doing, living a life as God has led them, teach by example.  We're not talking about the leadership of a politician, or a commander, or that is based in a title (although I hasten to say this kind of leadership might be made manifest in anyone).  This is a kind of leadership that is something like the authority with which Jesus spoke throughout His ministry, that made others marvel.  He had no title.  He had no official position.  He had no real material power to speak of, excepting the times when His spiritual authority interceded to heal in all manner of ways. But there was power, always, in His words and His teachings.  This is not just the spellbinding power of a good orator or speaker (even vile dictators and con artists who lead others into disaster may have that power).  This is the power of the Kingdom manifest in His words, what He taught, and also what He showed others by His life.  This is the authority that is always of the Kingdom, even as it may manifest in this world.  It is the authority in His Person and His identity, in His work.  And He calls us all to be "like Him."  We are all called to grow in this relationship and participation in the Kingdom.  And there we come to the Eucharist.  Just as Jesus was baptized in the Jordan -- not because He needed to be baptized, but because He at once showed the way for each of us, and at the same time blessed the waters of the world for Baptism for His Church.  In today's reading, we receive another sacrament, another way the things of this world are blessed (or perhaps re-blessed) by God, in the manifestation of the Kingdom right here in this world, to introduce us to this life in Christ, to mingle within us His body and blood of this new covenant, so that we may participate.  As courageous leader, He not only sets the tone, and leaves us with the sacraments to remember and to participate in His living Kingdom in which He is always making all things new -- but He is also going in humility where God the Father leads Him, to teach us, as well, and to lead the way.  We contrast the great (and when we consider that He is Christ, we must call it "immense") humility of Jesus in these acts as He prepares Himself and His disciples for what is now to come.  Even knowing that the sheep will be scattered, He goes forward in commitment to faith and trust.  Our leader sets the example, while the disciples (through their spokesperson, Peter) are full of the kind of courage that comes before experience, and without understanding the great need we have of the spiritual life, of God, of Christ, for true courage -- which takes humility.  We will read later the outcome of this resolution, the failure to heed Jesus' words.  Let us now understand the humility of Jesus' choice, how knowing oneself is the one thing that can lead to true courage -- that which is born of faith and humility.  This is what leadership is all about.

You have said it

 Now on the first day of the Feast of the 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."

- Matthew 26:17-25

Yesterday, we read that when Jesus had finished His discourse on His second coming, and including teachings about this time in which we await His return, He said to His disciples, "You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."  Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.  But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."  And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at table.  But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?  For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor."  But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them,  "Why do you trouble the woman?  For she has done a good work for Me.  For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.  For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.  Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."  Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?"  And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.  So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

Now on the first day of the Feast of the 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.  My study bible suggests, "The Passover commemorates God's deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt to the Land of Promise.  It prefigures the Passion of Christ, the new Passover (Greek Pascha), God's redemption of all humanity from sin and death, and entrance into the promised Kingdom.  Whether the first day of the Feast was Passover or the day before Passover is debated among the Fathers.  [In the synoptic gospels this day of the Passover meal is set on the first day of Passover; in John's gospel Jesus as Lamb of God dies at the exact time when the Passover lambs are being slain in the temple.  Both traditions are theologically accurate -- the Mystical Supper is the fulfillment of the Passover meal (synoptic) and His death is the fulfillment of Passover lambs being slain (John).]  What is certain is that Jesus regarded the meal with the disciples to be the Passover meal."

 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."  My study explains here, "That it is written of Him does not cancel Judas' responsibility.  God foresees but does not cause the evil actions of humans, who always have free will.  Jesus lets Judas accuse himself, yet even hearing that Christ knew of his deception, Judas does not repent."

The phrase Jesus uses here also appears elsewhere, particularly with Pilate and those others who accuse and plot against Him:  "You have said so" or "You have said it."  (See Matthew 26:64; 27:11; Luke 23:3; Mark 15:2.)   It's an interesting response, in the sense that Jesus in some sense makes no overt accusation, but allows others to "speak for themselves."   To Pilate the response is directed to the question, "Are you the king of the Jews?"  We recall the argument at Crucifixion between Pilate and the chief priests regarding the placement of accusation on the Cross.  Pilate wrote, "The King of the Jews" while the leadership argued it should be replaced with, "He said He was king of the Jews."   It's something important to think about, as so much of our spiritual understanding of these texts is based on witnessing, testimony.  Perhaps Pilate understood something about Jesus' response, and certainly we know he said, "I find no fault in this man."  The implication of self-condemnation, a kind of witnessing against oneself, is what we see here.  The truth becomes something obvious, and yet denied, even by those who "have said so."  There is no repentance in their mouths.  I think we're given of what evil does here, how a world is turned upside down, people do what they know not to do -- and accusation comes from their own mouths.  We note also that Jesus does not do any accusing of His own; He doesn't name the disciple in front of the others here -- this is the best way to encourage repentance, rather than a conflict (especially an open one) in which all kinds of factors may be at play in response.  Also in today's reading are these words from St. Paul:

 "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:14-21).

 Jesus knows that it is God's will that He be a witness in complete faith:  as the human Jesus, He doesn't take revenge nor does He ever instruct His followers to do so.  But testimony comes against His enemies, even out of their own mouths.  Jesus is truly "honorable in the sight of all."  And His life -- and the things He predicted -- were to manifest that vengeance isn't ours but God's.  Can we abide with Him, His way?  There are times when Jesus speaks up boldly, He condemns the practices of the Pharisees and scribes and calls them "hypocrites" in the temple in front of all.  He  predicts their condemnation.  But let us consider that difference between speaking the truth about an entire class of practices which harm the people, and mere vengeance.  God will call on us to testify, but sometimes that testimony comes in a form of martyrdom ("martyr" is from the Greek word for "witness").  Let us remember that we never lose sight of what He teaches us.