Rejoice!

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guard shook for for fear of him, and became like dead men.  But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.   He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.  Behold, I have told you."  So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"  So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.  Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."

- Matthew 28:1-10

Yesterday we read that at Christ's Crucifixion, 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.

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guard shook for for fear of him, and became like dead men.  My study bible tells us that the earthquake is a sign of Christ's great victory over death, and that it foreshadows the general resurrection of all humanity.   It asks us to note that the angel doesn't roll back the stone to let the Lord out.  Christ, in His glory, can pass through solid rock (see John 20:19).   That the stone is rolled back instead allows the witnesses in -- so that they may see that Christ has already risen.

But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.   He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him.  Behold, I have told you."  So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.  My study bible comments that these women are the first witnesses of the supreme event in all of history; that is, witnesses to the Resurrection of Christ and to the destruction of death.  The angel speaks of Christ as the One who was crucified.   This teaches us that we shouldn't shy away from His death, but rather to glory in the Cross (1 Corinthians 2:2; Galatians 6:14), as the Cross is the weapon which Christ used to destroy death, and it is the trophy of His victory.  In the Paschal liturgical services of the Eastern Orthodox, one hymn is repeatedly sung:  "Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life."  St. Paul teaches, "If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile" (1 Corinthians 15:17). 

And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!"  So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid.  Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me."  The first word of the risen Christ is "Rejoice!"  Let us note that this is a command.  And the second word is also a command:  "Do not be afraid." 

Jesus' first word to the women, as they run to tell His disciples what the angel in the tomb had said to them, is "Rejoice!"  This word is identical to the greeting of Gabriel, the angel of the Annunciation, to Mary (Luke 1:28).  In the King James Version of the Bible it is translated as "Hail" (as in the words beginning the prayer, Hail Mary).   This word remains today a common formal greeting in Greek.   But literally it is the command, "Rejoice."  The command given by Christ to the women in today's reading is the same, excepting that it is in the plural.  And again, we see a repetition, in that Christ's words that follow to the women is another command, "Do not be afraid."  Shortly after he greets Mary, Gabriel also gives the same command to her (Luke 1:30),  and again the words are identical in the Greek texts, except that, when addressed to the women here it is in the plural.  (For Luke's account of the Annunciation, see Luke 1:26-38).  Why are these ties important?   For one thing, they give us another hint of the important role of women in the full story of the Incarnation and our salvation, and especially here in the Resurrection.  St. Jerome comments here that the greeting to these women affirms that, just as the Bible begins with the sin of a woman (Eve), the Gospel story teaches that that "first sin" is undone by women.   Peter Chrysologus (4th century Archbishop of Ravenna) comments that in this first greeting to His followers, in the persons of these women, Christ does not frighten them with the power of His authority, but rather comes before them with the ardor of His love.  He greets them with the covenant of the Bridegroom (not the right of ruler), and with the love of a brother, which surpasses everything else in Him.  Chrysologus adds, "This greeting itself evidently shows that the full figure of the church abides in these women. They are contrasted with those disciples whom Christ scolds who were wavering over the resurrection."  Thus, we might conclude that the fullness of the Church abiding in these women extols their faith, just as we understand Mary's extraordinary faith through the Annunciation.  And this is one more evidence of the power of the Gospels, that we should understand how these women, the Apostles to the Apostles (who bring the news of Resurrection to the apostles), become the first great examples of faith, just as did Mary.  If we want to look to human beings whose virtue is most highly praised in Scripture, then, we must look to the women.  We must look to Mary, the "blessed among women" and to these women who are the first to hear and spread the news of Resurrection, and the first to be greeted by the risen Christ.  Such a greeting and honor could not be possible except through their tremendous faith -- and thus we look to these women as those most highly praised and honored among all human beings in the Scriptures and in the Church.  We might ask ourselves why this understanding is so often overlooked.  I don't believe it was overlooked by our most ancient ancestors in the Church.  On the contrary, the place of the Mother of God was established from the beginning as chief among the saints.  I would suggest, rather than the conventional answer of misogyny which might easily be given, that the reason they are overlooked is because their power is so fully in serving, waiting, and attending.  They are ministers to the ministers, and they are apostles to the apostles.  Their role is no less for being so, but in a time in which astonishing and vivid action rates all praise and attention, we hardly have time for those whose service is less conspicuous, or less powerful and authoritative in purely worldly or materialist terms.   In overlooking these women, we overlook the truth of our Christian faith, and especially the witness of the Gospels and of Christ the risen Lord.  Let us nurture the things in ourselves these women most fully represent, for to ignore them is to lose the true fullness of the Church and the human beings who must be its living stones.

And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar

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 (or noon) 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 notes here that most Patristic writers teach that Mary the mother of James and Joses is the Virgin Mary.  She was in fact the stepmother of James and Joses (see 13:55; compare to Mark 15:40, 47).   My study bible quotes from Theophylact, who summarizes the teaching in this way:  "James and Joses were sons of Joseph by his first wife.  And since the Theotokos [in Greek, "God-bearer," title of the Virgin 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.  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.  That Joseph of Arimathea would ask for the body of Jesus is a bold public act.  He is a wealthy man, a member of the Sanhedrin.  He has everything to lose by openly asking for the body of Christ.  My study bible says that this shows that Joseph's faith has overcome any fear.  It notes also that Jesus is buried in a new tomb, so that no suspicion might later arise that another had risen instead of Christ. 

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.  Let us make note of how each act committed in hostility to Christ and His ministry becomes one more plank in the building of the stage for Resurrection.  In effect, the chief priests and Pharisees sealing the stone and setting the guard will only serve to more greatly affirm what is going to happen.

It is the women sitting by the tomb, and standing afar off and watching Christ being crucified, that really grab our attention, so to speak, in today's reading.  This is ironic, as the last thing these women are doing is seeking attention.  We don't hear them speak or cry out.  They don't stand close to the crucifixion of Christ so that they are noticed, or even that the text would tell us they weep and wail.  On the contrary, they seem to be standing almost silently, stoically by, accepting what has happened, bearing witness, being there.  Even when the men, Christ's disciples, have fled, these women stand there.  They are there bearing witness to Him, still supporting Him, their souls are with Him.  They will not leave Him.  So the women stand steadfast, and their silent witness to the Cross from afar, and their silent seating keeping watch opposite the tomb tell us something.  It reminds us that we who pray, who can do nothing more to change or help a situation, still remain loyal in love and in truth.  They remain close to Christ, even as His disciples are scattered (26:31).   These are the women who have supported His ministry all along (Luke 8:1-3, 23:55).  They have followed Him from Galilee, and provided for the ministry.  In John Milton's Sonnet 19, the last line is quite famous, and it reads:  "They also serve who only stand and wait."   The poem is ostensibly about his personal blindness and its effect upon his ability to work and to serve God through his work, but that last line tells us a deeper and wider truth.  These women might not have vivid stories of compelling action written about them detailing their work in the kingdom as would the apostles in their travels.  They do not have bold and astonishing testimonies such as crossing the sea in a terrifying storm, or bravely preaching in the face of enemies.  But nevertheless the Gospels testify that they remain even when the rest are nowhere to be found.  Their strength is in their steadfastness, their courage in their closeness and refusal to flee and in their willingness to remain beside the crucified Christ, to stand and wait.  They are ready and willing to do whatever needs to be done out of the love and loyalty and courage of their hearts, and so they remain as witnesses.  They will not desert Him, giving in to fear as did the disciples.  They remain and watch.  They who serve and "only stand and wait" will become the first witnesses to the greatest event of history, the pivotal news that will change everything for everybody.  In their steadfast love -- together with Joseph of Arimathea -- they remain in the place where they will become Apostles to the Apostles and bear the news of Resurrection.  It tells us what it means simply to be in the place where we are taught to be, even to stand and wait, so long as we serve -- and what an extraordinarily powerful thing that can be, if only we listen and watch in our faith.   It is very like the power of prayer, a help that is perhaps most profound in silence, but which should never be underestimated in its service and strength.

Truly this was the Son of God!

Holy Lance of Keghart, on display in its reliquary at the Museum of Holy Etchmiadzin, Armenia (see this article)

 

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 Jesus and the Roman guards leading Him to crucifixion came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name.  Him they compelled to bear His cross.  And when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him 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 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 prophecies in Zechariah 14:6-7 and Amos 8:9.  The sixth hour is noon; the ninth hour is about 3:00 PM.

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."  Jesus is praying Psalm 22, a psalm which foretells all the details of Christ's crucifixion.  Without reading or knowing the full content of the psalm, we might believe that this is just a cry of despair.  We can read for ourselves the varied misunderstanding responses of those who stood there.  But, my study bible comments, as Jesus experiences our alienation from God in His humanity, and knows our suffering and distress, He does not despair.  These words are spoken in the name of humanity, as Christ identifies with us completely in our condition.  Yet in His divinity, He is never forsaken by the Father.  See John 16:32:  "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."   The same is true for each of us; when we are abandoned in any way, Christ (indeed, the Trinity) and the saints remain with us.

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.  My study bible suggests that Christ's death was voluntary to the very end, for even on the Cross, His life could not be taken from Him against His will.  He 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 (for why would God demand such things?) but so that by entering death as the divine Son of God, He can destroy this "last enemy," 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, . . .  This was the veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple.  It is a symbol of separation between God and man.  Jesus' death opens the way into the presence of God for all people, and gives access for people to that which is the most holy of all, which my study bible says is God.  In many Orthodox churches, there is a curtain between the altar and the nave, which is opened during liturgical services in order to emphasize that it is communion with God -- at one time sealed off from humanity -- is now available to all who approach in faith. 

. . . 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.   My study bible notes that the completeness of the salvation won by Christ is signified in the resurrection of the saints from the Old Testament.  It says that this guarantees the promise given to Ezekiel that God can and will one day open the graves of all mankind (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  As the saints enter the holy city, the image is an icon of resurrected humanity entering into the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 11:10, 12:22-23; Revelation 21:2-22:5).  

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!"  This centurion is a Gentile, who realizes that Jesus has dominion over nature, and therefore acknowledges Him as the Son of God.  In tradition he is known as St. Longinus. 

If we look at the Crucifixion as a picture, we see an array of humanity standing watching Him on the Cross.  There are those who love Christ, including His mother and many of His followers who watched from afar (as we shall read in tomorrow's lectionary reading).   Those who stand closer to Christ include this Gentile centurion, now known to us as St. Longinus, and there are assorted members of the crowd which includes the chief priests, scribes, and elders (see yesterday's reading, above).  Jesus is also crucified between two robbers.  Many of the members of this crowd have been jeering Christ and ridiculing Him.  At first, both robbers did so as well, as we read in Matthew's text (again, see yesterday's reading above).  But one of these robbers, seeing Jesus on the Cross, eventually repents (Luke 23:39-43).   In yesterday's reading, the chief priests, scribes and elders all scoffed at Jesus, mocking Him still to prove He was the Son of God by saving Himself from the Cross.  In today's reading, members of the crowd nearby misunderstand that Jesus is praying Psalm 22; they think He's calling to Elijah.  Some offer help; others merely do as did the religious leaders:  they think it's a contest to see whether or not Elijah will save Him from death on the Cross.  But this is a voluntary death which Christ has entered into, and it is one which is dedicated to salvation.  As my study bible says, Christ enters death in order to conquer death for us.  It is the process to Resurrection.  But all the people around respond to the Cross in ways which represent the world and its varied responses to Christ.  There are those who will scoff and demand proofs which were never given by Christ in His ministry, and which are not given here on the Cross.  There are those who revile and mock.  There are those who love Him and watch from afar.  And there is Longinus, the centurion, the Gentile who is transformed by what he has seen at this crucifixion, after having no doubt witnessed many others.  We can witness the response of the world to Christ, but it is in Longinus that we see what is really worthwhile to witness.  He is one who is no doubt experienced in the work of the Roman soldiers, assigned to guard the prisoners who are being crucified.  He must be an expert on crowd control, on the martial arts of the Roman military, a ground soldier or perhaps a commander of this particular guard.  We can imagine that he is toughened in the ways of the world, and used to following orders, loyalty and discipline being the highest prized values of a member of the infantry such as he is.  But yet, his mind is open to Christ and to the things he witnesses at the Cross.  The text here in Matthew tells us that he fears at the things he sees, but in Luke's Gospel the centurion witnesses Jesus give up His spirit speaking to the Father, and declares, "Certainly this was a righteous Man!" (Luke 23:44-49).  Longinus' name in tradition comes to us from the Greek word for the long spear he would carry, the one that pierced Christ's side (John 19:34).  This long spear, or lance, was called lonche/λόγχη in Greek, and it is from this word that is derived the saint's name.  So this soldier, this Roman guard who carries out his duties in assisting at the crucifixion of Christ, is the one who truly comes to faith, in addition to the robber who repents.  It teaches us something deeply powerful about the requirements for the ways in which we do come to faith.  We imagine that this soldier had seen many gruesome things, especially there in Golgotha, in the horrific crucifixions, in the treatment of the prisoners, in the ignominious deaths reserved for the worst criminals.  He no doubt is one that does not shrink away from the reality of this world, but rather must know the truth of it.  In this understanding, his ability to accept truth and to hold his mind open (in contrast especially to the religious leaders and those who mock Christ for failure to "prove" He is the Messiah) must in some way determine his capacity for faith.  He is indeed an outsider, but not one who has come for religious instruction.  Instead he is stunned by what he has witnessed, in contrast to so many other crucifixions he has no doubt seen.  The other one who comes to faith is the thief who repents, recognizing Jesus as a just and innocent Man, while he and his fellow thief committed the crimes for which they are being crucified.   This repentant thief is welcomed by Christ, who says, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:39-43).  In many traditions he is known as St. Dismas, and also called "the Good Thief."  As we imagine is the outlook on life of the centurion, this "good thief" is one who no doubt is capable of coming to grips with the truth of his reality and embracing it, and also recognizing the truth of Christ.  It seems that we could infer that the capacity to know and understand even the worst and most gruesome of evils of this world and not turn away might well be linked to the capacity also for apprehending and understanding the true nature of Jesus the Christ, the Savior to whom we turn in the depths of the reality of this world.  It is a reminder of the aphorism that "there are no atheists in foxholes."  It is perhaps those who best know and come to grips with the reality of a fallen world in its truth who can most assuredly embrace and understand the salvation in Christ, and the truth of the Man who went to the Cross for all of us, and did not flinch from the evil of the world, but rather defeated it through His strength, His humility, His obedience and love of God, and His love for us.  For it is only one who can come to grips with the truth of this world who truly understands Christ's gesture and sacrifice.  If we are not lost in the ways of the world, we can come to terms with identifying and accepting its true fallen nature, and thereby with the reality of Christ who did not turn away either.  Let us ponder these great mysteries, and understand the nature of the real truth we embrace.  Once again, our faith is not "pie in the sky" fantasy, nor is it escapist illusion.  It comes right down to the grit and bone and soil of this earth, the sadness of our sins, the desperate violence of our desires, the brutal dehumanizing of its grasp for power.  And it recognizes God's mercy as the light that shines in the darkness, even when the darkness cannot comprehend.  Those who know the truth of life embrace this light and its value for all that it is worth, for the value of life itself.  It reminds us of Jesus' saying that "from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force" (11:12).  In this perspective, we might understand that those who are most deeply acquainted with the truth of this world, even in all its ugliness, are also those who may reach most zealously for the beauty existing in kingdom of heaven offered by Christ.  For it is not a worldly utopia we seek, but a heavenly kingdom that lives in us and among us, healing and saving in our worst of circumstances.  Let us not lose sight of this depth of truth, even in the paradox of our own human and divine reality present at the Cross of Christ.   Christ goes to those depths of our world, suffering with us.  Whatever reality we know, He is there with us, and takes us forward with Him.

They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots

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 to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him 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 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 took the robe off Him, and 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 to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull, they gave Him 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."  The text quotes from Psalm 22:18.  St. Leo the Great (Pope Leo I) comments that the compelling of Simon of Cyrene to carry Christ's cross is symbolic of Christianity coming to the outsiders, the Gentiles.  Regarding the sour wine mingled with gall, see Psalm 69:21.

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 Him reviled Him with the same thing.   Of today's entire passage, my study bible says that Jesus accepts mockery and endures the weakness of our body in His own to take upon Himself our sufferings.  He accomplishes this by uniting His divine nature to our human nature.  His humanity is our humanity.  Although Christ 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).   Although one robber would later repent (as we know from Luke's Gospel, see Luke 23:39-43), at first both criminals mock Jesus.

As we read in today's text, Jesus takes on the sufferings of the world.  It doesn't seem to be precisely understood today what "gall" was that was mixed with the sour wine commonly consumed by the Roman soldiers, but quite possibly it was a bitter substance designed to help blunt the pain and shock of crucifixion.   If we understand this correctly, we see Jesus willing to endure and suffer all things that humanity does.  This is a voluntary act, and in the refusal of the wine mixed with gall He does not even take a preparation designed to help minimize that suffering, even to some small extent.  Why does Christ suffer?  This question opens us to what is called a theodicy.  This word comes from two Greek words:  theos/θεος meaning "God" and dikē/δικη which means justice.  A definition provided by the Oxford English Dictionary describes theodicy as "the vindication of divine goodness and providence in view of the existence of evil."  In other words, it asks the question, "Why does God (who is ostensibly "good") permit evil?  That would especially mean the evil that exists in our world, and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ stands as a most explicit example of evil, and is committed against One who has no sin.  But in the words of St. Paul (and echoed in my study bible), Christ "became" sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Clearly, one thing we know absolutely from the Gospels, is that this suffering and death on the Cross by Christ is a necessary part of the salvation plan for us.   There have been many answers to the question of why this is so throughout Christian history.  But I would offer one particular understanding which has to do with Christ's return and the Judgment that is initiated through His life in the flesh, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.  That is, this suffering of the innocent Christ becomes a testimony against the evil of the world, rendered effectively by His suffering as witness (in Greek, the word for witness is "martyr").  It most especially becomes a testimony against the "evil one."  When we also enter into suffering in His name and for the sake of our faith, we do the same, we are witnesses ("martyrs") in the sense of the framework of judicial language in which Christ has often used in His mission into the world, and the eventual judgment to come at His return.   Even when we declare our faith, we say that we give testimony, as in a courtroom.  The Holy Spirit is the called the Counselor, an Advocate; that is, one who defends at trial and offers assistance.   In this role He is called Helper and Comforter; in Greek Parakletos/Παράκλητος, meaning the one who comes (to one's side) when called, as does a legal advocate in a trial.  The entire Passion of Christ is an indictment of injustice itself, and also of lies, the spirit of the anti-Christ.  And here we must recall the Holy Spirit is also called by Christ the Spirit of Truth (and remember who is the "father of lies").  Our own salvation comes when we take up our own crosses, as He has taught us, and we share in His ministry, testimony, and "martyrdom."   We walk in the way of God, in some sense taken out of the world, although the world will respond in its own way.  Like Christ we are "not of this world" through faith and participation in His Kingdom; that is we are in the world, but not of it (see John chapter 17).  When we are met with the evil of the world, we must turn to our faith, our steady participation in the life Christ offers, to prayer:  and follow in the ways that Christ gives us.  In this way, we offer testimony in the fullness of true judgment that belongs to Christ.  What Christ offers us on the Cross is the ultimate freedom, for He shows that He is no slave of the evil one nor of the world, but rather, He says, the enemy, or the "ruler of this world," "has nothing in Me" (John 14:30).  On worldly terms, God intervenes in the mysterious ways of God.  But God's justice has a way of working itself out:  witness Christ's prophetic words regarding the eventual Siege of Jerusalem (in this reading), or the effective peaceful resistance movement of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.  Just as the world (in the collective presence of the mob) was offered a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, so we are effectively always offered this choice.  We are essentially asked what we choose first:  God or a worldly fix.  Do we walk through life prayerfully and seeking God's guidance, or do we live by the sword alone?  This is not to say that there is never a time to take up arms, or to use other means available through a worldly justice system.  But we are asked to be guided by our faith, always, and before all things.  We follow the first great commandment to love God with heart, and soul, and mind -- and the second, to love neighbor as ourselves.  We are asked to live as part of His Kingdom, even as we are in this world, and we are given a solution that in effect challenges evil in its very root, as the spiritual problem it truly is.  There will be times when we bear our own cross and suffer injustice, but even that is ultimately a part of a much greater movement of justice, one which includes healing and beauty and truth, and the goodness and love of God.   It is the Cross that saves us.  For the Cross is transcendent, and takes us from simply material beings who suffer and contest in constant struggle with one another over scarce goods, to human beings who are created in the image of God.  It offers us life in a much greater and larger cosmos than we can imagine, a shared love with all the saints of God, participating in God's glory and strength and purpose.  And it offers us the growth in ourselves of all the fruits of the Spirit, the stature of dignity as God's children by adoption.  Behold the Man on the Cross.  He leads the way first.  Even in our very personal and most intimate struggles, His Cross is transcendent for us, and leads the way through and beyond to Resurrection and His life.

Hail, King of the Jews!

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Icon of Christ the Bridegroom.  On the right we read in Greek, "Behold the Man!"

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 took the robe off Him, and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. 

- Matthew 27:24-31

 On Saturday, we read that after the chief priests and elders had given Him over to the Roman state, Jesus stood before the governor, 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 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 wishes.  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!"  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.  We notice Pilate's clearly stated opinion regarding Jesus.  However, he gives in to the crowds and the agitation of the religious leadership.  My study bible remarks on the people's answer to Pilate ("His blood be on us and our children") that this verse has been used by certain groups to try to justify persecution of Jews, which is a grave and terrible sin.  What was seen by many as a curse is in fact a blessing which is unwittingly invoked:  Christ's blood is the source of redemption.  Moreover, the same words, it says, are implicitly spoken by anyone who sins.  St. John Chrysostom teaches that although this crowd "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."  St. Chrysostom then also goes on to note the thousands of Jews converted in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41) as evidence of Christ's mercy.  Christians are constantly reminded that Judgment is in the hands of God; moreover, each of us could be a member of such a crowd, and we are taught by Christ to be on guard against the possibility of false leaders (24:5).

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 took the robe off Him, and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.  My study bible comments here that every king is proclaimed by his soldiers.  Although the intention here is to mock Christ, it is nevertheless 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).  The mockery of Christ shows Him as the One who is despised and rejected by human beings, but who bears the iniquity of all of us (see Isaiah 53:3-9).   Jesus is clothed in scarlet; according to my study bible this represents both His royalty and also the sins of humanity which He has taken upon Himself. 

How would you endure mockery or humiliation for the sake of those you loved?  Or for the sake of those who might come after -- and be saved through faith?  It is poignant at this stage to recall Christ's question in Luke's Gospel, when He asks, "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8).  We could infer from this question that even at this moment of mockery and humiliation, and as He goes to His death, being sentenced by the crowd to be crucified, that even now at the moment when He faces death He cannot be certain that the faith for which He puts His life on the line will be received by the people of the world.  So, even though He cannot be certain that at His Second Coming He will find faith on the earth, He still goes as the Father has commanded.  He still follows the plan for salvation for all people of this world, to bring people back into communion with God.  Let us remember what John's Gospel has told us, that all of this happens "for God so loved the world."  Christ endures mocking, scourging, suffering, and crucifixion for the sake of love, for those whom He loves, and we are those whom he loves.  If there are ever times when we doubt the reality of God's love for us, of Christ's love for us, all we need to do is to revisit this scene, and re-read the story of what He goes through for love of us.  Possibly we can't relate to His great sacrifice of love unless we also have those whom we love and are willing to suffer for, such as a child, a spouse, a parent, or a true friend.  Possibly soldiers on the battlefield come to understand something of what it means to suffer for those whom you love, even to lose one's life for one's friends.  We have to come to terms with Christ's love for us and His sacrifice for us by reckoning with the power of that love, and by accepting the tremendous sacrifice He was willing to endure so that we would be saved in His love.  Surely, in considering the power in His sacrifice for love, we can come to terms with our deep need for Him and for what He offers us.  What will the world sacrifice for you?  Who will always go to the mat for you, and face the struggle of enduring humiliation, scorn by His own people, mockery, suffering, death?  Do you know someone who would do that for you?  Yes, at the top of the list there is this One, this Jesus who is the Christ, our Savior, who endured all of this for you and for me.  He is the One who most certainly loves us.  He is the One who is worthy of all of our trust, as He is loyal right down the line.  When the world does not offer alternatives for trust and love, let us turn to Him, for He is always calling us into communion.  He is always ready to lead, to teach us how to live, to show us the way -- for He has already endured everything for the sake of saving our lives to be with Him and to have life more abundantly.  As we read that Jesus is led away to be crucified, let us ask ourselves where could we find greater love?   Above is posted the icon known as Christ the Bridegroom, for Christ the prisoner is our Bridegroom.  He is bound to us in love, making all sacrifice for His Bride, the Church, even to suffer humiliation.  This is also the icon of marriage, and the tremendous humility of deep love.  When we feel the world does not love, let us remember there is One who has loved us so much that He gave His life that we might live and be with Him.

Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or 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 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 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 wishes.  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!"  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 Christ's night trial in the home of the high priest, and Peter's denial that he knew Him outside in the courtyard), 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 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 him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.  My study bible points out that the chief priests hide their real charge against Jesus (which was a claim of equality with God, ruled blasphemy by the council), because this would not persuade the governor, Pilate, to sentence Christ to death.  Instead they present a charge of treason -- enough to convict Him for capital punishment -- by saying that Jesus had called Himself the King of the Jews.  This constituted a challenge to Roman rule, and so would carry the death sentence.  No wonder Pilate marveled greatly that Jesus says nothing in reply to the accusations of the chief priests and elders.

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wishes.  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!"  Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?"  But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"  In another twist of irony and strangeness that characterizes this time of evil typified by truth hidden and twisted to appear as something other, Barabbas bears a name that means "son of the father."   While Jesus is the true Son of the Father, and has been accused of deserving death because He has said so, the crowds are persuaded by the chief priests and elders to choose Barabbas instead.   In so doing, the religious leaders show which father they themselves belong to:  the devil (John 8:44, Matthew 23:15).  My study bible points out that Pilate, understanding that Christ was an innocent Man, and handed over because of envy, tries three times to save Jesus.  But each time he is refuted through the encouragement of the religious leaders.

This conflict of the choice between one "son of the father" and Christ the Son of the Father gives us a picture of what evil does in the world.  It is even a picture of the nature of the anti-Christ in some sense, and also the way that heresy works.   In the parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43), the tares (or inedible weeds) so closely resemble the wheat and are so closely planted among them that it is better to wait until the harvest to separate them the true from the false grain.  In the choice between Barabbas and Christ, the false son somehow resembles the true Son, and the people are required to discern what is true.  In this case, misled by false rulers, they choose the false son of the father, pursuing nationalist impulses rather than truly religious or spiritual choices for salvation.  Barabbas is an insurrectionist, held for seeking the overthrow of the Romans, and so his means of salvation and liberation for the people is one of material violence.  But as Christ tells Pilate in John's Gospel, Christ's kingdom is not of this world, and therefore His servants do not fight (John 18:36).  It's striking how the corrupt religious leadership bears out the hallmarks attributed to them by Christ:  they are false prophets, wolves in sheep's clothing, the blind who lead the blind in this crowd (15:14).  Most of all, what we see on display is their hypocrisy (see chapter 23), as they relish their positions as religious leaders, and yet bring Christ to the Gentiles to be crucified on false charges out of envy.  They themselves form one more misleading appearance as spiritual guides, while Christ, the Man on trial, is the true Shepherd.  Such is the time of choice, and the way evil works in the world:  not so much through a clear image or message, but one that appears to be nominally "good" and for good reasons, and yet has the impact and motivation of ravening wolves (7:15).   Surely this choice is obvious to some, and scandalizes many, but the mob under persuasion of corrupt and hypocritical leaders walks a blind path that will lead to destruction in the eventual Siege of Jerusalem by the Romans.  Let us consider for ourselves the blindness that might be present at this moment in our own societies, problems that require a truly spiritual solution, but are posed instead by false leaders as purely political.  We might also see for ourselves leaders who are nominally "good" and say they seek peace, and especially liberation of the oppressed -- but who nevertheless mysteriously condone and ignore violence, and in particular violence inflicted among the poor who suffer the most from their "solutions."  Jesus has already told His followers, just before He goes to His death, that our job as His disciples is to remain awake and alert, to watch and pray, and to endure in His commandments -- even through all the evil we may see, and right to the end.  He has warned us that we are to beware of false prophets.   Let us not be the blind who follow the blind.  We are meant to be discerning, to know what we are about, and to obey only the voice of our Shepherd and His true servants who love His sheep.

I have sinned by betraying innocent blood

 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 that Peter sat outside in the courtyard of the house of the high priest, as Jesus was on trial inside with the whole Council present.  And a servant girl came to Peter, 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.  Although they have condemned Jesus for blasphemy (see Wednesday's reading), the Jewish leaders are prohibited from carrying out a capital punishment.  Only the Roman authority can do that.  Under the religious Law, blasphemers received the death penalty (Leviticus 24:16).   As we will see, they will have to make a different accusation before Pilate, for a severe violation of Roman law.

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."  My study bible compares Judas with Peter.  Peter repented in his sorrow (26:75; see yesterday's reading above).   But by contrast, Judas is remorseful, but does not repent.  My study bible says that suicide is not a sign of repentance, but is rather one of being self-absorbed.  There are two accounts of Judas' suicide in the New Testament:  here and in Acts 1:16-19.

If we consider the distinction between the Greek words for repentance and remorse, we find the main difference in these words is in the root of where this "change" takes place.  In the case of repentance, the change in a person occurs in the what is called "nous" (νοῦς) in Greek.  This is a word translated as "mind," but it does not have the purely intellectual orientation we might consider in modern thought.  This word for repentance, metanoia/μετανοια, which literally means "change of mind," indicates a difference in orientation of the conviction of the heart, the fullness of the inner being, awareness, and purpose.  In the word for remorse (metamelomai/μεταμέλομαι), the change that occurs is of the emotions, in contrast to the mind.  Therefore purpose or inner orientation on Judas' part -- whether that be resentment toward Jesus or greed for the money (as is suggested in the story of Jesus' rebuke to Judas for his condemnation of Mary of Bethany, see John 12:1-8), or any other speculation as to his motive -- remains virtually unchanged here, or perhaps neglected.  At the same time, Judas is remorseful at the recognition and consequences of sin that have been brought upon himself.  In his own words, he says, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood."  Whatever Judas' motivations were toward Jesus and His ministry in the end, he enters into despair at realizing his sin, for the condemned Jesus is an innocent Man.  Judas' return to those who offered such a bargain in the first place, the corrupt religious leadership, guarantees that he will find no mercy nor help, for they themselves are complicit.  He cannot change what he has done by returning the money.  As they say, "What is that to us?  You see to it!"  It is entirely left to Judas himself to cope with the personal consequences.   In Judaism repentance was central to the faith and its practices.  The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, is a day for repentance of one's sins before and against God.  In terms of sin against another person in community, measures were to be taken to restore that which one has taken from another fellow Jew (or neighbor):  whether the "debt" be through slander or thievery or another device.  In the case of slander, an apology was necessary; in the case of stealing, restitution.  In we look closely, for example, at the story of Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, who repents before Christ as He travels through Jericho, Zacchaeus' repentance includes the following promise:  "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  (See Luke 19:10.)   But in this understanding of the need for restoration, what could Judas return to Christ once Christ has been handed over to the Roman state, for punishment via the Gentiles?  How can Judas "see to" his sin and remorse, as the chief priests and elders tell him?  In this scenario of the sin of innocent blood, how is recompense possible?  The only possible consideration, it seems, would lie outside of the demand for full restitution, which isn't possible.  In this case that would mean turning toward Christ in true repentance, and seeking restoration of communion, including with the disciples.  But we do not know what was possible or how Judas could have found restoration of communion among them.  We only know the weight of his sin.  In any case, in Judas' betrayal of Christ, he has taken a wrong turn, and each successive decision afterward is simply a continuance of the same choice.  Let us consider the importance of our communion with Christ, for it is there we find His life, there we live by His commands, and in His love.  It is there that we are restored when we have been lost.

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

Rembrandt van Rijn. The Denial of Peter. 1660, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

 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."  But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are saying."  My study bible remarks that as it is a girl who is the first to test Peter, this is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  In yet another powerful impact of this time of evil, our fallen state is overcome in Christ when it is women who are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).

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 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.  Until the rooster crowed, Peter was so overcome with fear that he had forgotten Christ's prediction of his denial (Matthew 26:31-35).   In Luke's Gospel, it is not even the rooster's crow but only the gaze of Christ that causes Peter to weep bitterly in repentance (Luke 22:60-61).  Nonetheless, St. Ambrose of Milan comments that "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

What happens when we let ourselves down, or when our own cowardice becomes a source of regret and shame?  St. Peter displays for us this scene of deep regret, crying bitter tears over his own denial of Christ.  It must be made all the worse for Peter's memory of objecting directly to Jesus after the prophesy He made concerning Peter's denial, when Jesus told Peter, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times" (26:35).  And then Peter replied to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" (26:36).  It is one thing to let oneself down, to let a loved one down, even to let down one's friends.  But Peter's denial and failure come in such a spectacular way, despite his most vehement declaration in directly contradicting Christ and His prophecy -- and it happens due to fear at the question of a servant girl.  Perhaps, and I would say most assuredly it is so, Peter's rather spectacular failure and shame is given to us in the Gospels for a very good reason.  How can we possibly understand our own lives if we are not given such examples?  Who among us can declare ourselves free of the same type of spectacular failures, albeit on a much less renowned level?  In the Gospels, Peter's great failure here is declared to the world, and continues to be declared to the world, but for a very good and perfect reason.  It is so that we, ourselves understand our lives in terms of our own failures, embarrassments, and shame.  Peter, the great leader of and speaker for all of the apostles, goes before us on a road of humility and of love.  Humility, because we all need to come to terms with ourselves and our own failure to live up to our expectations of ourselves.  And love, because Peter is welcomed back with love by Christ quite specifically.  The angel at the tomb, in giving the myrrh-bearing women the great news of Resurrection, says to them, "But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you."  And in Jesus' last appearance to him, Jesus specifically calls Peter to the task ahead of feeding His lambs (John 21:15-19), but first asking, "Do you love Me?"  What we understand through Peter's disappointment and crushing failure to live up to his own declaration of loyalty to Christ, is that via repentance, there is always room in this fold for one who is willing to put their hand to the plow, and follow Him.  Our worst letdowns, our most embarrassing and humiliating failures, are in the end, all fodder for the proper teachings of Christ.  In this journey of faith, there is nothing in our lives that will be left out.  There is nothing within us that cannot be used, transformed, repented, and especially challenging us to "get over ourselves," and come to the place of humility that all truly great service starts with.  We cannot possibly know how spectacularly we can be redeemed until we reckon with our own shortcomings (especially in our own eyes) within the love and care of Christ.  It is perhaps the times of our greatest humiliation that can, in fact, serve as the most powerful stepping stones for growth and transcendence in Christ's work within us.  For it is at that place where we realize that it is the "praise of God" that matters, the direction we're offered through divine love, and not the "praise of men."  It is in that crucible where we find our real identity rests in the Word who spoke us into existence in the first place.  That is where our life begins, and it is also the place to which we repeatedly return, particularly in repentance and in the depth of prayer.  Jesus goes to the Cross, a place of the most humiliating punishment, ridicule, and rejection.  But He shows us the way through our own times of personal failure, just as Peter will become an apostle who will indeed "die with Christ" rather than deny Him at the end of his life in this world, as Christ prophesies (John 21:18-19).  It is the power of the Cross that takes our worst experiences, and rebuilds our lives in Christ's hands, for service, and for the life of the world.  In this way, we might also enter into the those who have labored before us.

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

 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 ("See, My betrayer is at hand"), 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.  We note how the high priest, chief priests, elders and all the council seek to find false witnesses who will testify sufficiently to condemn Christ.  St. Jerome comments that the historian Josephus indicates that Caiaphas had purchased the position of high priest from Herod for a term of one year, a sign of corruption and dishonor, which we see played out in the text.  St. Jerome further comments on this text that Peter, either out of love for Christ or human curiosity as to what judgment would happen, follows Christ at a distance, to find if Jesus will be put to death or beaten with whips.  At this point Peter, through this action, has separated himself from the other disciples, who have fled.

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.'"  These false witnesses have misunderstood the Lord's words which are reported in 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.   As He will with Pilate, Jesus kept silent.  What would be the purpose of responding, when those who sit in judgment of the Lord neither wish to hear any defense nor will entertain any truth?  Their desperate search for false witnesses has confirmed that.  Moreover, to explain His word to those determined to hate Him -- and correcting these false witnesses -- would be casting pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6).

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."  Jesus quotes from Psalm 110 and Daniel 7:13, giving images known and understood to be those belonging to the Messiah.  He testifies, in effect, that He is fully Man and fully God, for only a divine One could sit at the right hand of the Power, thereby sharing authority with God the Father.  My study bible comments that this statement is clearly 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 (Leviticus 24:16), but Christ isn't simply a human being, and therefore His declaration of equality isn't blasphemy. 

 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?"  We see the holy function of prophesy ridiculed and belittled in these actions designed to humiliate Christ.  It is one more expression of corruption.

In today's passage we read of the corruption and evil that can befall even the One without sin, the One so innocent and blameless that it was hard to find false witnesses who could successfully testify against Him.  But Christ accepts what is happening, as He knows that to enter into this evil time, and to journey through an unjust trial, is part of the salvation plan for an entire creation.  The most holy and innocent One of all will live His human life facing the injustices of evil that human beings face in a world that is broken from communion with God through sin.  How are we to understand these things?  We commented in yesterday's reading that Jesus was seized in the garden of Gethsemane, betrayed by a friend (Judas), but Christ "goes just as it is written" (26:24), in contrast to the story of the first sin and temptation in the garden of Eden.  Jesus' endurance through this trial and these false witnesses, unjust accusations and unjust conviction, is a part of the salvation plan through which He will bring renewal and Resurrection to all of us.  His faith is unshakeable, His commitment to the mission absolute.  He will lay down His life for His friends (John 15:13) -- that is, for all of us who will follow and seek the redemption He offers.  As we continue to dwell in this world which is not perfect, but in which injustices and evil and corruption continue to be at work, let us consider how we go through life ourselves.  Jesus has given us the pattern for facing evil.  We stand firm in our faith.  We must "watch and pray" to resist the temptation to fall into the traps that are set for us should we also find ourselves in such circumstances.  As we can see through this false trial, which breaks even the laws these men are sword to uphold, Jesus does not respond to false accusations in the conventional ways one would think of fighting in a courtroom.  He does not testify on His own behalf except to refer to His role in Scripture before the seat of the high priest, although the man who occupies that position is corrupt.  Jesus knows the trial is a foregone conclusion, but it is not the outcome of this trial that is important.  What really matters is specifically the conduct of Christ, and the ways in which He walks through this time.  It is highly important for our faith that we understand that what Jesus asks of us is not nominally "successful" outcomes, but rather endurance in our faith (10:22, 24:13) and in following His commandments (see this reading).  We are to live as light in His name, living and teaching the gospel (5:16).  He will tell His apostles to make disciples of all the nations, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you" in the Great Commission after His Resurrection.   But this is an ongoing mission, and not one with a designated outcome or quota to fulfill.  It is what we are to be about, how we are to live and what we are to do, most especially to follow His commandments, and to endure through all things.  And this is what Jesus does in this great example set before us.  His is not a teaching of "by any means necessary."  Rather it is the means itself that matters which He teaches to us, for it is how we are to live our lives that He gives us.  If that mission seems a little daunting or frightening, let us consider the power in His word, the power of the truth, and the work of God among us.   The Holy Spirit, which He has called the spirit of Truth, is at work in our world in ways we can't calculate and don't know in advance.  Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and all the Trinity dwells with us.  We are not alone in our faith, but He is with us always, even to the end of the age.