You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish

 

 Then many of Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

 

- John 11:45-54 

 

In yesterday's reading we read of the completion of Christ's seventh and final sign in the Gospel of John, the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  At this point in the story, Jesus had not yet come into the town of Bethany where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and came to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

 

 Then many of Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.   Once again we note that the term the Jews in John's Gospel usually indicates the religious leadership.  In this case, it indicates those from families in Jerusalem, likely connected to the Jewish ruling classes (such as the Pharisees mentioned here), who come to mourn Lazarus' death with Martha and Mary (see yesterday's reading, above).  On today's entire reading, my study Bible has a single note.  It explains to us that Caiaphas, being high priest, is given the authority to speak prophetically.  It notes that the failings or even wickedness of the officeholder do not diminish the grace of the office itself.  Here, Caiaphas means only that the death of Jesus Christ will spare the Jews from Roman intervention.  But God's meaning is something entirely different, that all people will be saved through the death of the Son. 

 

The "unwittingly prophetic" plays a significant role in the Gospels, in the story of Jesus Christ, particularly at these moments of high tension or crisis.  Here in today's reading is perhaps the most important example, when Caiaphas, acting as high priest, makes this statement in which he intends one meaning but God speaks through him with another.    In saying that "it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish," the Christian perspective recognizes the clear message of Jesus Christ as Savior.  He will die for all, as He has said.  In John's chapter 3, Jesus told Nicodemus, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:14-17).  This has been the clear message of Christ's teaching about Himself, and will become more explicit as the story of Christ's Passion, death, and Resurrection unfolds, and in the whole history of the Church.  There are other examples of what we can call unwitting prophecies, such as in our recent reading when Christ's disciple Thomas said of Jesus' going to Lazarus who was dying, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him" (see this reading).  Thomas meant this statement with one understanding which was his at the time, but it is a prophecy of the lives of martyrdom that the disciples would go on to lead.  There is yet another profound example to come in the events of Christ's Passion, found in Matthew's Gospel, and that is when the people shout at Christ's Crucifixion.  That happens as Pilate washes his hands before the crowd demanding Jesus' death and declares, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it."  We're told that all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."  Whatever way this can be read or intended (or twisted to justify the sinful persecution of Jewish people), it is seen in the eyes of the Church as not a curse but an unwitting blessing, for it is the blood of Christ that is our means of salvation, as shown when so many in Jerusalem would come to repentance and faith as on the day of Pentecost when thousands were baptized (Acts 2:41).  The story of Jesus is filled with paradox; perhaps the greatest paradox of all is the one we continue to ponder:  why does the means of our salvation happen through the events of Christ's Passion and Holy Week?  But through these events, which are effectively begun through the raising of Lazarus and the meeting of the Sanhedrin in today's reading, God will work to bring salvation to the world and the power of redemption to humanity -- and this is indeed a great paradox.  At such a point of crisis we find God intervenes in the most extraordinary ways, and this is what we should take with us from today's reading.  For even in the midst of this darkest of plotting against Christ the Savior, prophesy is at work, and grace is at work, and we must say that God is in this sense present.  Let us accept this profound paradox as we move ahead into the story to come through John's Gospel.  

 

 

 

 

 

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?"

 

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

 

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

 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 councils 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?"   Here Jesus quotes from Psalm 110 and Daniel 7:13.  In so doing, He confesses that He is the Messiah; that is fully Man and fully God.  My study Bible explains that this is so, because only a divine One could sit at the right hand of the Power, sharing authority with the Father.  This statement, it notes, was 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 is not a mere human being only, and therefore His declaration of equality is not blasphemy.  

It's interesting that, as my study Bible notes, the high priest understands clearly what Christ is saying, that He has claimed equality with God the Father.  These educated men, steeped in the Scriptures, understand this implication from Christ.  But their conclusion is the opposite of the truth, the foundational reality of Christ's assertion is dismissed out of hand.  He must be a blasphemer.  It asks the question of us, what is it that can mislead highly intelligent and educated people to a conclusion antithetical to truth?  Of course, for those who are faithful to Christ and embrace His teachings, this truth about Him is a given.  We who have struggled with our faith, and come to know Christ -- and to continue to grow in our communion with Him -- have found this truth to be so.  It is, indeed, at least as experiential (if not more so) as it is an intellectual or other type of process.  So what is missing from the mind and heart of the high priest that He can draw this conclusion, that Christ is simply a blasphemer?  Has He missed Christ's own devotion to the Scriptures and to God?  Has Christ behaved like a person who has no contact with reality?  Is He out of His mind?  Does Christ have an army He's prepared to use to fight the powers that be, or does He even use some kind of worldly authority to do so?  No, Christ doesn't come with any of that, nor does He claim such authority.  But He is armed with His gospel, He is armed with His truth, and He doesn't make apologies for it.  Sometimes that is enough to render a person an object of abject hatred and outrage.  Of course, in the next chapter, St. Matthew tells us that Pilate, another man of worldly power, understands the leaders of the Sanhedrin well.  Pilate will know that these leaders hand Jesus over to him because of envy (Matthew 27:19).  It's worth asking ourselves why intelligent and educated men -- those responsible for the spiritual welfare of Israel -- can still make such a colossal error in terms of discerning the truth about Jesus, because as the Gospels always do, it's an opportunity to learn for ourselves.  It's an opportunity to think about how and why we -- as perhaps intelligent, educated, and capable people -- might make the same kind of error, indulge in the same kind of blindness, and incur the same condemnation.  Because these men know better, because they are violating their own rules of procedure by having a night trial, because the witnesses fail to confirm any wrongdoing, we can only conclude that this is a deliberate blindness.  The protection of their own positions is no doubt dearest in their hearts above all else.  What we find is a repeated failure to put the love of God first.  There isn't a concern for fairness or justice or righteousness; only a concern to rid themselves of a threat to their places, and One who has the favor of the people.  But all of this included in the Gospels gives us things to ponder as we are to check our own tendencies to confirm our own biases, or take refuge in a blind self-righteousness.  They are a cautionary tale, as our own assurance of righteousness based on position or appearance, rather than substance, can mislead us badly.  If we aren't to be like these men, we must always be awake and alert to our own tendencies to find justification for selfish and unjust behavior.  John's Gospel tells us that "even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).  Humility and love of God go hand in hand, and to check the state of our own hearts means emphasizing these two things; it's what our faith is all about, and what is missing from these men.  For Who stands before them and what they are doing they cannot truly see, because they choose not to.  It's our self-chosen blindness that may lead to our greatest blunders.  From that point of condemnation, they debase themselves even more with their behavior:  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?"  

 

 

Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples

 

 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

 

- John 11:45-54 

 

Yesterday we read that, having arrived at the outskirts of Bethany and been greeted by Martha, Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"  Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

 

  Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.   This term, the Jews, is used as a sort of political term.  It is meant to denote people from Jerusalem linked to the ruling parties in the temple.  (All of the people we read about, including Jesus, are Jews.)   These are those who had come from Jerusalem to Bethany in order to mourn with Mary and Martha over the death of Lazarus, and witnessed Christ's raising of Lazarus from the dead (see yesterday's reading, above).

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."  This is the ruling council of the temple.  The Gospel gives witness here to their fears of Jesus, and the people's growing faith in Him.  This has now become particularly acute due to the seventh of seven signs in John's Gospel, the raising of Lazarus.

And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.   My study Bible comments here that Caiaphas, being high priest, is given the authority to speak prophetically.  The failings and even wickedness of the officeholder, it says, do not diminish the grace of the office itself.  Here Caiaphas means only that the death of Christ will spare the Jews from Roman intervention.  But God's meaning in this prophetic statement is that all people will be saved through the death of the Son. 

 Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.   Jesus retreats from the public eye of Jerusalem, to a place near the wilderness.  Perhaps poetically, Ephraim means "fruitful."

It may seem like a small detail to seize upon, but let us observe Jesus' movements, and His response to the now fully developed hostility toward Him by the religious leaders, and especially that of the high priest, Caiaphas, who has emphatically proclaimed that Jesus should be put to death.  Although He has indicated several times that He goes to His Passion willingly, it is not yet that time.  Jesus withdraws to a place near the wilderness, keeping away from Jerusalem and walking openly among the religious leadership there.  The Gospels, in giving us the history of Jesus' actions and life, are punctuated with these periods of withdrawal by Jesus.  It would seem that they are as essential to His ministry, to the path He must follow.  They would seem to teach us something very significant, and that there is meaning in the name of the place to which He now withdraws.  Although we're told it was near the wilderness, it is a country of agricultural produce, and its name means "fruitful."  The significance of this name, and of Christ's several periods of withdrawal which we're told about throughout the Gospels are noteworthy for their inclusion.  On such example is His time in the country near Jacob's well with the Samaritans there in chapter 4.  That was a period of withdrawal for Him, due again to the hostility of the religious leaders.  Yet it proved to be so significant as to constitute the first revelation of His identity -- to one who was both a woman and Samaritan.  These repeated mentions in the Gospels of Jesus' retreats from the public eye give us a sense that they are as important and significant as His appearances teaching in the temple and disputing with the religious leaders.  The Gospel seems to indicate that this retreat into the place near the wilderness is "fruitful," even as we have His monumental teachings from His time spent at the temple.  Jesus uses these times of strategic retreat from the public eye for more than simply the purpose of evading the hostile religious leaders.  We are told that He retreats for prayer several times (for example, Luke 6:12), and these seem to happen at crucial times in His ministry, such as, in this example, just before choosing the Twelve.  Now the stage is set for His Passion, as the high priest has pronounced that He should die.  It is one of those significant turning points, as His "hour" is approaching.   In a modern context, we seem to have a sense that only great public debate and special public relations appearances are the tools for asserting a particular path or way forward, for promoting one's interest or program, no matter what that is.  We are "on" all the time on public media.  But Jesus teaches us something entirely counter-intuitive to our always action-based public appearances, especially in our consumption of media.  He withdraws, regularly.  In the times that constitute that turning points of His ministry, just prior to new choices and directions, He withdraws, and He teaches us something really very important in a media-saturated society.  The times when we withdraw, especially for prayer, reflection, and contemplation, for a sense of private life and a connection to God and our inner life, are just as crucial and significant for our growth and mission in life as are the times when we actively "put in an appearance," so to speak.  Jesus does not go to the temple at this juncture for more disputes; this is a time for something else.  It is a time not to "fight fire with fire" but to withdraw and assess, to accept this new stage of development, to seek God's path forward.  He will go toward His Cross, and come to make a grand public entrance into Jerusalem when it is time for Him to do so.  But His actions of withdrawal teach us that we should also embrace such times in our own lives when we need them.  We are not only "alive" when we are on stage before the world and presenting ourselves.  Our lives should be primarily centered not before the world, but before God who gives us life, an purpose, and meaning, as well as the roots and depth of love.  As human beings, the times of withdrawal are as significant for us as the times we are "out there" in the eyes of others, for our lives are not merely external.  We must also seek the gaze of God, who sees in secret and who is in the secret place (Matthew 6:6).   In our past two readings, we've encountered Jesus' friends, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.  Mary will again make an appearance in John's Gospel in Monday's reading, playing a very important role indeed.  Mary, as we've noted, is the more contemplative of the two sisters, both of whom were beloved of Christ.  Today let us consider that the one thing needed, the good part is sometimes withdrawal and contemplation, to simply listen in our own way to the Teacher.  

 

 

 

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

 

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that 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 the 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.

 

- Matthew 26:1-16 

 

 In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught about the final judgment:  "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."   

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that 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."  My study Bible comments that Jesus is delivered up to His Passion by His accusers, yet He goes willingly.  Unless Christ had willed to go, His accusers could never have taken Him (Matthew 26:53).  After His Resurrection, many saints imitated Christ by willingly going to martyrdom. 

 

 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 the 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."  We should first understand that Simon the leper is one who must have been healed by Christ earlier, as lepers were forbidden to live in towns.  But the depth of this passage is about the compassion and faith of this woman.  My study Bible notes for us that there is no consensus among patristic commentary concerning the identity of this woman in relation to accounts of events that are similar in Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-38; and John 12:1-8.  Some Fathers say that there were three different women in all these four accounts, other say that there were only two.  

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.  My study Bible comments that Judas on his own initiative seeks to betray Jesus.  His motives have been debated, but patristic understanding and the liturgical hymns declare that greed was Judas' primary motive.  This is given to us in John 12:4-6, where Judas was specifically upset about the "waste" of myrrh in the story of the anointing by the woman just preceding, because he was a thief (see also 1Timothy 6:10).  The phrase one of the twelve is not used so much to identify Judas, my study Bible says, who was already known by Matthew's hearers, but rather to emphasize the depth of this betrayal -- that it was from one of Christ's closest followers.  

In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave us both a parable and a prophecy regarding the final judgment, the time when He, as Son of Man, would sit on His throne of glory and separate the "sheep" and the "goats."  (See yesterday's reading, above.)  Essentially, when we take a close look at the examples of the behavior of the "sheep" that Christ gave us, we see acts of compassion that are done not only to "one of the least of these My brethren," but also to Christ (Matthew 25:40).  Each example given by Jesus is a way of living out the two greatest commandments given by Jesus, and especially of loving neighbor as oneself.  In yesterday's commentary, we noted also the very personal nature of these acts; they are acts of community, person-to-person, and they come from the heart, as opposed to rules of politics, social theories, or morality.  It is characterized not by thinking of others as objects toward a goal, but as persons like ourselves.  Now when we look at the story of the woman in today's reading, we see, in fact, a supreme act of the kind that Jesus ascribes to the sheep who will sit on His right hand.  It is an act of great compassion, which He has the depth of insight to understand.  It is an act of personal giving, from the heart.  It is very personally directed to Jesus and His circumstances, as He declares: "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."  Jesus certainly preaches the care of the poor, but in this case He specifically states that her personal action holds great significance beyond our understanding of a general need or "rule" to care for the poor, an understanding and practice which is always with us.  But the specific use of the oil to prepare Him for what is coming tells us a deeply personal story of understanding and sympathy.  It is not sentimental nor maudlin nor simply "emotional."  This is a woman who accepts Christ's ministry, perhaps better than the men do (Matthew 16:22-23), and yet her depth of compassion is with Him, even as He goes willingly and knowingly to the Cross.  So significant is this to Jesus that He tells the disciples, "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."  In some ironic way, although it is He who is going to His sacrificial death, it is she who has done an act of such profound significance to Christ that, in His words, she will be memorialized through it, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world.

 

You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish

 

 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples. 

 

- John 11:45-54 

 

Yesterday we read that, after delaying upon hearing that Lazarus was ill, and after meeting Martha at on the road to their home, Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"  Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

 

  Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.   The witnesses to the raising of Lazarus had come from Jerusalem to mourn with Martha and Mary.  The text notes that many of those who had seen the things that Jesus did at the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, believed in Him.  But some went to the Pharisees, who had already opposed Jesus, and who now know of the raising of Lazarus.

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  My study Bible comments that Caiaphas, being high priest, is given the authority to speak prophetically.   The emphasis is on the office:  the failings and even wickedness of the office-holder do not diminish the grace of the office itself.  Here, my study Bible says, Caiaphas means only that the death of Christ will spare the Jews from Roman intervention.  God's meaning, however, is that all people will be saved through the death of the Son.  

Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.  The choice has been made, and from this day when Caiaphas addressed the council as high priest, they plotted to put Jesus to death.   We note that Jesus stays away from Jerusalem as a result, and went into the country.  It is, as we are reminded many times in John's 

Gospel, not yet His hour.

 

Jesus has moved toward ever-deepening conflict with the religious authorities as John's Gospel has unfolded this story.  One by one, the seven signs He has performed, in John's telling of the story of Jesus' ministry, have opened up deeper and deeper problems with the religious authorities.  They were upset and challenged that He healed on a Sabbath, and wrangled with Him over questions of His authority and especially His declaration that He and the Father are one (John 10:30).  They have understood perfectly well His claim to equality with God the Father, and they call it blasphemy.  They have already sought at least once to stone Him, and to seize Him at one of the religious festivals, but to no avail, as it is not yet "His hour."  But the resurrection of Lazarus from death will seal His fate, as we can read in today's reading.  The authorities have decided that if Jesus has a great following of the people, the occupying Roman authorities will come down hard on them:  "If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."  This sad action would take place eventually in 70 AD, at the Siege of Jerusalem, as the Roman authorities responded to an armed rebel uprising against them.  But our Lord will come riding into Jerusalem not with chariot and horses or army, but on an animal of peace, a donkey, as we will see in our following reading.  For now, the religious authorities have made up their minds that they must put Jesus to death, so that they will not lose their places.  However, as my study Bible teaches us to observe, Caiaphas, in the office of high priest, unwittingly makes a prophecy we take to be true as those who are faithful to Christ.  He says to the Council, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Our Lord will be that one Man.  But let us observe the ways that things work, and especially how God works with even the evil events of our world, at least as we can see through the Gospels and the life and ministry of Jesus.  It is Jesus who has been revealing God to the people, and therefore to the authorities.  God is present through the "signs" He does, God's kingdom is present in the word He teaches.  And part of that word goes to the authorities regarding Jesus' identity and His divine authority as Son, including His complete devotion to the will of the Father.  Each revelation is meant to save, it is meant to teach and to offer salvation through faith.  But each one will respond in his or her own way, some to salvation, and others to a deeper and deeper darkness, even a murderous hatred and envy.  The same will be said even for one of Christ's disciples, who will betray Him.  But all builds up to Jesus' "hour," His "time."  In our own lives, it seems to me, we can but do the same, and follow Jesus.  There are times to speak and to confront, and times to withdraw.  All of this must be discerned through prayer.  And even those who respond to us in evil ways -- even when and if what we do is good and discerned through careful prayer -- will be creating conditions through which God can still work.  Even when we are defeated, God will still have a prayerful and holy way for us to go forward with our lives, to make good of our lives.  Indeed, what Christ says He offers is abundant life, which we may have even if we experience death.  As He said to Martha, "He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live."  The early martyrs understood this, and we should understand it in our own time and through our own lives.  While most of us do not live in conditions under which we feel a threat of martyrdom and violent persecution for our faith, there will nevertheless be ways in which we are challenged to endure, to persist, to have patience, as we follow His commands and do our best to live prayerful, and holy lives, even when the hand we're given might be against us.  God provides us a way, if we can but see it.  But the key Jesus teaches us is discernment, to be alert to truth, to God's way for us, as paradoxical as that might seem sometimes.  And we endure in our faithfulness, in living our faith, as did He who came first and set the example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish

 

 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now he did not say this on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

 

- John 11:45–54 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus had come to Bethany after delaying two days, so that by now Lazarus had been dead for four days.  Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"  Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."   

 

 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Once again, John's Gospel gives us the division among the people in response to Jesus.  Some believe, but some go to the Pharisees.  These are likely prominent people from Jerusalem who came to Bethany to mourn with Mary and Martha.  Also, let us note that the text mentions Mary, seemingly indicating she was a person of some notable standing in the community.

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now he did not say this on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.   My study bible notes that Caiaphas, being high priest, is given the authority to speak prophetically.   It says that the failings and even wickedness of the officeholder do not diminish the grace of the office itself.  Here, Caiphas' intent is simply to tell the Council that the death of Christ will spare the Jews from Roman intervention.  But in the prophetic sense, God's meaning is different:   the prophetic declaration of this statement is that all people will be saved through the death of Christ the Son.

Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.   St. Cyril of Alexandria comments on this passage:  "As God, Jesus knows the secret plans of the Jews even though no one reported them to him, and He withdraws, not because He is afraid but so that his presence might not irritate those who were already seeking to kill him. Here, He also teaches us to avoid stirring up the passions of those who are angry and not to thrust ourselves into dangers, not even when it may be for the sake of truth. When we are overtaken by dangers, He teaches us to stand firm, but when we see them coming, since it is unclear what the actual terms of the conflict will be, it is best for us to get out of their way."  Ephraim means "fruitful," and this can be understand as an indication that Jesus' ministry will go among those who will bear fruit, a repeated theme in John's Gospel (see, for example, 15:8, 16).

How can we understand the prophetic nature of what Caiaphas says?  We have to understand it within the context of his position as the high priest.  The man Caiaphas may say one thing to the Council members, meaning it a certain way.  But inadvertently, and from his position as high priest, it is nevertheless a prophecy about Jesus, the Christ.  The Gospel tells us that "being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad."   And so this was clearly understood at least before the time of the writing of John's Gospel, considered to have taken place toward the end of the first century after Christ.  How is it possible, we might ask, that a person can make a prophecy meaning something entirely different?  In order to understand this, we have to consider the work of God in the world, and specifically the power of an institution, one established through the power of God and God's condescending love for humankind.  It is a clear link in the Gospel between the Old Covenant and the New, an affirmation of God's hand at work throughout the history of Judaism and leading into the Christian era.  But we can also understand this on a more personal level, as we observe that God works through any and all circumstances, whether we are willing or unwilling, whether we are cooperating with God's purposes wittingly or unwittingly.  Therein, for us, lies the importance of the mystery of God, for when we lose that mystery, we really do lose the great subtext of our faith.   We cannot approach faith with a merely literal mindset, nor was our faith considered to be one of simple rules, nor a simple set of codes or beliefs.  It has the power of God working through all things.  Once again, as we remarked in yesterday's reading and commentary, we must come to know our faith as that which touches us that God can work through all things.  This is but one powerful meaning of the Cross.  As we see these men's ambition hardening to rid themselves of Jesus, to put Christ to death, so we also see the prophetic power of God working through the position of the high priest, regardless of the aims, character, or ambition of the man who is speaking.  The same will be true of the Cross, because God will be working through the Cross.   These events teach us about our faith and the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  Do we despair of good leadership and the qualities of human beings in authority?  God works through the circumstances in which the leadership wishes to kill Jesus, and reject His message.  But let us also pay attention to Christ, for He knows when it is time to act and when it is time to withdraw.  He, also, tells us a story about our own lives in trying circumstances.  We need prayer to negotiate any and all times.  He withdraws in order to prepare for the proper time, to avoid needless conflict, and in order to serve God's purposes.  He knows when it is time to act, and when it is wise and prudent not to force circumstances, and to allow time for things to become more clear, especially as St. Cyril indicates, the precise terms of conflict and danger.  Let us not withdraw from the world in fear, but follow the power of Christ and of God who works through all things.  We are called not simply to be prudent but also not to fear, and to endure.  We must have faith that God is at work through all things, stay always centered in our prayer and faith, and understand that whatever the circumstances, God is still in their midst and still calls to us for our discernment.  Let us follow Christ through all things, and remain spiritually fruitful.  We may find God working even inadvertently through those who are antagonistic to our faith, and through circumstances that call upon us to endure and be fruitful.

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. 

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

Ancient glass alabastron (perfume bottle), likely Phoenician ca. 625-600 BC.  Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that 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 the 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.

- Matthew 26:1-16

In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave us what is called the Judgment of the Nations, or the parable of the Sheep and Goats, an illustration of judgment at His Second Coming:   "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on His left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give you drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they also will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

  Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that 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."  My study bible comments that while Jesus is delivered up to His Passion by His accusers, He goes willingly.  Unless He had willed to go, His accusers could never have taken Him.  After His Resurrection, a note reads, many saints imitated Christ by willingly going to martyrdom.  Let us note also the fear of the religious leadership regarding the people, who believe Christ to be a holy man.

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 the 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."   Simon the leper was likely a man healed earlier by Christ, as lepers were forbidden to live in towns.  My study bible comments that Jesus accepts this honor from the woman in her newly found faith.  Specifically, as He says, He accepts it as a sign of His coming burial.  In this sense, it is an anointing for His death, in preparation for His Passion.  According to St. John Chrysostom, the disciples weren't wrong in principle:  mercy shown to the poor, he says, is more fitting than outward signs shown even to God (25:40; James 1:27).  But they did not understand that once the gift had been given, it was a greater mercy to accept it with love.  My study bible quotes St. Chrysostom:  "If anyone had asked Christ before the woman did this, He would not have approved it.  But after she had done it, He looks only to the gift itself.  For after the fragrant oil had been poured, what good was a rebuke?  Likewise, if you should see anyone providing a sacred vessel or ornament for the walls of the church, do not spoil his zeal.  But if beforehand he asks about it, command him to give instead to the poor."  Nevertheless, Jesus explicitly behaves with compassion to the woman -- an understanding of the heart in the deepest place of the personal.  He recognizes her profound gift to Him in His own hour of approaching darkness.  My study bible comments that because of her fervent faith, Jesus promises perpetual public memory of this woman.  It adds that there is no consensus among patristic writers as to her identity in relation to similar accounts found in Mark 14:3-9, Luke 7:36-38, and John 12:1-8.  Some say that there were three different women in these four accounts, others state that there were only two.

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.   A note in my study bible states that Judas on his own initiative seeks to betray Jesus.  His motives have always been debated historically, but patristic writers and liturgical hymns state that greed was his primary motive.  We can read this in John 12:4-6, where Judas was upset about the "waste" of myrrh (by the woman who anointed Christ) because he was a thief (see also 1 Titus 6:10).  The phrase one of the twelve is used specifically in order to emphasize the depth of betrayal involved (for the earliest hearers of the Gospel already knew who Judas was) -- as His betrayer was one of Christ's closest followers.

In these different stories which focus on various characters all playing roles in Christ's Passion, we are given a glimpse of the competing narratives or motivations that can underlie an event, even one so well-known as this which took place 2,000 years ago.  This chapter begins with Jesus' flat statement to the disciples that He will be delivered to be crucified -- a blunt expression of His foreknowledge.  He knows what is going to happen.  What must the disciples make of such frightening news?  After that is given to us in today's reading the perspective of the Jewish religious leadership in the temple.  They wish to be rid of Jesus.  They have not managed to out-debate Him in front of the crowds at the temple during this Passover festival, at which pilgrims from all over the Jewish world of Israel and the Jewish diaspora are in attendance.  Among the people, Jesus is highly regarded, but also a subject of intense debate.  Clearly, the leaders are afraid to openly seize Him for fear of the crowds, as the text says.  They gather to plot at the home of the high priest.  Then there is the gathering at the home of Simon the leper, in Bethany.  Some suggest that this woman who anoints Christ with the oil is Mary of Bethany, sister of Lazarus, who is named in John's Gospel (see John 12:1-6).  But, as my study bible notes, patristic understanding through the centuries has never determined the specific people involved in each incident as reported in all the Gospels:  whether they are all separate or not.  But one thing is clear:  there is a depth of bond of compassion between Christ and this woman whom He proclaims anoints Him for His burial, and that she has done a good work for Him.  We must not forget the personal in all of these stories, for ultimately faith in Christ is a matter of heart-to-heart understanding.  Ours is a saving, personal faith, and not simply an abstract set of rules to follow, nor pure intellectual theory or philosophy.  Our God became incarnate and one of us in order to proclaim the depth of love for us, God's deep desire to be with us, and compassion expressed in sharing our lives.  God's passion for us becomes a matter of the heart, for as Christ proclaimed, Father, Son, and Spirit make their dwelling with us after His Resurrection (John 14:15-24).  And finally we come to Judas, possibly incensed at the presumed expense of luxury through the woman's action, and Christ's acceptance of it.  He is possibly also motivated by greed, as John's Gospel teaches he was a thief who stole from the monies of Christ's ministry (John 12:4-6).  Perhaps Judas was incensed when Christ responded to his criticism of Mary with a rebuke to himself.  All sorts of motivations have been attributed to Judas.  But one thing is clear, and it is the depth of betrayal involved, as Christ emphasizes more than once (see also John 6:70).  We might also contrast the expressive love of the woman who anoints Christ with the behavior of Judas:  the woman expresses gratitude and love, while Judas -- in one way or another -- seems to express a sense of disappointed expectation, an agenda of his own, and an unwillingness to truly follow the Master to the end.  In each of these cases, we're given profiles of character and of motivations, all centering around Jesus Himself.   And here is the true issue of the personal:  so much depends upon our relationship, or lack of it, to Christ.  The Gospels to not hesitate to show the world in its varied aspects of faith or lack of it:  from outright hatred and enmity to love and to betrayal.  We can imagine the states of each of the twelve disciples may vary according to what they understand or what will terrify and confuse them.  But each will make his own choice according to the state of the heart and the personal depth of communion with Christ.  The same can be said of the women who traveled with Christ and aided in His ministry, ministering themselves to the disciples.  This Gospel gives us a picture of ourselves, for each of us also is understood within a perspective of the state of the heart, and of the personal depth of encounter with Christ, and indeed, the Trinity.  This is a fluid state, subject to change, through experience, repentance, and especially prayer and that deepening personal communion and understanding that is open and possible for us, and also within the context of the entire Church, including the grand communion of the saints and the mystical reality that embraces as well as our brothers and sisters we encounter in our lifetimes.  Let us understand the picture the Gospel gives us:  Christ is set to face His accusers and to endure His Passion.  He knows where He goes.  But how do the rest of us respond?  How do we know our own lives in this light, and especially in our internal connection of the heart with Christ?  Can we also embrace and receive and understand the kind of love expressed by the woman who anoints Him?  Do we understand Judas and his castigation of this woman?  Where does the personal -- and the expression of love and compassion -- come into it for us?

What shall we do? For this Man works many signs

Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

- John 11:45-54

In yesterday's reading, we read that Jesus had not yet come into the town of Bethany, but was in the place where Martha met Him as He came to the house of Lazarus (now passed) and his sisters.  Then those from Jerusalem who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"  Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  The term the Jews, in John's Gospel, is used most often as a kind of political term.  Here it indicates people who have come from Jerusalem to mourn with the sisters for their brother Lazarus, now raised from the dead by Christ (see yesterday's reading, above).  These people are clearly connected with the ruling classes who form the Council, the leadership in Jerusalem

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  As high priest, Caiaphas is given the authority to speak prophetically.  It is important to understand that this has to do with the authority of his position, not himself as individual.  My study bible says that the failings and even wickedness of the officeholder do not diminish the grace of the office itself.  Here, Caiaphas means only that the death of Christ will spare the Jews from Roman intervention.  But God's meaning is that all people will be saved through the death of the Son.

Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.  Jesus stays in the country, near the wilderness, avoiding Jerusalem and its ruling authorities until it is His "hour" of glorification, the time of the Cross (12:23).

The act of the raising of Lazarus from the dead has sealed Jesus' fate with the authorities.  The act itself has made believers out of many connected with the ruling parties, and this is seen as a threat to the Council and the ruling authorities.  At least in the point of view of the Gospel, it is a typical story about power, the will to rule, to retain place, when personal authority becomes the cherished goal above all else.  Christ comes into the world and fills it with grace, divine power working to do all things to heal and make whole.  He even raises a man from the dead.  God's power shakes up the world, takes us out of the commonplace and the acceptance of daily life as rule and norm.  But the point of view of the Gospel is not to say that the "norms" established through Moses and the spiritual heritage of Israel are bad or wrong.  On the contrary, it is specifically expressed here that Caiaphas, regardless of his personal flaws or frailties, prophesies in accordance with the office he holds, that of chief priest.  No, what is at fault here is the all-too-typical stuff of daily life of our world at the time of Christ and in today's headlines:  the manipulation of power and the failure to uphold what is good and established in justice as custom.  The manipulations of the Council that are to follow will defy every rule established for the proper working order of the community and its justice.  Selfishness instead will rule, expediency for the sake of retaining position.  In chapter 7, Nicodemus asks his fellow Pharisees and members of the Council, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  (See 7:45-52.)  The impulse to put the law second and expediency first is already there.  It is a way of showing through works that their duties to God are put into the service of their own personal power, place, and position.  We should not forget that when we forgo justice, we forgo our Lord, who also was the victim of injustice.  Laws put into place to protect the innocent from unlawful conviction, like in the example of Nicodemus asking about witnesses, are laws we can trace with clear importance to the story of Jesus.  The Cross tells us a story about worldly justice, about selfishness, about expediency for the sake of the retention of power, cutting corners, and failing ultimately to uphold what is good for society, for community -- failing to recognize and to cherish the working of God, the good among us.  Let us consider how the Cross pits worldly perspective against God's perspective, what it tells us about justice, and ultimately that the promise of the Cross is that Christ will return with true Judgment.  When we read the story of lying and manipulation and selfishness, we read about the workings of that which hates truth and is the enemy of God.  But all too often, we fail to recognize that this reality lives side-by-side with that which loves and worships truth (see the Parable of the Tares).  It is up to us to choose and to be awake to what is happening all around us, to know how we are called and what we are called to serve, with Him.  Too often we forget what John's Gospel tells us, that Jesus' mission into the world is ultimately all about true justice, the Judgment for which He promises He will return.  In our worldly perspective, we so often think all that matters is our "side" and what's good for that.  Self-righteousness rules the day.  But that isn't what holiness is all about, at all.  What does righteousness really look like to you?