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 

 

We have just read the story of the seventh and final sign in the Gospel of St. John, the raising of Lazarus.  See Part 1 and Part 2 of this chapter.  Yesterday we read that 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.  We should remember that the term the Jews in St. John's Gospel most often indicates the religious leaders, and not the people.  This word can also be translated as "Judeans" and so emphasizes the power held in the center of the temple in Jerusalem and the ruling Council.  Christ and His disciples are mostly from Galilee, a difference remarked upon by the Pharisees (see, for example, John 7:47-52).  Here the text reminds us that many had come from Jerusalem, being nearby to Bethany, to mourn with the sisters Martha and Mary when their brother Lazarus died.  They thus became witnesses to Christ's final miracle of His ministry, the resurrection of Lazarus.  It is these to whom the text refers.  Jesus, His disciples, and St. John whose name is on this Gospel were all Jews.

 

 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.  My study Bible comments that Caiaphas, being high priest, is given the authority to speak prophetically.  It notes that the failings and even wickedness of the officeholder do not diminish the grace of the office itself.  Caiaphas is of course referring only to Christ's death as a means of sparing all the people from Roman intervention.  But God's meaning is something understood differently.  This prophetic statement is understood as unwitting declaration that all people will be saved through the death of the Son.  

 

Caiaphas says to the chief priests and Pharisees, "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."  He means for Jesus to die so that the Romans do not intervene, as any disruption of the people was likely to trigger such action to keep the peace.  But we know his motivations and those of these men of the ruling Council.  They object to Jesus because it has now gone beyond a doubt that there is substance to His ministry.  The power of life and death belongs to God -- and Jesus has just performed the most astonishing miracle of all, raising a man from death who had already been four days in the grave.  More than that, witnesses from their own community were there, and were converted to belief because of what they saw.  So Jesus has now become a threat they can no longer ignore.  If people believe He is the Messiah, all will follow Him.  Clearly Caiaphas' statement is meant to persuade the rest of the Council they must find a way to put Jesus to death, but in their hypocrisy their real concern is for their places.  At least, this is the story the Gospel tells us.  We can read Jesus' long list of accusations over their hypocrisy in Matthew 23.  But let us turn to Jesus, who has spectacularly revealed the presence of God among the people in His final, seventh sign of raising Lazarus from the dead.  Can we imagine what it would be like to have lived in that time and place?  Every story possible seems to have been told about Him, from the deliberately fabricated lies in order to condemn Him, to the stories and testimonies of those who come to belief, and doubtlessly many other perspectives in between.  This is the opening setting for our next chapter, and the story of Christ's final journey to Jerusalem at the next Passover.  Messianic expectation, fears and plotting among the leadership, the presence of God in Christ and the power of life and death, the people's terror of both the Romans and the powerful Council, militant revolution among the Jews, Jesus' ministry and growing discipleship:  all of these things are at play complete with every rumor the people can hear.  Where would we be among these crowds?  What would we believe?  Although he is personally corrupt, God speaks through Caiaphas as high priest, with the true story of Christ that we know all these years later.  And God is still working through all things, let us not forget in our own lives as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What further need do we have of witnesses?

 

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

 

- Matthew 26:57-68 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him

 

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

 

- Matthew 26:47-56 

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

 

 

 

I do not know this Man of whom you speak!

 

 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came.  And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus of Nazareth."  But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are saying."  And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.  And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, "This is one of them."  But he denied it again.  And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, "Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it."  Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this Man of whom you speak!"  A second time the rooster crowed.  Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  And when he thought about it, he wept.

 

- Mark 14:66–72 

 

Yesterday we read that they led Jesus away to the high priest after seizing Him in the garden of Gethsemane; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.  Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"  But not even then did their testimony agree.  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But He kept silent and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus said, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?"  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!"  And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.

 

  Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came.  And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus of Nazareth."  But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are saying."   My study Bible comments that a girl being the first to test Peter is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  It says that our fallen state is overcome in Christ when it is women who are the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (Mark 16:1-11).  

 

 And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.  And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, "This is one of them."  But he denied it again.  And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, "Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it."  Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this Man of whom you speak!"  A second time the rooster crowed.  Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  And when he thought about it, he wept.   St. Peter is so overcome with fear that neither Christ's prediction of his denial (Mark 14:27-31), nor the first crowing of the rooster calls him to repentance.  But only the second time the rooster crowed called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him.  And when he thought about it, he wept.  My study Bible quotes commentary from St. Ambrose of Milan, saying that nonetheless, "through tears, what cannot be defended can be purged, for tears wash away the offense which is shameful to confess out loud."

 

 We all fail in our courage sometimes.  This is the man -- St. Peter -- whom tradition tells us requested to be crucified upside-down for fear of being considered equal with His Lord.  St. Peter also figures prominently in the Gospels as the one who so often speaks for the rest of the apostles, as he will also figure in the story of the early Church, after Christ's Ascension.  So, this same heroic, stalwart, strong, and courageous St. Peter is the man is today's story -- the one who cannot confess his faith in Christ in front of a servant girl.  To add insult to injury, as the expression goes, he's also the one who swore to Christ, after Jesus warned him that he would deny Him, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" (See this reading.)  Neither should we forget that it is the same St. Peter to whom Jesus issued the unforgettable rebuke, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men" (see Mark 8:30-33).  So the life of this exemplary disciple (as one who more often than not might be called "first among equals") is filled with ups and downs, humiliating mistakes and failures, grand triumphs, total exuberance, a great and undoubted love of Christ, terrible heartache and fear, and finally the triumph of a martyr.  This is St. Peter.  But perhaps the best thing that St. Peter gives us is his love that is so strong it overcomes his shame and he returns to Christ and the rest of the disciples.  You see, it really seems that this is the great -- perhaps the greatest -- gift that St. Peter gives to us, to all of us, the rest of the Church, and for all time.  Because St. Peter shows us that, like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), we can return to a loving Father, a loving Lord and Master, who does not lose His love for us because we make mistakes and err in our humanity, even multiple times.  It's to St. Peter that Jesus directed the admonition in the garden of Gethsemane, just before His betrayal and arrest, "Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (see again Friday's reading).  And to St. Peter that Jesus said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren" (Luke 22:31).  We note Jesus' confidence that St. Peter would return, and indeed this man so afraid of a servant girl in today's reading would be the one to strengthen his brethren.  As human beings, like St. Peter, even with his great faith, we may go through our own tumult, fear, lack of courage, and insensibility on a number of occasions and for many reasons.  But we need to remember that our story in the Gospels contains all these facts about St. Peter for good reasons, because in him we find ourselves and our direction for our faith:  we return to Christ.  We always must return to Christ.  For we are meant to overcome even ourselves, to grow and gain courage and confidence in our faith, to strengthen one another, to find our deeper faith, and to move forward.  For it is this deepening of faith that is the true universal mark of discipleship:  we seek to grow toward God.  It matters not at all where we are right now, how well our faith and our strength and our courage is serving is or how poorly.  But what matters is our ongoing deepening understanding and growth of our faith, for our destiny is in Him, and that journey is meant to be infinite.  Let us take courage and know that we are meant for this journey.  Like St. Peter, our failures and even shame may become springboards to greater love and truth, and deeper faith in our future.  For he lived knowing that this story would be told of him -- even that he stood outside reduced to cursing and swearing that He did not know the Man while Jesus was on trial; and he died choosing also to serve the Lord in humility even in death.

 

 

 

 

Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?

 

 And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.  Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"  But not even then did their testimony agree.  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But He kept silent and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus said, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?"  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!"  And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.

 

- Mark 14:53–65 

 

On Saturday we read that, immediately, while Jesus was still speaking in the garden of Gethsemane, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given the a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled.  Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked. 

 

And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.  Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"  But not even then did their testimony agree.  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But He kept silent and answered nothing.  Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus said, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?"  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!"  And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.  In today's reading, Jesus responds to the questioning of the high priest ("Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?") by saying "I am."   In Greek, this is εγω ειμι/ego eimi, which is the divine Name of God, as given to Moses in Exodus 3:14.  My study Bible comments that its use indicates a theophany, meaning a revelation of God Himself.  The use of this Name by a mere human being was considered to be blasphemy and was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16; see John 8:58).  But because Jesus is fully god, my study Bible explains, His use of this Name cannot be blasphemy.  Instead, it reveals His unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  My study Bible further notes that only in St. Mark's Gospel is Christ's answer so direct.  Jesus adds, "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  To sit at the right hand of the Power means to share authority with God the Father.  My study Bible indicates that this statement has been clearly understood by the high priest to be a claim of equality with God.  

 

In the story of Christ's Crucifixion we see a repeated pattern in which things look strangely upside down, not working in accordance with the proper order of things.  In today's reading we see that pattern.  There are witnesses called to testify against Him.  Clearly witnesses have been set up to do this, but they are also false witnesses; all lie.  Not only that but despite that this has been clearly arranged, they cannot get their stories straight, so that their testimonies did not agree.  Then some are called specifically to testify against Him regarding His words about rebuilding the temple, as reported in John 2:18-22, in which this image was given by Christ to illustrate His Resurrection after three days.  But even these witnesses cannot keep their stories straight, and neither do their testimonies agree.  So there is this twisted sense to this trial, which happens at night in violation of Jewish law in the first place.  Those who are supposed to testify to something that they witnessed speak of things which didn't happen, or twist words they clearly do not understand and didn't hear themselves, and even their concocted stories don't agree with one another.  To all of this lying Jesus remains silent.  He answers not a word.  Finally, the chief priest asks Him a direct question, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  And Jesus answers truthfully.  He gives perhaps an even more full answer than was necessary, but nonetheless here is finally a truthful Witness at this trial.  He says, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  But when Jesus bears true witness to Himself and the fullness of His identity, He is accused of the most fearsome kind of lie. The chief priest is satisfied, saying, "What further need do we have of witnesses?"  He then charges Jesus with blasphemy, a charge which renders Him condemned to be deserving of death.  Think of it, He is the author of life, our Creator, being assigned to the conviction deserving death by these men meant to be serving God in their capacities in the temple.  The Lord they are supposed to honor, because He has told them the truth, is now spat upon, blindfolded, and ridiculed with demands to "Prophesy!"  The officers of the temple strike Him with the palms of their hands; He is slapped in a manner meant to demean His stature as a Man.  The King of kings and Lord of lords is rendered less than a Man in the eyes and practice of these priests and their officers.  So, we see in this pattern of an evil time what that looks like in terms of its upside-down qualities.  There will be more to come, some striking and astonishing.  But let us consider what it is to be punished for telling the truth, blamed as the worst form of liar when one is in fact innocent, and perhaps we should say The Innocent of innocents, for it is only Christ whom we consider to have been entirely sinless.  But our King of kings and Lord of lords condescends even to this in His love for us, and His saving ministry.  In this we know the greatest beauty of them all, the divine love of God for us which teaches us what it is to love and suffer all manner of humiliation for the beloved.  He is indeed the Christ, the Son of Blessed who has blessed us all through His depth of love for us and fulfilled in all ways the title He bears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.  

 

 

 

 

 

You are not also one of His disciples, are you?

 

 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple.  Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.  But Peter stood at the door outside.  Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.  

 

Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?"  He said, "I am not."  Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves.  And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.  

The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.  Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world.  I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and  in secret I have said nothing.  Why do you ask Me?  Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them.  Indeed they know what I said."  And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?"  Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"  Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.  

Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself.  Therefore they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?"  He denied it and said, "I am not!"  One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"  Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

 

- John 18:15–27 

 

 On Saturday, we were reading in St. John's Chapter 8, when Jesus was at the Feast of Tabernacles.  After disputing with the religious leaders, Jesus said to them, "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

  And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple.  Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.  But Peter stood at the door outside.  Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.  Our lectionary goes to a new point in St. John's Gospel, skipping over several chapters from our last reading.  This is because, in the West, this week is the beginning of Lent.  (This year Eastern Orthodox Easter will come one month after Western Easter.  This is because, in the Eastern Orthodox calculation, Easter must take place after Passover, in accordance with the events of Christ's Crucifixion and Resurrection as reported in the Gospels.)  So our readings for this work form a sort of interim period, introducing us to Lent in a sense, and a week from today will begin readings from St. Mark's Gospel.  Here in today's reading, we're given the experience of St. Peter at the time of Jesus' trial in the home of the high priest.  Here, my study Bible tells us, the other disciple spoken of is John, the author of this Gospel.  It was a common practice, as author, to conceal one's own name in the details of one's story (see John 13:23; compare Mark 14:51-52; Luke 24:13, 18).  

 

Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, "You are not also one of this Man's disciples, are you?"  He said, "I am not."  Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves.  And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.  My study Bible comments that a girl being the first to test Peter is an icon of the temptation of Adam by Eve (Genesis 3:6).  This fallen state is overcome in Christ, it tells us, when a woman is the first to hear, believe, and proclaim the Resurrection (John 20:1, 11-18).  

The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.  Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world.  I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and  in secret I have said nothing.  Why do you ask Me?  Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them.  Indeed they know what I said."  And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?"  Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?"  Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.   The lectionary skips over this section of the Gospel, focusing on the story of Peter in this context.  But it is useful to include this passage as context and backdrop to Peter's story, Here, the questioning of the high priest is meant as an attempt to uncover subversive activity that would not only violate the Law of Moses, my study Bible says, but be reason enough to accuse Jesus of a political crime before Pilate.  The two points of question put to Jesus pertain to His disciples and His doctrine, which my study Bible describes as two essential components of Christ and His Church.  

 

 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself.  Therefore they said to him, "You are not also one of His disciples, are you?"  He denied it and said, "I am not!"  One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?"  Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.  After his three denials here in today's reading, my study Bible says, Peter will be restored through his three affirmations of love following the Resurrection (John 21:15-17). 

 

Today's story of Peter's denials would not be complete without also understanding Christ's warning to him about this very event.  This takes place at the Last Supper, just prior to Jesus' arrest.  In John 13:36-38, Peter declares he will lay down his life for Christ's sake, and Jesus responds by saying to him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times."  Today's text gave us the story of Peter's three denials before he heard the rooster's crow.  Sts. Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us of Peter's tears upon realizing what he has done (Matthew 26:75; Mark 14:72; Luke 22:62).  Perhaps St. John, out of compassion, spares us the vision of Peter weeping over his failure.  But what we really find repeatedly with Peter is his own exuberance that gets in the way and forms a stumbling block for him.  It's a reminder that our faith can't rely simply on an emotional attachment or enthusiasm, but must run more deeply within us, and in a sober place.  Just before Jesus predicts Peter's betrayal, He washes the disciples' feet at the Last Supper.  When He chooses to do so, Peter at first refuses, saying to Jesus, "You shall never wash my feet!"  Jesus tells Peter, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."  To which Peter then replies, in complete turnabout, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!"  But Jesus corrects him yet again, telling him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you" (referring to His betrayer, Judas).  It is Peter's emotionalism that forms a stumbling block to real obedience.  Even directly after Peter's confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, in Matthew 16, when Jesus first predicts His death and Resurrection to the disciples, we're told that Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"  At that time Jesus replied to Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."  Jesus then emphasizes to all the disciples that if anyone wishes to follow Him, one must take up one's own cross in imitation of Him.  See Matthew 16:21-28. We may each be tempted to substitute for faith a kind of emotional exuberance.  But our journey of faith in Christ is not like being at a football game, where our emotions are stirred up to root for our team.  As with St. Peter's denial three times, what we witness is how easily such a basis for faith withers and falls apart.  And this is perhaps the best possible introduction to Lent, and the historical practices of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer that are associated with Lent.  These disciplines are, in fact, meant to do just that:  to strengthen us in the discipline of faith.  That is, our faith (our trust in Christ) has to follow a pattern of dealing with the realities we're given, including the temptations of our lives in the world.  Emotionalism alone cannot sustain that.  Instead, we're given tools so that we learn to say "No" to what is not really good for us, to draw lines and healthy boundaries, and above all to have the kind of discipline that sets us on an even keel, so that we aren't swayed by every emotional upheaval that confronts us in life.  Note that we are asked, also, to know ourselves in this journey (or perhaps we should say to come to know ourselves better as we go),  Most of all, in the history of the Church, the prime concern of such discipline was in dealing with what are called the passions.  That is, those great emotions that can cause so much upheaval and sway us from one place to another, easily dominating our better judgment and our thinking.  Passions such as anger, for example, or despair, for another, can cause us to go out on an emotional limb, forgetting our trust in Christ in the moment.  Fear and panic can easily do the same.  The disciplines of Lent, then, are ways to develop our capacity to say "No" even to the things that seem to be deeply a part of us, like our habits of anger or despair, perhaps even extreme anxiety or depression, so that even though we may feel these things, we are not swept under with them.  We can remember to anchor ourselves in Christ as the One in whom we trust, and upon whom we ultimately rely.  This is the power of Lent, to teach us that we are capable of growing in our faith, and in our likeness to Christ, for this is what He came into the world to do for us and to give us, so that we recognize more truly that He is with us and within us.  In this context, we may look to the portion of our reading in which is included the night trial of Christ at the home of the high priest.  For He is the model we're given in contrast to Peter.  Jesus remains true to His mission and what He must testify, regardless of the corruption and pressure of those who seek to entrap Him.  His humility and obedience to the Father are paramount.  As we embark upon this Lent, consider the practices that are historically a part of the Church, and consider what it is we build up and grow as we give of ourselves.  As Jesus taught in Matthew 16, after rebuking St. Peter:  "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."  Peter will return to Christ and the rest of the disciples after this night of his denials, and he will grow into the "Rock" of faith he was named by Christ.  Let us seek the grace that allows and enables that to happen, as we pay our own honor to the wisdom of our faith and its historical practices.  Let us also remember the role of humility that was so needful in Peter, and remains so necessary to us and our contemporaries.  

 

 

"Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus said, "I am"

 

 And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.   

 

Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"  But not even then did their testimony agree.  And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But He kept silent and answered nothing Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus said, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?"  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!"  And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.

 

- Mark 14:53–65 

 

On Saturday we read that, immediately, while Jesus was still speaking to His disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely."  As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, "Rabbi, Rabbi!" and kissed Him.  Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.  And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.  Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?  I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me.  But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."  Then they all forsook Him and fled. Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body.  And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

 

  And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.  But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.  In our previous reading (see above), we read of the young man (frequently thought to be the Evangelist Mark himself, or possibly John) who fled naked after He tried to follow Christ.  Here we read that Peter managed to follow at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.  This sets the stage for the challenges Peter will face in our next reading.  

Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.  For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.  Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"  But not even then did their testimony agree.  Here we see the desperate search by the authorities (the chief priests and all the council) to find witness testimony that will convict Jesus.  Here are many false witnesses whose testimonies did not agree.   

And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  What is it these men testify against You?"  But He kept silent and answered nothing Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, "Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"  Jesus said, "I am.  And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "What further need do we have of witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What do you think?"  And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.  Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!"  And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.  Jesus testifies Himself, in answer to the question of the high priest, "I am."  In Greek this is ego eimi/Ἐγώ εἰμι.  It is the divine name of God as given to Moses in Exodus 3:14, as reported in the Septuagint version of the Scriptures commonly in use at the time.  (When Christ quotes from what we call the Old Testament, it is the Septuagint version reported in the Gospels.)  My study Bible comments that the use of this divine name here, the I am, indicates a theophany, or revelation of God Himself.  The use of this Name by a human being was considered to be blasphemy and was punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16; see John 8:58), hence the response of the high priest. But because Jesus is fully God, His use of this Name is not blasphemy.  Rather, He is revealing His unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  My study Bible adds that it is only in Mark's account that Christ's answer is this direct.  To sit at the right hand of the Power is to share authority with the Father.  This statement was clearly understood by the high priest to be a claim of equality with God, and therefore results in his response. 

 

 Our systems of justice today, particularly in the West, reflect our understanding of the injustice carried out against Jesus Christ.  We know what false witnesses are, we know and accept that the innocent -- and in this case, the profoundly and truly Innocent -- can be falsely convicted through false witnesses.  Even in ancient times, a false witness was unacceptable in legal systems.  Enshrined into our laws today is that this is so, even for defendants despised by the society for all kinds of reasons.  The same is true for testimony that is contradictory.  But the extraordinary thing about this hearing we read about today is that the ultimate witness is Christ Himself.  What is the case when it is the truth itself that people despise and want to reject?  In this case, the One who referred to Himself as the way, the truth, and the life is being rejected for stating clearly who He is.  What are we to make of that kind of a trial and conviction?  How do we see it?  How do we look at it?  What does that tell us, in fact, about our own propensity to reject the things we don't like, the things that threaten us, or take away our own righteous sense of ourselves?  But let us look at Christ Himself, for He came into the world to proclaim His gospel.  Luke tells us that as Jesus went into the synagogue of His hometown of Nazareth, He read the prophecy of Isaiah, saying:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord" (Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:16-30).  To these words Jesus added, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing," thus rendering indignant to the point of murder the people of His hometown -- who could not accept that Jesus could be the Christ.  Thus we have this similar response in the high priest and members of the Council.  Jesus' truth is unacceptable for them.  It is too threatening to their places and the ways of life they know, the things they hold most precious, just as the people of Nazareth were indignant of their own perceived positions in relation to Jesus and His family.  If Jesus' words were true, what would that mean for them?  How would they have to change their own minds about life, about themselves and their places?  How would they have to change?  So, we must also ask ourselves what we're willing to do to accept a truth we might not like.  Are we prepared to go wherever it is that Christ would ask us to go?  This is the position the disciples were in at this time.  And there is a greater question here.  We know where Jesus will go, and we can see it previewed in the actions of those who spit on Him, mock Him, beat Him, blindfold Him demanding prophesy while they do so.  He will be treated with the contempt of those meting out violence and torture and the cruelty of crucifixion.  From this, we understand Christ's blood shed for us, for telling us His truth, for bringing us the gospel and the good news of our faith.  So as we are baptized into His life, what can we endure for this faith and this truth?  Do we at times find ourselves paying the price for our faith, for those who are indignant at our faith?  How do we know to accept this reality, to bear it even with humility and dignity if there is nothing we can do to change others and their response?  Can we change ourselves to accept our own suffering for His name's sake?  We make many decisions in life, and even the smallest choice can reflect our faith.  Christ declares Himself openly here before the high priest, knowing that His human death is coming.  There are all kinds of ways in which we may also suffer for our choices, some very small.  Those persons who have shared Christ's death for the sake of their faith we call martyrs.  In ways we can't completely understand, their suffering becomes the fertile ground of the Church, and there are martyrs today suffering for the sake of their Christian faith around the world.  For each of us who enter into His life through baptism and the Eucharist, we should put into perspective the times we go through difficulties for our faith, for we enter through participation in His cup, even in small ways, separating ourselves from the way of the world for His way when called to do so.  Let us consider His strength and courage and the power hidden from these men in Christ's truth, for it is there for each of us as well. For when we also find His strength and faith to continue through difficulties, and carry our own cross, then we in turn bring and share it with others as well and help to build His kingdom in this world.  Let us be true to who we are and follow Him.  

 

 

 

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.