Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter

 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

- Matthew 14:1-12

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had finished preaching in parables, that He departed from Capernaum.  When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?  Is this not the carpenter's son?  Is not His mother called Mary?  And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?  And His sisters, are they not all with us?  Where then did this Man get all these things?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."  Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.  Here Matthew gives us the history behind Herod's fear that Jesus is John the Baptist, risen from the dead.  Herod had married Herodias, his brothers' former wife, while his brother was still living.  John had denounced this as a violation of Jewish Law, and for this reason he was imprisoned.  My study bible comments from the perspective of a traditional view in the Church:  it saw the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist in the context of God's plan of salvation.  This allowed the coming of the Messiah to be announced to the souls in Hades, with John as forerunner and prophet of Christ there as well as on earth.

This story of violence and gruesome actions taking place at a birthday party tells us a great deal of the state of the ancient world into which Christ was born.  There is no flinching here at the reality of violence and cruelty.   The one thing that had kept John from death for speaking out against Herod was his stance as a revered figure among the people, who considered him to be a prophet and a holy man.  This is a world of power, where power is abused as often as it is exercised in one form or another -- and in particular by modern standards of what people call "civil rights."   It describes a world in which state authority is understood to be so absolute as there will be no questioning of these actions, and a king's rash promise to a young girl holds power simply because he does not want to go back on his oath in front of those important people in attendance.  This is the world of injustice in which Christ preaches His Sermon on the Mount, and teaches the oppressed about His way of responding to it and living in it.  If we stop to think of the injustices of today's world and compare them to our ancient history -- and the time of the life of Christ and His environment -- then we sometimes may want to consider how much responsibility we bear for choosing how we will choose to live.  John fearlessly preached righteousness in this world.  He lived in abject poverty, not among the privileged or even average people.  Jesus had no place to lay His head (8:20).  We may also understand corruption, violence, injustice, and abuse of power in the hands of those in high places in our modern world, in all kinds of ways and in all kinds of places.  But our Lord did not come to live in castles or mansions or an easy life.   Jesus spoke of John the Baptist to the people also comparing him to those who led easier lives:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses."  He was defending John as "a prophet, and greater than a prophet" in the face of criticism by the Pharisees that he was too rough (see 11:7-15).  But both the prophet and the Lord we follow were born into a world of great power and great injustice, and one of the power of great empire.  They lived their lives through its worst aspects -- even to crucifixion -- so that they could give us the way that we in turn honor to walk through it.  When we realize what they lived, how they lived, and what they experienced, it should make us even more committed to this way of life in the midst of our own realities.  Let us understand they have lived the way they lived already for love of us, and we must in turn honor what they offer as the greatest wisdom, and the gift of greatest love.   Let us endure and resist the temptations of a world that would seduce with violence and power and deceitful riches, and share in their strength to do so.

If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine

Ottheinreich Bible, c. 1425-30. Folio 18v (Matthew 8)

 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

- Matthew 8:28-34

On Saturday, we read that when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then another of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead."  Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.  And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves.  But He was asleep.  Then his disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us!  We are perishing!"  But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.  So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?"  Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.  So the demons begged Him, saying, "If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine."  And He said to them, "Go."  So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine.  And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.  Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.  And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus.  And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.  My study bible comments that the demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God, and they are surprised that their power is being terminated before the time of the last judgment.  Although their malice is so great, they can't do anything against the explicit will of God, and so therefore can only enter the swine at the command of Christ.  It notes that the immediate destruction of the herd shows that the men were protected by God; if it were not so, they would have perished under the demonic influence.  My study bible adds that moreover, this reinforces that swineherding wasn't a lawful occupation for the Jews, showing instead that the value of human beings is incomparable, their salvation worth all sacrifices. 

Some commentaries remark that these people must be Gentiles, non-Jews, as their raising of swine seem to indicate.  But the text, according to my study bible and many Fathers, seems to indicate that, on the contrary, these are Jews raising swine for marketing to Gentile populations, and doing so contrary to the Mosaic Law.  One indication of this is their preference for Jesus to leave them -- they begged Him to depart from their region.   This is done after they've seen the miraculous cure of the demon-possessed men.  The people here prefer their income from the swine, and are dismayed at what has happened, rather than joyful for the healing of the men.  What this indicates is not simply their material mindset, and not merely that their priorities are in the wrong place.  The fact that they care nothing for the Law given through Moses is coupled with their lack of care for the lives of these men, indicating that in fact these are people who care nothing for real justice.  They are fundamentally unjust in their outlook -- meaning they are unrighteous in a number of ways.  If it's going to cost them money, a loss of stock or inventory, they don't care at all and do not rejoice at the healing of the men.  Their fundamentally wrong-headed outlook renders them less than righteous or just, because their priorities are in the wrong place.  They are those who worship mammon rather than God (6:24).  Jesus' preaching in the Sermon on the Mount has addressed this concern and inward disposition in our lives; here the Gospel tells us a story that expresses such a problem and its outcome.  Jesus is rejected because He heals.  The swine, in the eyes of the Jews, are unclean animals, but these townspeople don't care.  They care about the income.  Moreover, if we look closely at the text, we may observe also that they are simply used to living with these demon-possessed men the way they are; this is something "normal" for their world.  It shows a disordered social construct, a world where priorities are out of whack, and true natural relations between people need restoration.  These violent, demon-possessed men do not dwell among the living but among the dead, midst the tombs.  They are exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.  This is a disordered and unnatural (in the sense that what is truly natural is God's will for us) violence that lives among them, and counts for "normal."  It is what the townspeople and swineherds are used to, what they live with, their static state.  So let us take a look at what passes for "norms" here:  the unlawful breeding of unclean animals for the money, a repulsion to what happens when Jesus heals the men and the animals are destroyed (thus a loss of income source, however outside of the law), and their set of values -- such as it is -- means they beg Jesus to leave, apparently without caring at all for the healing of these extremely violent men.  It is, in some sense, a picture of our world, no matter how disordered it may seem in the text.  Violence is normal, no sacrifice is too great when it comes to wealth (even the sacrifice of any form of true health or real justice or righteousness), and that which would shake up the world and put it in right order -- a healed state --  is simply desired to be cast aside, gotten rid of, so that they beg Jesus to leave.  In fact, they can think of nothing else.  Imagine, in our world, forces that would prefer war and violence over peace as it may bring them income, a violence that results in great injustice and disorder and all sorts of human ailments, and can only see healing and the peace it would bring as a woeful loss of income.  This priority of mammon over God gives us a fundamental picture of disorder and injustice, as it is a willingness to forego the righteousness of God if it is going to change things and ask us to look for a better way to make our lives, our living, our way of life.  Is it so strange to us, or can we think of examples that might seem even just a little similar?  Perhaps we could think of relations in a family, in a neighborhood or town, or even on a greater scale.  Where does our picture of righteousness come into play?  Is a little violence acceptable?  What would we be willing to give up for peace and healing?  What takes top priority when it comes to human well-being?  Is righteousness worth our sacrifice or adjustment, even repentance?

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

 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 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.  The Gospels collectively give us a picture of things gone awry, the behavior of the leaders antithetical to the norms then established for justice.  This is a night trial, not appropriate according to the law, and held in the home of the high priest.  We also read of the many who bear false witness that are gathered against Him -- obviously deliberately brought for this purpose.   But their testimony does not agree nor make sense, owing to their misunderstanding of His words (see John 2:18-22).  These circumstances, together with the Roman soldiers and others brought together to seize Him in Gethsemane (see Saturday's reading, above), uniformly describe what would have then been considered unseemly low behavior and conditions, conforming to no standard.

 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.  Jesus uses the words "I am" to reply to the high priest.  In Greek it is ego eimi, and it is the divine Name of God (Exodus 3:14).  My study bible says that its use indicates a theophany, a revelation of God.   The use of this Name by a human being was considered blasphemy and punishable by death (Leviticus 24:16; see John 8:58).   Because Christ is fully human and fully God, His use of the Name is not blasphemy; rather He is revealing His unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  My study bible notes that it is only in Mark that we find such a direct answer by Jesus.  To sit at the right hand of the Power means to share authority with the Father.  By his response, we know that it is clearly understood by the high priest to be a claim of equality by God.

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.  Again, the Gospel gives us the picture of abusive, unjust, and corrupt treatment.

The picture of injustice in the Gospels is clear.  The men who try Jesus do so with the collaboration of the Romans, bringing mercenaries to seize Jesus.  Christ is given a trial that does not conform to standards of the Mosaic Law (and apparently neither does the particular behavior of the high priest; see Leviticus 21:10).  What we are given is a picture of men given over to frustration and rage at Christ, so that they violate the Law they are meant to uphold by their positions of responsibility.  So troublesome is His criticism and the fact that He has many followers among the people that He must simply be stopped, crushed.  He has challenged the authority of those in power on too many occasions.  But overall it is important that we understand themes of human injustice and corruption.  Christ has preached throughout His ministry about judging with good or righteous judgment (John 7:24).  He preached that we should love our enemies, even to "bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven" (see Matthew 5:43-48).  The Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount describe the aspects that make our inner condition blessed; they are all attributes of peace as part and parcel of righteousness.  They describe a way to live and to be in this world that creates right relatedness.  They constitute the pathway to live a life that honors what He calls the two greatest commandments in the Law, and He describes as containing all the Law and the Prophets:  to love God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, and to love neighbor as oneself  (Matthew 22:36-40).   Issues of true justice -- that is, righteousness and the fullness of peace as integrity of heart, are pertinent to Christianity, to what it means to be followers of Christ.  All of these teachings that Jesus gives us to remind us that real injustice begins in the heart teach us about a fullness of justice that comes from the depths of who we are.  Jesus says, when challenged by the Pharisees because His disciples do not practice a ceremonial hand-washing, that it is not what goes into the mouth that defile a person.  Rather, it is "those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" (Matthew 15:18-19).  He teaches us that issues that are driven from covetousness begin in the heart, such as adultery (Matthew 5:28).  Murder also begins in the heart with unchecked rage that wants to destroy others, embodied in the language that demeans the entirety of a person  (Matthew 5:21-22).  Jesus tells His disciples that He has not come to destroy the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them, and that "unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20).  So essential are matters of true depth of justice and righteousness that Jesus gives us, in fact, a way that describes how to fully live such a life.  It is a recipe that begins with the heart, and leaved no part of us unchanged.  We read here in today's reading of the tremendous injustice done to Christ; everything we read about was a violation of standards already established -- particularly under the Mosaic Law for the Jews.   The leaders fail to uphold their duties and are given instead to corruption, jealousy of position.  They do not act in a way that is strange to the world, but rather in a way all too common; they give us the ills of the human race.  St. John writes in his First Epistle:  "For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world" (1 John 2:16).  Above all, Christ gives us a recipe for true righteousness (that is, the fullness of justice) even when times are bad, things to awry, and all around us is lost to rage, lust, greed, the drive for power, and the passions that demolish justice.  Most importantly, He does not merely give us Law, but also a Helper, a Comforter -- and where One is, there is the fullness of God the Trinity.  It is with the help of grace that we are given the tools not simply to avoid suffering or injustice, but rather to transfigure it.  We are taught to carry our cross, with Him, and to participate in His life, even through crucifixion but to Resurrection, as we shall see.   For with God, all things are possible.  All too often, we hear cries for justice, but without His teaching about where it starts and how it starts -- and without the responsibility for the righteous life He asks us to live.  Let us recall whose disciples we are.  Jesus tells the high priest, "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."   It is a reminder that this is a promise for all of us.

If I tell you, you will by no means believe. And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God

Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."  And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council. saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."

- Luke 22:54-69

In yesterday's reading, Jesus had finished the Last Supper, the Passover supper at which the Eucharist was introduced, with His disciples.  He has warned Peter of the denial to come.  Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed him.  When He came to the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."  And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.  Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep?  Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."  And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him.  But Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"  When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.  But Jesus answered and said, "Permit even this."  And He touched his ear and healed him.  Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?  When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me.  But this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest's house.  But Peter followed at a distance.  Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them.  And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, "This man was also with Him."  But he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I do not know Him."   One can imagine what a frightening time this was -- a secret council held in the night (in violation of the rules that governed it), and in the home of the high priest.  Peter is remembered for his denial here in the face of a servant girl.  I can't imagine this was in any way other than humiliating for Peter, and yet we have the story given to us in the Gospels, handed down for all generations.  Peter swore he would face imprisonment and death for Christ, and yet here he is, cowed in the face of a servant girl's question.  It is to his great humility and grace that we have the story given to us.  Peter, eventually, would die the same death of crucifixion for following Christ; Tradition tells us that in his humility and courage, he requested to be crucified upside down so as not to make himself equal to his Lord.

And after a little while another saw him and said, "You also are of them."  But Peter said, "Man, I am not!"  Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, "Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean."  But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!"  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly.  My study bible says, "That the Lord turned and looked at Peter is an intimate detail reported only by Luke.  One can imagine the profound meaning of their mutual glance."   There are several details in Luke concerning Peter that may lead us to conclude Luke may have had access - perhaps at Rome - to details only Peter could give.  At any rate, all four Gospels give us the story of Jesus' warning that Peter would deny Him.  It is a testimony to the importance of this story to our faith.

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.  And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy!  Who is the one who struck You?"  And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.  Luke gives us more of the atmosphere of lawlessness and cruelty at this time, where no laws or decency apply, simply the use of pure power to humiliate and to destroy.   The ignorance of those who mock Christ speaks for itself.


As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council. saying, "If You are the Christ, tell us."  But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe.  And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go.  Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God."  My study bible points out that the official sessions of the council could take place only by daylight.  But Jesus' truth rings out here:  He will not acknowledge a phony attempt to pretend they aim at the truth, but acknowledges the truth of where their hearts are.  They won't believe when He tells them the truth.  They will not allow Him to ask question in legitimate defense -- nor answer nor let Him go if He is innocent of their charges.  It is not a legitimate trial at all.

In Jesus' story here in these verses today, we see the elements of justice gone awry and all the familiar elements of what it is to live outside the laws meant to protect the innocent.  Even at this time, the laws established for fair trial and hearing are being violated.  The session is held in the home of the high priest rather than in the council's appropriate meeting place.  It is held at night, illegally.  Skirting the requirements of the law, they come together into the council in the morning.  Jesus is mocked and humiliated by those who work for the high priest.  And in His own words, the trial is not an honest one.  No one is going to allow Him to honestly question His accusers, nor will they let Him go if He is proven innocent -- and neither will they believe the truth from Him.  All the elements of injustice are here, and they must be clear to us all, because we still suffer from injustice in the world and the afflictions of the "power of darkness" as Jesus has named it in yesterday's reading.  The power of darkness is the power we associate with Satan, as Jesus has named him in recent verses, the power of evil.  Throughout Scripture and especially in the Gospels, evil is portrayed as a kingdom which afflicts mankind.  Its affliction is always unjust.  Human beings suffer, and Christ is here in His mercy to bring us back from this place of suffering and isolation from God, to take us to Himself and His Kingdom -- to bind the strong man as He is the stronger.   In our understanding of the evil that afflicts our world, perhaps nothing can be stronger or more potent than this trial, this unjust hearing at which a man is condemned who came out of love for the world and to save the world.  He is God's anointed; He is the Christ, and we worship Him in His spirit of love and saving truth.  Let us understand the affliction of evil in the world and its injustice -- its lies and its denial of truth and what is true about the heart of each person.  Let us reside and rest in the "heart-knower" who is Christ as our antidote and guide to healing what ails us in this world.  He is here to show us His Way, and His trial and death serve to show us that which is not His way at all.   The abuse of power is evil affliction.  In Christ's kingdom righteousness and mercy rule.

Lazarus, come forth!

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. So 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 grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

- John 11:30-44

In the past two readings, we've been focusing on the events surrounding Jesus' great friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus -- two sisters and their brother. On Wednesday, we read that Jesus was told Lazarus was ill (Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick). At that time, Jesus was away from Judea and the threatening officials who by now wish to put Him to death. But when He heard of Lazarus' illness He told His disciples they should go to Judea and Bethany, where Lazarus and his sisters' home is. Jesus said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." He delayed two days. Yesterday, we read that upon His arrival, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. Bethany is about two miles east of Jerusalem. Martha went out to meet Jesus, while Mary sat mourning in the house with others who had also come to mourn Lazarus. Martha told Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha thought Jesus was referring to the final resurrection, but Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." Martha then went secretly to her sister Mary, and told her, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." As soon as she heard that, she arose 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." In John's Gospel, the term "the Jews" is used to denote the party of those who are against Jesus or rather with the leadership who opposes Him, and now threatens His life. All the people in this story are Jewish people. These mourners have come from Jerusalem, to mourn with Martha and Mary. They will be witnesses to what is to happen at Lazarus' tomb.

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. So 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?" Mary echoes the words of her sister Martha from yesterday's reading. But this time, with Mary, Jesus' response is different. He sees all the mourners and Mary weeping. In the English, Jesus' groaning and being troubled can be perceived in one way as deeply sad and downcast. But in the Greek, the words give us a slightly different connotation: Jesus is agitated and disturbed to behold the sadness of Mary and the mourners; He is upset, even indignant, angry, as if what He experiences is somehow deeply wrong. To my mind, the very evil of the sadness and death with which humanity is burdened is exemplified here, and our Lord's response to it is appropriate to that understanding of the human condition. He expresses grief at the injustice of evil. He grieves, and weeps, with all of them. Jesus wept is the shortest verse in the bible. My study bible says, "As true man Jesus shows by example that weeping is the natural human response to death. As true God He shows compassion upon His creation when the soul is torn from the body." Again, we go to the Greek: these are silent tears running down His face. Above all, we know His love.

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." Again, in the Greek, Jesus' groaning is more akin to an expression of indignation or anger. The Resurrection and the Life is confronting death. My study bible says, "Jesus comes to the place of burial. A corpse that has by the fourth day begun to deteriorate is enough reason for Martha's warning. Embalming was prohibited in Judaism. The body was simply anointed with spices and other aromatic substances which would keep the stench of decomposition at bay for a time."

Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" My study bible notes, "The Savior responds to Martha's cautionary note by reminding her of His earlier words."

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." Again, my study bible helps with a note: "Again, we see the Evangelist's insistence on relating Jesus' dependence upon the Father for all His works. Jesus prays for the bystanders, that they may have the insight to see the glory of God in the miracle."

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" My study bible tells us, "Jesus' loud cry for all to hear is reminiscent of His earlier words, 'The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth' (5:28-29)."

And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." My study bible says, "That Lazarus came out bound in his linen graveclothes is interpreted by patristic writers as an indication that he will need them once again: he will eventually die. The Savior's grave linens, by contrast, were left in the tomb. He will have no more use for them, for He will never die again."

Perhaps it is a time to consider what is death. The body dies, but not the soul, but how are we to view death? What do the Scriptures say to us? Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, as He has just told Martha (in yesterday's reading). Death and sin are related in Scriptural understanding. There was no death in the Garden; death came to the world as a result of the evil in the world. This is the picture that Scripture gives us. So, in this light, we can see death as evil, something which is not just, not fair, but which comes to all of us. In the Resurrection, says Jesus, some will go to the resurrection of life, and others will not, depending upon their own desires for life or death in these spiritual terms. But the great injustice of loss and suffering, being separated from loved ones, from life itself is a burden of evil in the world. As the Resurrection and the Life, Jesus makes His confrontation with death. God is revealed for all of us as the God of life, not merely against the death and deterioration of the body, but against everything that takes away what we call life in ourselves. Suffering and injustice are also against this life, lack and hurt and hunger, all forms of deprivation are forms of evil or death against this life. And Jesus' very life which He offers to us is characterized by love. He loves His friends, He loves us all; He shares with His friends the grief and anger at the death of their dear Lazarus, and He shares indignation for all of us at the burden of evil and death in the world. Salvation, and Christ as Savior, goes so far deeply under the surface of what we understand to be life and death. Christ offers us life in abundance. He offers us Resurrection. I say that life in abundance and Resurrection are far greater terms than what we understand by life after physical death, but rather terms that teach us about Christ's presence to us, His eternal presence, without limit and without time. Resurrection and life in abundance are qualities of His Person that are always present to us. His love is present to us. As He lived His human life in a world burdened with evil and sin, so He will lead us through this world, so that we, too, may be a part of that Kingdom even here in the world. There are all kinds of injustices with which we may have to contend, but the Savior has done it all before us. When we ask to live life His Way, we become a part of that force for life in the world.

,

Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!

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

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' betrayal with a kiss, by Judas, one of the twelve. Today Jesus' trial begins, before the leadership of the temple.

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. I find it interesting that these people - the temple leadership - seek false witnesses. They are clearly trying to get rid of him in any way they can. Once again, I feel that it is important that we understand that our Lord has gone through the injustices that plague the world, and all the forms of evil from which we suffer. If there is to be a spiritual battleground within our hearts, let us be grateful that the Lord we worship has also experienced every hardship that we do.

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 notes here: "The people misunderstand Jesus' words reported in John 2:19. Some Jews believed the temple would be destroyed and a new one rebuilt by the Messiah." Jesus' words are twisted - perhaps unintentionally, as my study bible indicates. But it teaches us several things. One, that we need the spiritual understanding to interpret what Jesus teaches. And secondly, that even the greatest and most succinct orator who has lived, whose words have shaped language and expression in countless countries, can be misunderstood, misinterpreted, and his words shaped for others' purposes, in order to use them against him.

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!" There are a couple of small, interesting references in my study bible here. It references Isaiah 53:7: "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." For the words of the high priest, that Jesus was under oath, we reference the law of Leviticus 5:1: "If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible." Jesus speaks, therefore, as witness to himself.

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." My study bible has the following note on these verses: "Quoting from Psalm 110 and the prophecy of Daniel (Dan. 7:13), Jesus confesses he is the Messiah, both fully man, indeed, the Son of Man, and fully God -- for only God can sit at the right hand of the Power, sharing the authority of the Father. Jesus also proclaims he will yet establish the Kingdom of God in its fullness, coming in his glory on the clouds of heaven. His claim to be God is the real reason the high priest sentences him to die (verses 65, 66). Jesus' statement is befitting his divinity, but the high priest can neither comprehend nor endure such a thing." The penalty for blasphemy was death (see Lev. 24:16). Jesus is witness to his own divinity - as he has been throughout Matthew's gospel. We must recall that this gospel is written primarily for a Jewish audience, with this perspective in mind. "It is as you said" is a translation once again from Jesus' words that will be repeated throughout the gospels to these accusations: "You have said [it]." It is also the phrase used in the accusation against Judas at the Last Supper (see Rabbi, is it I?)

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?" This is the picture of Jesus humiliated, by people who are brutish by any standards. What has he done? He is simply in a powerless position, picked out as a scapegoat. He will be gotten rid of, so there is no threat to the leadership from what he preaches. He is a man of words, not fists nor rocks nor weapons of any kind - a man who rode into Jerusalem not on a horse as a worldly Lord, but on a donkey, a man of peace. Guessing games and divination are all these people understand of the spiritual, and he was not in the world for those without spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear, and hearts that will not be open to receive him.

How do we understand this story of humiliation? That the One we call the Lord of the Universe has endured what each of us may endure in our worst moments, what the evil in the world may do even to those most innocent. Let us understand then his suffering. He came into the world with love, taught through love. And those whom he loved, including even one of the twelve, betray him. How can we not, then, turn to this Lord in our own times of trial? Let us understand what a gift this life is, this way of handling injustice is for us. To share life in our world is to be one of us. We turn to him now for our way through it, too. Especially in times of humiliation and the greatest injustice we can experience, which he has walked through before we did.