Friday, April 3

Mark 14:43-52

The title over these sections in the church pew Bible reads “The Betrayal & Arrest of Jesus”. This is almost word for word repeated in Matthew 26: 47-56, Luke 22:47-53 and John 18:1-11.

What a terrible story: Judas kisses Jesus (the then common way of greeting) so the armed men knew whom to arrest. Swords are drawn, an ear is cut off, but Jesus quells the violence and is arrested. (In Matthew Jesus discourages his followers’ violence by saying “those who live by the sword shall die by the sword”. Luke says Jesus healed the cut ear.)

Most want to cast blame on Judas and call him a betrayer. But how do we reconcile that Jesus predicts his betrayal, tells Judas to do what must be done and says that “the scriptures and prophets be fulfilled”? And the most haunting of all: Judas is so distraught afterwards that he takes his own life.

Yes, this is a necessary step to the cross (and the resurrection). But perhaps Judas could only see Jesus as a worldly ruler, one who would organize the people. His band would take power giving high position and prominence to Judas. Did Judas idolize worldly goods and power so much that without Jesus he was totally lost and had no reason left to live? Is the ending of his life a powerful statement of the false idols of wealth and power? Is the idolatry of Judas so destructive that even Jesus could not correct it?

Then there is that final sentence of the young man who when seized loses his only garment and runs away naked. More questions.