Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people. Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd. Luke 22:1-6
It is hard for me in this season of Advent, to wrap my mind around the motivation of the religious leadership. During their most holy time of year, they were so angry that they had to bribe an insider to help plot someone's death. I cannot imagine spending time during the most solemn days of the year to scheme another's downfall. And yet we do this - out of jealousy and anger, out of fear, rage and hurt. We turn our backs on hope and forgiveness and we bind ourselves gleefully, it seems, with hate. What we lack we try to find by crushing or hurting another. Being human is living with our destructive, hellbent potential as well as our hopeful possibilities and endless potential for love.
Judas took the money, maybe at first for the good of the disciple's coffers, maybe never realizing that the group had evil in their hearts. Whatever his motivation, Judas let love and forgiveness slip out of his hands. He bent to politics of the day, the group think and gave them what they needed - a human prize. We often think when we have successfully rid our lives of trouble, whether people or situations, we are in the clear. I have found that life has plenty enough trouble for every day and plenty enough troubled people to build a weapon of mass destruction.
Today, I want to actively seek to hold tight to love and forgiveness and to let hurt and hate go. There is plenty of hurt and betrayal in all our lives, and yet what we do with it - hold 'em or let 'em go - makes all the difference in the world. I ask God to give me the strength to let go og anger and hold tight to love.
1 comment:
Needless, wanton destruction of personal and communal relationships is always a puzzling human activity, especially in the church where one usually turns hoping for the opposite. I suppose it is a great way to deflect attention away from one's own shortcomings and fears of inadequacy.
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