Handed Over

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor. When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.” After conferring together, they used them to buy the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one on whom a price had been set, on whom some of the people of Israel had set a price, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.” Matthew 27:1-10 

Handed Over

Dear God of peace and concord
we live in a world sharply divided
we watch daily as moms go to jail
the innocent being tried as criminal.

When Jesus betrayed was handed over
he had only spread healing and love
for a small price of thirty piece of silver
the living God had to be put to death.

We ache for free voices and understanding
we want the oppressed to be set free
yet we contribute daily by our fears
our need for power and control corrupt us.

Help us to repent of our deceit and turn
make us the voices and hands of holy love
give us new hearts and new actions
so that the world might see you face now. Amen