Faith

 Sacred Tridum – Maundy Thursday – John 13:1-15

Even though it is called the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, there is no reference to the meal per se in the choice of this text. John is the only gospel, among the four, that focuses on the foot washing.  The meal becomes the setting for the foot washing of His disciples; a meal in which He institutes the Eucharist, institutes the commandment of love, ‘to do as He has done,’ and institutes the priesthood through the foot washing ritual and a pastoral commandment to the eleven ‘newly ordained ministers’.

Interestingly, unlike the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), John holds that Jesus died on the ‘day of preparation’. This is the day when the lambs were sacrificed in the temple and this is the day for John on which Jesus, ‘the Lamb of God’ dies on Calvary.

Now before you start getting uppity and wondering how the gospels can be giving us ‘contradictory’ evidence, remember what the Gospel’s were meant to be, not biographies! The Gospels are post resurrection narratives, written by the evangelists in the context of their communities, to whom they were writing for.

So, in John’s Gospel, the Jewish Passover takes place on what we celebrate as ‘Holy Saturday’. Not so for Luke or Mark. For them, Jesus celebrates the Jewish Passover on Maundy Thursday (Mark 14: 12-15, Luke 22:15). Is there a point to why John in his gospel does this?

Some scholars opine that John wanted the death of Jesus to coincide directly with the day of the preparation of the Passover. While the lambs were being sacrificed in the temple, Jesus is sacrificed for us. Others believe that John’s community had simply come to accept that Jesus was crucified on the 14th day of Nissan (the first month of the Jewish year) which was the day of Passover (references from the JBC).

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Faith

The betrayer at hand- The Holy Week – Wednesday- Mathew 26:14-25

Matthews’s account of the betrayal of Jesus is preceded by the anointing of Jesus feet by ‘a woman’ at the house of Simon the leper. Interestingly in Mathew’s account, the woman is not Mary of Bethany, nor is the meeting at Lazarus’s house, but at Simon’s house. Noteworthy is that Matthew blames ‘all the disciples’ for being ‘angry’ at this ‘wasteful’ use of the expensive ointment.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Judas does not have an active role in the episode, unlike in John’s Gospel. But Matthew continues this incident, of the anointing of Jesus feet, with a Judas incident. Perhaps, a far more deadly one! Matthew thus contrasts the woman’s love with Judas hate.

The Gospels never explicitly tell us why Judas betrayed the Lord. We know that satan entered him and he gave into temptation. What we do see, is what happens after he gives in to satan’s invitation to sin. Judas surely played hardball with the chief priests in negotiating a deal. His question to them is pointed, “What will you give me if I betray Him to you?” The parameters of the deal were clear; it involved betrayal and a consideration.

What was this consideration? We know that Judas settled on silver; we have no idea how long and hard he negotiated. Did he ask for precious stones? And why did he settle for silver and why thirty? Scholars opine that 30 pieces of silver was equivalent to 120 days of work some even suggest a half years salary. In Hebrew culture, thirty pieces of silver was not a lot of money. In fact, it was the exact price paid to the master of a slave, if and when his slave was gored by an ox (Exodus 21:32). The slave’s death was compensated by the thirty pieces of silver.

Perhaps here in lies a thought. This was the price of the life of ‘a slave’. Jesus came to be a slave not a servant, as the English translation has it to be (Doulos in Greek). He ransoms us from satan for the price of a slave; so much does He love us.

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Faith

Deserters, Betrayers, Deniers- Holy Week – Tuesday- John 13:21-33, 36-38

I admit, to a certain extent, I would be flummoxed as to what I was to do, if I was told that tonight was the last night of my life.  Eating a meal would be the last thing on my mind and even if I did, who would I share that with?

Meals were an integral part of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus practically ate his way through the gospels. Today’s reading consists of extracts from the last supper with a deliberate intent to focus on Judas. But before we really go harsh on Judas don’t forget that Jesus sat down to His last meal with all sorts.

Peter would deny the Lord not once but three times. James and John, along with Peter, were singled out ‘remain with Him and stay awake’ in Gethsemane; they failed Him thrice. The gospel of Mark 14:51, tells us that a ‘certain young man was following Him wearing nothing but a linen cloth but when they caught hold of him he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.’ By the time they reach the foot of the cross all the men, barring John, have gone into hiding.

So am I waving a flag for Judas? Certainly not! But here is the Lord, eating His last meal, with all sorts and kind. But it’s not who He is eating with, that most important but rather what’s he feeding them with, at this meal. To betrayers, deniers and deserters, Jesus offers His body and blood; this while scripture tells us that Jesus was deeply trouble and said, “ Amen, amen, I say to you, one of your will betray me.”

And yet, it is to Judas, that He gives His body and blood. The Lord never stopped giving and the Lord never stopped loving. That’s why He came, for sinners and the lost! Scripture tells us that Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners. Today we add a few more to that list of table guests; betrayers, deniers and deserters. Even at His last meal on earth, Jesus is ministering to the lost.

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Art/ Heritage

PICTURING THE PASSION: ‘The Entry into Jerusalem’ by Giotto (1305)

The story of art has been ruled by great artist like Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli etc. The ‘father figure’ they sought to their career began his life as a shepherd boy. He used his brush to bring the Bible to life and made art more natural, more real. His name was Giotto. Regarded as the ‘Father of the Renaissance’, Ambrogiotto (Little Ambrose) was born in Tuscany in 1267.

Legend states that while tending sheep, Giotto would sketch on a sharp stone. His nature based drawings were so spectacular that it captured the attention of Cimabue, the then famous, ‘bull headed’ artist. Cimabue carried off the boy to Florence to be his apprentice. However he was not spared of the young man’s banter. When Cimabue was absent, Giotto painted a lifelike fly on the face of a painting which appeared so real that the master, on his return, tried several times to shove it off. This impressed Cimabue who now invested more time and opportunities in his brilliant pupil.

Giotto’s greatest masterpieces are the frescos he painted inside the Arena or Scrovegni Chapel located in Padua, Italy. It was commissioned by Enrico Scrovegni, a wealthy Italian banker in the early 1300’s. It served as restitution for his father’s involvement in unjust usury dealings.

One of the most famous and spectacular paintings in the Chapel is ‘The Entry into Jerusalem.’ Against the backdrop of the brilliant blue sky, Giotto enlivens the procession scene in the foreground. The main protagonist i.e. Jesus Christ is placed at the center of the composition. The disciples (passive group) follow Him while the people of Jerusalem (active group) hail and honour Him.

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Faith

There is something about Mary…Mary of Bethany- Holy Week – Monday- John 12: 1-11

Betrayal is written all over the next three days; and Judas, the betrayer is at the heart of it. But then again it all depends on what you want to see, betrayal or love. Because within the gospel texts, from today to Sunday, we also see people of faith, people like you and me who love the Lord, yet struggle; Peter, John, Nicodemus, Veronica, Simon of Cyrene, the women who followed Jesus , Mary the mother of Jesus and then there is Mary of Bethany.

Most likely, the reader of today’s gospel will breeze over the text and settle on the Judas interaction. He seems to somehow, get our attention; the Lords betrayer, thirty silver pieces, the man who tainted the word ‘kiss’. But look carefully, there is another character whose most seemingly simple action would merely get a ‘that’s nice’ nod from us. She is Mary of Bethany and she deserves much of our admiration and attention.

What do we know about Mary? For starters, she loves Jesus and she loves to be at his feet. When the Lord visits her home, she is at His feet, while Martha complained away (Luke 10: 39). When her brother Lazarus dies, she too with her sister tells Him, “If you had been here my brother would not have died” and then she is at his feet. (John 11:32) Watch where she is today? No prizes for guessing she is at His feet. (John 12:3)

It was traditional for the slave of the home, to wash the feet of the master when he returned. This job could also be performed by the women of the house if the family did not own a slave. Mary performs this humble task but takes it to another level.

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