“Some disgraceful opportunities”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Thursday, July 14, 2022

Matthew 26:1-16 (Forward, p. 77) CEV p. 1018

If you grew up in a household like mine, productive activity, and busyness in general, were touted as being most desirable. And certainly, my parents lived out this conviction in spades; both of them were seldom still, seldom without some activity at hand. Even while seated in the living room they were likely to be reading. And, for my mother, even while watching TV, she was likely to be knitting or darning. After all, as the old saying goes, ‘The devil makes use of idle fingers.’ Yes, the devil does make use of idle opportunities if we are not careful.

We see something of that in today’s account from Matthew about the machinations and plots by the authorities to have Jesus arrested and put to death. The chief priests and leaders of the nation met together in secret to see how this could be pulled off. But they were somewhat afraid in fact, rather reluctant, and wanted to avoid doing so during Passover. That was when the city was filled with zealous, passionate pilgrims that might be inclined to riot at the slightest provocation—and perhaps, all the more so, if it got out that their ‘hero’, Jesus, had been arrested. No, they concluded, they would have to wait for an opportune time. And, most certainly, they’d have to do it ‘on the sly’ so as not to inflame public sentiment.

But then came along an opportunity that they had never ever expected, much less dreamed of: an insider, someone from within Jesus’ inner circle, someone privy to His plans and moves, came forward with an offer. It was an offer to hand Jesus over to them, and to do so, in some secluded and less than public way. The person making the offer was Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve.

Now while Matthew in his gospel account doesn’t tell us what motivated him to carry out this dastardly deed—there are many conjectures about this—John’s gospel does give us an indication. Apparently, Judas was the group’s treasurer and used to ‘help himself’ to its funds from time to time. And all ‘seemed’ to go well with this little scheme. No one seemed to notice the disappearance of funds and nothing was done to impede his access to them. There was no room for concern. But this time he had reason to be concerned.

What raised his concern at this particular juncture was an incident in Bethany when a certain woman squandered a very expensive ointment by using it to anoint Jesus. All of the disciples commented on the ‘waste’, saying that if it had been sold rather than used in such a wasteful way, the funds from its sale could have been put to very good use, namely, to help the poor. But, with Judas, there may have been another thought, namely, to help himself. Frustrated perhaps, angry perhaps, this thwarted desire fueled a simmering resentment in Judas and paved the way his ‘idle hands’, for the opportunity to go to the authorities and offer to hand over Jesus at some opportune time.

What this says to me is that we likewise have to be careful about such idle moments, such temptations to sin or do things that are not ‘quite’ right or appropriate. Years ago, for a men’s retreat, I composed a list of those occasions that I had ‘discovered’ in my own life. The list was fairly extensive—and surprising. It included things like being tired or frustrated, depressed or anxious, and even when we have been very successful and are really elated. Sad to say, the devil made use of such a time as this to lead Judas astray. I pray that this will not happen to any of us. Amen.

Forward notes: “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me” (verse 11).

“Jesus’s words here are some of the most painful and unsettling in all of scripture. Yes, the disciples will not always have Jesus, though they don’t yet know how thoroughly they will abandon their friend. But in our world today, poverty feels inescapable. God can’t possibly condone such entrenched inequality, right?

“It helps to know that Jesus was referencing the Torah, knowing his disciples would recognize its teachings. In the fifteenth chapter of Deuteronomy, Moses continues to explain the law, particularly those that apply to resting the land and forgiving debts. Moses explains that there will never cease to be poor people in the land, but there should be no one in need among the Israelites.

“In the light of Jewish law, Jesus’s meanings multiply. Poverty is not God’s intent; caring for those in need is. And sitting with his friends, the night before he would head into Jerusalem for the last time, it is Jesus himself who is in need. Only this woman unreservedly gives of herself, the same way Christ offered himself to the world.”

Moving Forward: “What will you offer to Christ today?”

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