Betrayal and Discipleship
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 69:7-15,22-23
Hebrews 9:11-15, 24-28
John 13:1-15
Tim Christoffersen
St. Timothy's
April 16,
2003
Wednesday before Easter
What
word comes to your mind when you hear the words of this encounter between
Judas and Jesus?
Betrayal. Many of us associate 'betrayal' with Judas. There certainly isn't much doubt that Judas betrays Jesus. The root meanings of the word 'betray' in Latin and English carry a slightly different sense. The Latin root word is tradere and it means "to hand over." Judas effectively handed Jesus over to the authorities. The English word also has the sense of "violation of faith or trust." Judas was one of the 12 disciples. Most commentators also believe Judas was the disciple charged with keeping the monies or was the treasurer of the group of disciples.
One aspect of betrayal that we often don't think about explicitly is the connection to intimacy. It is implicit in violating faith or trust in another person that there must be intimacy in the relationship. Otherwise the word 'betrayal' would be too strong a word to use.
John gives us a picture of the intimate setting. The twelve apostles and Jesus are alone together in a room. Jesus says to them, "…one of you is going to betray me." The disciple reclining next to Jesus asks, "Lord, who is it?" Jesus replies, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." He gives it to Judas. Judas immediately gets up and leaves. A shadow falls over the gathering and we enter the dark side of Easter.
What lead to the betrayal by Judas? John is silent other than to say Satan entered into him. We have the story in Matthew of the 30 silver coins that Judas received from the authorities. We also have the conviction of many Biblical scholars that Judas was a member of the Zealot faction who organized to overthrow Roman occupation. Judas was deeply disappointed when he finally realized Jesus would not lead an uprising against the Roman occupiers. Symbolically, the motivations were material and worldly.
How did Jesus respond to the betrayal? He certainly knew it was coming and, in fact, he initiates the act that calls forth the betrayal by Judas. It was an integral part of the destiny to which Jesus knew he was called. The passage from Psalms gives a vivid image of the suffering and rejection Jesus has previously said would be his lot. "For I endure scorn for your sake, and shame covers my face….when I weep and fast, I must endure scorn;…those who sit at the gate mock me, and I am the song of the drunkards."
Jesus predicted his death and suffering. In Mark 8, Jesus "began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priest and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again."
In John we catch a hint of the dawn of Easter. After Judas has left, Jesus says, You will look for me… so I tell you now: Where I am going you cannot come. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
And now it gets personal. This is a call to discipleship. We hear echos of the Exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. God called the Israelites to enter into a covenant with Him and to be His people. The teachings and commandments in the Old Testament, the Torah, were instructions to the people on how to be the people of God.
Jesus' call to discipleship is deceptively simple in John. He says all men will know you are my disciples IF you love one another. Discipleship is a matter of doing not saying.
We also know Good Friday and the Cross are just ahead, the culmination of the dark side of Easter. We remember Jesus' words from Mark. "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."
We do not react well to hearing we must "deny ourself." After all, if there is one phrase that captures the images and words we hear every day in advertisements, it is "you deserve it." Most of us prefer hearing these words. But those words are man's way, not God's way; not the way of the cross. There is a phrase in Proverbs that touches me and reminds me we are not always in control. For me it also captures the element of mystery and uncertainty in discipleship. "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who was a leader in the resistance to Hitler and was executed just before the War was over, knew personally both the uncertainty and cost of discipleship. Bonhoeffer wrote the following words from the perspective of Jesus. "Discipleship is not limited to what you can comprehend-it must transcend all comprehension. Plunge into the deep waters beyond your own comprehension, and I will help you to comprehend even as I do…. Not to know where you are going is the true knowledge. My comprehension transcends yours. Thus Abraham went forth from his father and now knowing whither he went."
When we add loving our neighbor and loving our enemies to "loving one another", the doing of it gets really tough. It is still a matter of doing but it is also a matter that is beyond our comprehension. We must deny our self and follow Jesus. If we stay solely within our own human resources and capabilities, we will not be up to the task.
Paraphrasing my favorite
seminary professor, Paul Lehman, the task of discipleship is our commitment
to "making and keeping human life human." By this all men will
know you are my disciples….
AMEN.
