And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead [him] away safely.
And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.
Mark 14:43 - 14:45
And so it begins! How far we have come - in this moment of betrayal, so starkly portrayed by Giotto! How far in just a few short days. Then Jesus was welcomed and great crowds gathered - and palm leaves were laid at his feet and the people sang Hosanna's.
Now the crowds come again - but this time with swords instead palm stems! How quickly things can change! In our own lives too of course. Where once there was fellowship, kinship and love - now there is hatred, suspicion & fear. Bonds are broken - brothers & sisters are enemies - even unto death.
Now the crowds come again - but this time with swords instead palm stems! How quickly things can change! In our own lives too of course. Where once there was fellowship, kinship and love - now there is hatred, suspicion & fear. Bonds are broken - brothers & sisters are enemies - even unto death.
Yet how had this come to be – how had this great devotee of Jesus turned away from him? We can speculate that the first grumblings of discontent began back in Bethany when Mary poured an expensive alabaster jar of oil over Jesus’ head (and several there present including Judas ( who looked after the money) were appalled at her extravagance. It was Passover, a time when everyone was encouraged to give alms to the poor – some of Christ’s disciples, including Judas are indignant at the extravagance and admonish the woman; but Jesus defends her saying;
Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
John 12:6
But Judas especially was not reassured by these words and began to doubt.
On the night of the Last Supper Jesus speaks openly of the betrayal soon to come - for he knows the secrets of all their hearts. It is the moment tenderly depicted in Giotto’s fresco of The Last Supper - where we see Simon Peter leaning upon Jesus’ chest.
On the night of the Last Supper Jesus speaks openly of the betrayal soon to come - for he knows the secrets of all their hearts. It is the moment tenderly depicted in Giotto’s fresco of The Last Supper - where we see Simon Peter leaning upon Jesus’ chest.
“Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus’ side. So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him, “Master, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.” So he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”
John 13:21-27
We hear that afterwards Judas leaves the supper early and later, knowing the hour is close, Jesus leads his disciples to the Mount of Olives & to the garden of Gethsemane & there he bids them wait for him and keep watch; saying...
My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Matthew 26:36-46 King James Version (KJV)
And three times he went from them in this way - & three times he returned & found them sleeping. And he rouses & rebukes them - each time repeating his words - until finally - on the third occasion he rouses them saying,
Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
Matthew 26:36-46 King James Version (KJV)
Then Judas comes as we see in these paintings. And the deed is done and Jesus is taken and all the disciples scatter and fall away as predicted - each with their conscience to bare. And no one knows for sure what they are thinking - for this part of the story is not told - yet it's not difficult to imagine is it?
How did it come to this? How have I found myself here - in this utterly untenable predicament? Why! Oh Why did I act as I did?
We know of course that Judas had lost trust in Jesus over the incident with the oil. He couldn't see how it was justified and was not convinced by what Jesus told him. It is likely he felt Jesus was contradicting himself and so he judged him! The rest we already know!
Betrayals are so often based on judgements such as these that we have no right to make, for in doing so we put ourselves above the other - we create a narrative about them where there is no way for them to come out right. We are righteous, indignant & justified in whatever action we then choose to pursue.
But so frequently - as is so glaringly obvious here - Judas was simply unaware of the greater picture - the greater purpose and meaning behind Jesus' acceptance of Mary's generosity.
How did it come to this? How have I found myself here - in this utterly untenable predicament? Why! Oh Why did I act as I did?
We know of course that Judas had lost trust in Jesus over the incident with the oil. He couldn't see how it was justified and was not convinced by what Jesus told him. It is likely he felt Jesus was contradicting himself and so he judged him! The rest we already know!
Betrayals are so often based on judgements such as these that we have no right to make, for in doing so we put ourselves above the other - we create a narrative about them where there is no way for them to come out right. We are righteous, indignant & justified in whatever action we then choose to pursue.
But so frequently - as is so glaringly obvious here - Judas was simply unaware of the greater picture - the greater purpose and meaning behind Jesus' acceptance of Mary's generosity.
In gazing at Giotto's painting - I am struck by the expression of both men in their embrace. At first glance it appears as any other embrace might - between two close friends. It is intimate. And thinking on, about betrayals in general and in my own experience - such acts are indeed intimate but not in a good way. They are violations, infringements and invasions of intimacy - which is why they hurt so much more when perpetrated by those we should be able to trust. In Dante’s Inferno the punishments ascribed to those who commit crimes against those they know are always more severe.
Forgiveness for such betrayals may take a lifetime to arrive at yet not so it seems for Jesus as we see - and again so perfectly illuminated by Giotto - in the huge difference of expression in the eyes of the two men - where one is full of enmity - the other shows only love.
Forgiveness for such betrayals may take a lifetime to arrive at yet not so it seems for Jesus as we see - and again so perfectly illuminated by Giotto - in the huge difference of expression in the eyes of the two men - where one is full of enmity - the other shows only love.
It's easy to see it set out like this but not so easy to turn the spotlight on ourselves and ask how we might become betrayers of the Light. For above all Jesus is a symbol of Light, a symbol of hope of grace & renewal - as all divine children are in story. They speak to us of the future - show what it can be. So how then might we respond - as individuals and as a collective too. Over the last days we've looked at the notions of opportunity - of cleansing - purification - of remembrance - awakening too - and also now - of betrayal. What will we do now - here, and going forward in 2020?
Will we stick by the things we say today - our wishes for a different world - or will we fall away & scatter like the disciples - who incidentally, are never heard of again in Matthew's telling of the tale until much, much later after the immediate danger is passed.
How far will we stand back, so to speak - in the run up to getting our world back on track after the pandemic - of restarting the economy, filling the skies with planes - the seas with plastic & the airwaves with 5G ?
A virus we are told is simply a response to nature - in its broader sense - becoming over stressed - of falling into dis-ease - dis-harmony - and all the rest.
I have a tiny grand - daughter in Spain. Yesterday I told my daughter after looking at her lovely photo - I don’t want to stop flying - and there it is you see - as it is for all - the being holy when it suits - but then making exceptions - standing back from our own rhetoric - for personal gain. Oh dear! Oh dear!
We’re in a right fix Mr Frodo, says Sam.
- as they approach the ruined realms of Mordor - and no mistake!
We are all frail - even Frodo fails in his resolve at the end. Christ understood our weaknesses and though it hurt - though it left him lonely in those last few hours before his betrayal, when he prayed in agony in the garden for his cup to be taken from him, he knew.
They had been tasked with keeping watch, as we have been - as we have all been in a way - the betrayer was at hand - as it always is within us. But they had quickly fallen asleep - like frail mortals - fallen into unconsciousness - like the court of Sleeping Beauty - unable to keep awake - to keep alert - even with the threat was so close.
And so it has ever been. And all is forgiven in the end of course and yet still there is a moment - reflected throughout the entire story of Holy Week - to go a different way - to not just create more of the same but to evolve - to quantum leap - shift - re- think - re- work - wake up!
Much Love
Anne Maria
x x x
How far will we stand back, so to speak - in the run up to getting our world back on track after the pandemic - of restarting the economy, filling the skies with planes - the seas with plastic & the airwaves with 5G ?
A virus we are told is simply a response to nature - in its broader sense - becoming over stressed - of falling into dis-ease - dis-harmony - and all the rest.
I have a tiny grand - daughter in Spain. Yesterday I told my daughter after looking at her lovely photo - I don’t want to stop flying - and there it is you see - as it is for all - the being holy when it suits - but then making exceptions - standing back from our own rhetoric - for personal gain. Oh dear! Oh dear!
We’re in a right fix Mr Frodo, says Sam.
- as they approach the ruined realms of Mordor - and no mistake!
We are all frail - even Frodo fails in his resolve at the end. Christ understood our weaknesses and though it hurt - though it left him lonely in those last few hours before his betrayal, when he prayed in agony in the garden for his cup to be taken from him, he knew.
They had been tasked with keeping watch, as we have been - as we have all been in a way - the betrayer was at hand - as it always is within us. But they had quickly fallen asleep - like frail mortals - fallen into unconsciousness - like the court of Sleeping Beauty - unable to keep awake - to keep alert - even with the threat was so close.
And so it has ever been. And all is forgiven in the end of course and yet still there is a moment - reflected throughout the entire story of Holy Week - to go a different way - to not just create more of the same but to evolve - to quantum leap - shift - re- think - re- work - wake up!
Much Love
Anne Maria
x x x
Hold the Light/blog published regularly during the Crisis @
www.annemariaclarke.net/blog
These meditations for Easter Week are based on the exquisite 14th century fresco cycle by Giotto di Bondone, from The Scrovegni Chapel, Padua (Italy), that so beautifully elucidate the story as it unfolds.
www.annemariaclarke.net/blog
These meditations for Easter Week are based on the exquisite 14th century fresco cycle by Giotto di Bondone, from The Scrovegni Chapel, Padua (Italy), that so beautifully elucidate the story as it unfolds.
