30 Pieces Of Silver? pic.twitter.com/dKBBOmBBXd— alanw157 (@alanw157) March 23, 2018
The Book of the Prophet Isaiah reveals the confidence of the Suffering Servant in the Presence of God in his difficult mission.
* [50:4–11] The third of the four “servant of the Lord” oracles (cf. note on 42:1–4); in vv. 4–9 the servant speaks; in vv. 10–11 God addresses the people directly.Psalm 69 identifies zeal as a motivator in our mission to serve the Will of God.
* [Psalm 69] A lament complaining of suffering in language both metaphorical (Ps 69:2–3, 15–16, the waters of chaos) and literal (Ps 69:4, 5, 9, 11–13, exhaustion, alienation from family and community, false accusation).In the Gospel from Matthew we consider how confidence and zeal may have contributed to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas.
* [26:15] The motive of avarice is introduced by Judas’s question about the price for betrayal, which is absent in the Marcan source (Mk 14:10–11). Hand him over: the same Greek verb is used to express the saving purpose of God by which Jesus is handed over to death (cf. Mt 17:22; 20:18; 26:2) and the human malice that hands him over.Larry Hopp writes that we are drawn to the unthinkable betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot. How could Judas have responded to his Savior in this manner?
During the meal, Jesus remained calm and attentive, from the washing of their feet to the announcement of the betrayal which was already underway. While his disciples adamantly objected to this news – not unlike our response to all the things in our lives that do not go as we think they should – Jesus remained reassuringly at their side. The outcome for the disciples was nothing like anything they could have imagined, yet, the salvation they (and we) received through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was far better than anything they could have imagined. All they needed to do was to keep their focus upon Jesus and to never forget that he is ALWAYS at their side, every moment of every day.Rev. James Martin, S.J. finds alternatives to Judas motive of avarice.
Overall, though, none of the four Gospels provides a clear or convincing reason for why one of the inner circle of disciples would betray the teacher he esteemed so highly. Greed, for example, fails miserably as an explanation. After all, why would someone who had travelled with the penniless rabbi for three years suddenly be consumed with greed?Don Schwager asks was Judas treachery motivated by greed, bitter disappointment with Jesus, or hatred because of disillusionment?
It may be that Judas never intended for his Master to die. Maybe he thought Jesus was proceeding too slowly and not acting aggressively enough in setting up his messianic kingdom. Perhaps Judas wanted to force Jesus' hand by compelling him to act. Nonetheless, his tragedy was his refusal to accept Jesus as he was.Friar Jude Winkler expands the 3rd Song of the Suffering Servant noting the Servant is held up by the Lord and not defeated because of his witness. Jesus allows the betrayal and He embraces His fate in the Gospel passage.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that whether or not we find our True Self depends in large part on the moments of time we are each allotted and the choices we make at those moments.
Life is indeed “momentous,” created by accumulated moments in which the deeper “I” is slowly revealed if we are ready to see it. Following our inner blueprint or soul and humbly serving others is indeed of ultimate concern. Each thing and every person must act out its nature fully, at whatever cost. This is our life’s purpose, the deepest meaning of “natural law.”On our journey we will encounter experiences of confidence and zeal. Our response, with Jesus as guide, will be to continue to attend to the needs for love and order in our circle of friends.
References
(n.d.). I have set my face like flint. Retrieved March 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/isaiah50.htm
(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 69 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved March 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/69:98
(n.d.). 26:75. Retrieved March 28, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/matthew26.htm
(2011, April 20). Why Did Judas Betray Jesus? | HuffPost. Retrieved March 28, 2018, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-james-martin-sj/why-did-judas-betray-jesus_b_851613.html
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved March 28, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved March 28, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/
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