BETRAYAL AND PARDON
Sermontelling Luke 22:1-27 & Luke 23:32-47 (NL 337-338)
Art by Norah Nettleton.
BIBLETELLING
Below is the Narrative Lectionary passage for the coming week. It is followed by Bruce’s notes on the text which aim at a general understanding of the text and some notes on the structures and techniques used by the Biblical storytellers.
Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.1 Then Satan2 entered Judas, called Iscariot,3 one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.4
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
“Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.
He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water5 will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.”6
They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”7
After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”8
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.9 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.10
A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.11 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.12
Luke 22:1-27
When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.13 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the Jews.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”14
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”15
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”16
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”17
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”18 When he had said this, he breathed his last.
The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”19
Luke 23:33-47
THREE STORIES
The following three stories pair well with the Narrative Lectionary passage for the week. They are followed by Danny’s sermontelling footnotes which explore the stories’ theological connection to the passage as well as insights into craft and performance. Our advice is to read the story first before digging into the footnotes.
An Opportune Time
After Jesus’ Baptism, he was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness and there he was tempted by Satan.20
First, Satan tempted Jesus with self gratification. Satan tried to convince Jesus to use his divine power to turn stones into bread. But Jesus resisted.
Then Satan tempted Jesus with domination. Satan tried to convince Jesus to bow before him and claim kingship over all the earth as an Emperor. But Jesus resisted.
Finally, Satan tempted Jesus to cheat death. Satan tried to convince Jesus to throw himself from the pinnacle of the temple and let the angels catch him. But Jesus resisted.21
When Satan had finished every test, he departed from Jesus until an opportune time.22 Satan waited patiently. He waited as Jesus multiplied fish and loaves in the wilderness. He waited as the disciples began to proclaim Jesus as Messiah at Caesarea Philippi. He waited as Jesus was transfigured at Mount Tabor. He waited and waited. Until the opportune time finally revealed itself. When the Festival of Unleavened Bread was near, Satan said, “Now.”
The place was Jerusalem and the time was passover. But Satan knew that if he confronted Jesus directly once again, he would be rebuffed. So he would have to pick off one of Jesus’ disciples.
How did Satan tempt Judas Iscariot?23
Some say that Satan tempted Judas with self gratification, saying, “If Jesus is the Son of God, then why are his servants so poor? As the holder of the purse, you know how much the wealthy women who fund his ministry contribute. And yet he sends you two by two to beg for food. You camp in the wilderness and rely on shelter from strangers. Whenever someone gives to the ministry assets that could make life more comfortable, Jesus finds some way to squander them. What do you have to show for your service? Parables? Sayings? Perhaps it is time to turn your knowledge into silver.”
Some say that Satan tempted Judas with domination, saying, “If Jesus is the Son of God, why has he not yet been made king? He rode into town like a Messiah and cast judgement on the Temple, just like you and the others always imagined. But then what? He just spends his days in the temple courts talking about peace and love, and dying. Where is his army? You disciples only have two swords among you. Twelve thrones, he promised you in the age to come. What has he done this week to deliver? Perhaps he just needs a push. Perhaps if you just bring some soldiers his way you’ll force his hand. Either the final battle will begin or it won’t but at least then you’ll know. Submit to me and I can make it happen!”
Some say that Satan tempted Judas with protection, saying, “If Jesus is the Son of God, then why does he talk of dying? He clearly has no plans to lead a revolution. He’s come here with a death wish. Do you honestly think the Romans will stop at killing Jesus? Will they risk a Mattathias giving way to 5 sons? No. There will be thirteen crosses outside the city by Friday. And YOU will be on one of them unless you take action. Throw yourself at the authorities and avail yourself of their protection!”
We ultimately don’t know what words Satan used to turn Judas. But we know this: Judas consented. Then he began looking for an opportune time.24
The Transfusion
One evening, two parents entered their son’s room to talk to him about donating blood.25 The boy was eight years old and his twin sister had one of those medical conditions that require regular blood transfusions. She was desperately in need of one and the doctors knew her twin brother’s blood26 would be the best match. The parents were reluctant to have the boy donate his blood because they were afraid the experience would be too traumatic.27
But, at the doctor’s urging, they talked to him. They sat down one the end of the boy’s bed and explained to him that his sister was sick and that she needed blood. They also explained that, of all of them, his blood would be the best match since they were twins. They needed to know if he’d be willing to give her a pint of his blood. They told him he didn’t have to if he was too scared. They could look for another donor, perhaps a relative. But they also explained she would need this transfusion soon or she would get very sick.
His parents told him to think about it and pray about it, and he could decide in the morning.
When the parents left they thought their son seemed scared of the whole thing. Worried they had spooked the boy, began calling relatives. In the morning, though, the boy announced that he wanted to give his sister his blood. So they took the him to the hospital where he laid on a bed next to his sister. They hooked the boy up to an IV and began to take his blood.
The blood spiraled through tubes, painting them red as they went, making a trail from the little boy’s veins to his dying sister’s IV. The boy lay in silence as his blood began to drip into his sister. 28
A nurse noticed the boy looked pale and frightened so she went to check on him.
“How are you feeling?” she asked the boy.
The boy lifted his head, looked her in the eyes, and asked, “How soon until I start to die?”29
~ Retold from BIRD BY BIRD, by Anne Lamott
Nearer…
The disciple asked the master, “How can I forgive my brother when I pray?”30
“You must pray near the cross,” The master said.
The next day, the disciple said, “Last night, as I prayed, I gazed upon the icon of the cross. Above the row of tiny painted saints,31 I looked closely at our Lord, outlined in gold and looking to heaven. I gazed also upon the holy virgin frowning in the corner in her lapis lazuli shawl, and the stoned faced angels collecting his crimson blood in bowls— all night I stared upon the icon! —and yet I could not forgive.”
“You must be nearer,” the master said.
The next day, the disciple said, “Last night as I prayed, I gazed upon the icon and was transported in the spirit to the foot of the cross. There I stood among the throng who jeered and hurled curses at him and the women who wailed into the dark and unforgiving night! I saw Jesus on the cross, writhing, gasping, crying out in agony! I saw his mother, draped in black, collapsed beneath the weight of her sorrow. I looked up once more and the blood ran down his hands and feet and side. A drop of it splattered on my face. All night I stayed within that place. And still I could not forgive.”
“Nearer,” the master said.32
~ Original parable
SERMONTELLING NOTES:
Jesus’ popularity makes arresting him difficult without possibly triggering a riot.
What motivated a disciple of Jesus to betray him is a favorite subject of conjecture for screenwriters of movies about Jesus. Was he disillusioned when Jesus failed to seize the military opportunity provided by the cheering crowds during the triumphal entry? Was he trying to “force Jesus’ hand” by aiding in his arrest so that the Messiah would be provoked into a violent reaction against Rome? Was he secretly instructed by Jesus, who knew that his time to be arrested and crucified was at hand?
This area of speculation is created by the absence of any information in the gospel accounts. Both Luke’s gospel and John’s gospel, though, seem committed to the notion that Judas was driven by forces of supernatural evil.
It is unclear whether “Iscariot” is a family name or a nickname. The word appears to be a form of the word Hebrew word for “dagger.” Another of the Twelve, a man named Simon, bears the nickname “the Zealot.” According to Josephus, the Zealots were a political entity pledged to violently oppose the Roman occupation through acts of terrorism. It is possible the Judas was also aligned with such a group before becoming a follower of Jesus, who message was one of non-violent resistance.
The problem with arresting Jesus (as mentioned previously) was not finding him. He was an extremely visible public figure. The trick was to find him at a time and place when the crowds were not present.
The sight of a man carrying a jar of water (usually women’s work) was novel enough to act as a sign. As with other details of the passion narrative, the lack of detail leaves lots of room for theorizing. One theory is that the man was part of a monastic order of Essenes who lived (sans women) just inside the city. However, any number of theories might act as story prompts for storytellers looking for a narrative entry point to retell the events around the last supper.
An empty room during the Passover feast probably counts as a miracle in its own right. Historians estimate that the population of Jerusalem at the time of Christ was between 20,000 and 30,000. During Passover, this number is estimated to have risen above 150,000.
“It” in this verse refers to the Passover feast. For the disciples, who still do not seem to have accepted the truth of Jesus’ coming death, Jesus’ words here probably sounded like a promise that the Kingdom will be established between the current Passover and Passover of the next year.
Again, Jesus’ words here may have been understood by his disciples as a sort of vow to abstain from wine until the Kingdom is established in the coming months.
These words closely echo the instruction Paul givens surrounding communion in his letters. This is unsurprising, given that Luke appears as a travelling companion of the apostle Paul in the book of Acts.
Matthew and Mark both place the words “Surely not I” on the lips of the disciples, suggesting that perhaps more than one of them might have wrestled with such a temptation.
The subject of relative status is actually right at home at the dinner table in Jesus’ culture. Seating arrangements around the dinner table were a highly stylized statement about whom the host considered more important.
The development of Jesus’ argument in this last few sentences seems to suggest that he is not sitting at the table, but somehow behaving as a servant. You may remember that John’s gospel narrates Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in this moment. Luke does not narrate this event in his gospel, but something about Jesus’ behavior is apparently unexpected in the moment. This is an intriguing end to a story that opens with a man carrying a jar of water.
At dinner the night before, the disciples were squabbling over who might sit at Jesus’ right and Jesus’ left. See note 11 above.
Luke employs the “rule of threes” here. First “the people",” then “the soldiers,” and finally “one of the criminals” each in turn mock Jesus by inviting him to save himself as proof that he is the Messiah. The fist two occurrences go unchallenged. In the third occurrence, the second criminal challenges the first.
Jesus is being crucified as a perceived threat against Rome. Ironically, the men on either side of him have actually been engaged in active rebellion. The same could be said for Barabbas, whom Pilate has previously released from prison as a favor to the Jews.
The criminal not only recognizes Jesus as an innocent man, but as the Messiah who will be ushering in the Kingdom of God.
The criminal has asked that Jesus remember him when he comes into his Kingdom. Jesus’ reply is framed as something that will happen “this very day.”
Jesus is, to the very end, a person of prayer. In this case, he is praying from Psalm 31, a psalm of David in which he turns to God with trust in a time of great distress. Like Psalm 22, Psalm 31 describes the psalmists anguish in graphic terms that seem ready made to describe Jesus’ suffering on the cross.
The confession of the centurion here seems a little disappointing to those of us who are accustomed to hearing the story the way it is told by Mark and Matthew, each of whom report the centurion saying “Surely this man was the Son of God.” Perhaps, though, we should pay less attention to the title the centurion used, and more to his actions. In Luke’s gospel, the centurion “praised God.” Whatever category of man this Jesus occupied for the centurion, his reaction to way in which Jesus surrendered his life was one of praise.
An Opportune Time
What follows is a quick retelling of the temptation as it is found in Luke 4. I have kept Luke’s ordering of the temptations. Oceans of ink have been spilled on what exactly each temptation means and how they relate to Jesus’ identity and mission so I’m well aware that my one line summations of the temptations aren’t going to be satisfying to all. I would point out a couple things. First, like all great stories the temptation is multivalent (open to different meanings and interpretations) as evidenced in the fact that Matthew and Luke approach the tradition and tell it in different ways. So no summation will say all the story has to say. More importantly, the temptations are being used in this telling to draw a line between the things Jesus was tempted to do and what Judas was tempted to do. Ultimately this is in service of the greater narrative of how Judas consented where Jesus resisted. For this reason, I chose from a menu of possible interpretations those which I felt most closely paralleled Judas’ story.
Jesus resisted is meant to be a counterweight to the detail in the lectionary passage that Judas consented.
Only Luke contains the detail that Satan left Jesus until an opportune time. In storytelling, there is a principle called Chekhov’s Gun. It comes from the a famous dictum by the playwright Anton Chekhov: “If you introduce a gun in the first act, it better go off by the third act.” The idea is that you don’t want to introduce promising threads for the sake of drama and then have them lead nowhere, or the audience will feel cheated.
Luke follows this principle in his Gospel. Saying that Satan left until a more opportune time creates the expectation that Satan will rear his head once again in Jesus’ story. And here, at the beginning of the final act, he does. That begs us as readers to ask how these stories are linked. How is Judas’ story a continuation of Jesus’ story in the wilderness? What was the loaded gun that is now going off?
Here the parable presents the three most common explanations given for Jesus’ betrayal of Jesus but doesn’t choose among them because his motive remains ultimately unknown.
Judas’ priorities are aligned with Satan’s. This story is ultimately about the reasons we betray Jesus: desire for wealth, desire for power, desire for security. This is a ‘bad news’ story but it can point forward toward good news. Jesus never betrayed us. He was obedient to his mission and identity to the very end. And at the cross there is pardon and forgiveness.
The Transfusion
Anne Lamott tells her version of this story in her wonderful book on writing, BIRD BY BIRD. I’m one of those people who when I read a book, highlight the stories. When I read a good story in a Kindle book, I copy it and paste it into my story keeping system. I make sure to write down the book and the author as well as some helpful tags that will help me pull it up later. This story came up when I searched for the tag: Good Friday.
I chose this story because I love it and it has a real impact when I tell it. I also chose this story because it would fit either with the Maundy Thursday or the Good Friday text. In both texts Jesus offers his blood.
Anne Lamott introduces this story by saying, “Here is the best true story I ever heard…” It is a great way to start a story, unfortunately this story cannot be verified. I tried to track it down because I wanted names and locations to fill it out a little and make it feel more grounded. It turns out that it’s one of those stories that has bounced around the preacher’s oral tradition for at least 50 years.
This does not mean that there isn’t some real life event behind it, just that it can’t be verified. Whether this story originally came from someone’s imagination or life experience, it now lives in the folk tradition. I typically begin stories of this sort by saying something like, I heard once about about a little boy who…
That’s my way of saying this came to me from the oral tradition. I heard it. I think that suffices for most people. If someone asks me later where I heard the story, I’ll tell them.
I added this short paragraph to slow down the story and make the scene more vivid. It gives us the opportunity to pause and imagine how scary the experience must have been for the little boy.
Once this profound and devastating line is uttered, the story is over. I’ve found that parables often function a lot like jokes. In a joke everything leads up to the punchline. Once the punchline is revealed the story is over. In the same way, parables often lead up to a moment of realization. Once that spiritual punchline has been hit, the story is over. That doesn’t mean that in the context of a sermon there isn’t any meaning making to be done. Especially since, unlike reading a book, the hearer won’t be able to pause and contemplate the full meaning of the line.
Usually when I tell this story, I end by pausing and then saying something like: See… no one told that boy that giving blood wasn’t fatal. No one told him people do it every day and then they eat an orange slice and go home. He showed up at the hospital that morning ready to give up every drop of blood so that his little sister could live. Isn’t that amazing? Who would do something like that?
I think you’ve got it from here.
Nearer
I wrote this parable to illustrate the relationship between Jesus’ forgiveness and ours. We can only fully forgive when we cease to become spectators of the cross and participants in the cross. This parable was written in the genre I call Teacher’s Task parables. These parables (of which there are a great many in the world’s religious traditions) take the form of a student posing a teacher some kind of problem or question and the teacher giving the student some kind of task to carry out. Usually in the course of carrying out this task, the answer is discovered. Other examples of this are The Egg and Spoon and The Stones. When telling these stories, it never seems to matter how ridiculous or burdensome the tasks are. We understand that in the world of parable, students simply say “yes” to their teachers and perform the tasks they are given. If you invent your own Teacher’s Task parable, I’d love to hear about it!
Though this parable seems to begin as a contrast parable about two ways of engaging with an icon, it actually is based on the rule of threes. But the third way is left unstated and implied. We are left to ask how could we be any nearer to the cross than at the foot of it?
Perhaps this same question can follow us as we observe Good Friday. How can we be nearer than we are now?