CONCERNING BETRAYAL-INJUSTICE
Introduction
After the Lenten period, follows the Palm Sunday (also called Passion Sunday) that marks the beginning of the Holy Week. The Palm/Passion Sunday is the first day of the Holy Week. Following the Gospel account according to Luke, the following were actively and convincingly involved in the betrayal of Jesus:
a) The pioneer betrayers: the chief priests (Greek: archiereis), the scribes/teachers of the law (Greek: grammateis), the captains or officers of the temple, and the elders (Greek: presbuteroi), cf. Luke 22:2.4.52. They are betrayers because they betrayed that which they represented – custodians of justice and uprightness. The fire of betrayal was ignited by them (cf. Luke 22:1–2).…
The betrayers of justice
Luke 22:1–2 reads “now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people” (cf. Mark 14:1). Mark 14:43 specifies that the chief priests, the scribes and the elders sent the crowd with swords and clubs who arrived with Judas Iscariot (cf. Luke 22:52). In Matthew 16:21, we read “from that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (cf. Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22). The expressionfrom that time marks the conclusion of Jesus’ Galilean mission and the beginning of his journey to Jerusalem for the passion. Jesus says he will suffer greatly. Surprisingly, the agents of such great suffering were the elders (Greek: presbuteroi), the chief priests (Greek: archiereis), and the Scribes (Greek: grammateis), the teachers of the law and custom, who according to Mark, have been looking for a way to arrest and kill him.
Conclusion – The Judas Iscariot in us
There are likes of Judas Iscariot everywhere. You have them among brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, relations, friends; politicians; among the ordained class and the religious institutions, and in the churches. Like the algorithms of the antivirus, they keep collecting information (wrong and falsified information) about others, sending them to those who have paid them, those who have given them something or those who have promised them one thing or the other, or even those from whom they hope to obtain something. Greedy and godless individuals! Judas Iscariot was promised money by the chief priests, the scribes and the elders. You, who betray your brother, sister, friend, neighbour, how much have you been paid to do that? What have you been given or promised? Who paid you? And who has made such irresistible gift or promise to you? Due to greed, negative jealousy, insecurity, inferiority complex, the quest to impress others, arrogance, pride, you betray someone created in the image and likeness of God. You destroy someone with gossips. Why?
FOR DETAILS, GET YOUR OWN COPIES OF THE BOOK “THE WORD OF LIFE:
SUNDAY REFLECTIONS” (vols. I‑II-III)!! The reflection for the Palm Sunday
© is found in vol. III pages 210–214. See also vol.
I, pages 132–149. Happy reading!
For details on how to get it, contact the author on this link: https://m.me/uchennabiblia?fbclid=IwAR2yeg4a6sDGBp9QGkIvKj6FSADumMokN6lshdE0zuo-JHs6qOmlhA7jyHo
or email me at: postmaster@uchennabiblia.com
or simply send an SMS on 08116100926, and I will get back to you.
