Word to the Wise
Saturday, March 24, 2018 - 5th Week of Lent - Sat
[Ezek 37:21-28 and John 11:45-56]"What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation." But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish." He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on he planned to kill him. [John]
The Gospel According to John was written after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, so there is a bit of irony in the passage in today's gospel scripture. The very thing that Caiaphas feared and tried to prevent by killing Jesus happened anyway and it wasn't because too many people were believing in Jesus! However, the raising of Lazarus from the dead galvanized Jesus' adversaries and now the plot is afoot. It would require the cooperation of Judas Iscariot.
On Sunday, we will wave palm branches and welcome Jesus on pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover. But we have the advantage of knowing that there is a plot to kill him. Yet, we enter into the drama and play our parts at the reading of the passion account. Since everything Jesus did and suffered he did for us, we are complicit in this drama. We cannot be uninterested and uninvolved observers. We have many costumes to wear from Jesus to Pilate to Mary Magdalene and even Judas and Peter in their betrayals. It is the drama of the saving act of the one whom God has sent. We must not miss it or fail to play our part. AMEN