Consensus and Chaos

OUR STUDY for this week comes from the prominent gospel reading for Palm Sunday. The reading usually set aside for the day covers events that span from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion. However, given the comprehensive reading, for the sake of online brevity we concentrate here on the earlier of the two. The scripture describing the Upper Room gathering reads with consensus and conflict present. We hear from Luke…

And when the hour came, he (Jesus) sat at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." 

 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." 

 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 

 And likewise the cup after supper, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of man goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!" 

 And they began to question one another, which of them it was that would do this. A dispute also arose among them, which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 

 And he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For which is the greater, one who sits at table, or one who serves? Is it not the one who sits at table? But I am among you as one who serves. 

 You are those who have continued with me in my trials; and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 

 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you (all), that he might sift you like wheat.., but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren." (Luke 22:14-32)

 

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Eat and Run, or Don’t…

Here we have in Luke the inherited telling of the Last Supper scene, but we see that the unfolding events differ slightly from the other two gospels that recorded the gathering. To begin, let us first note that all three records similarly describe that the disciples gathered in the upper room with Jesus. However, it seems though Luke worked with some of the same source material as used in Mark, minor scribal changes describing the sequence of the evening’s conversation and its attending events are noteworthy.

 In highlighting this, we see that Luke told of the Eucharistic element consecration as occurring first and the revealing of betrayal is placed second. This differs from Mark 14:18, in that there we observe that Jesus was described as sitting with the disciples before betrayal was voiced, before the consecration of the hallowed meal as his own Body and Blood. As well, we note that the later written Matthew 26:21 (c. 85-90 A.D.) also records that he spoke of betrayal first. We are brought to especially note that this occurred in Mark's text that was written several decades earlier than either Matthew or Luke. Marks’s disclosure was then likely the source for the writers of both subsequent gospels.

 Therefore, we might rightly ask the reason for the sequential change in Luke? Additionally, we take note that Matthew’s text revealed that Judas was spoken of as a betrayer who was highlighted with his own question… “Is it I, Master?” Jesus answered the question with the accompanying response..., “You have said so.” This answer was apparently made by Jesus early during the meal.

 However, Luke initially reveals no such conversation as to the betrayer’s identity, but the betrayer is revealed at a later time to be Judas… after the meal. The revelation occurred in the very next scene which was described as held in the Garden of Gethsemane.

 

 

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 We may ask, “Of what importance is this sequence?” To answer, we consider that during the reception of the Eucharist today, as many denominations understand… the meal is not just a remembrance. These regard Holy Communion as a Sacrament instituted by God himself… one that invokes the forgiveness of sins to those who participate in faith. Therefore in Luke, the sequence as written portrays that all of the disciples including Judas, received the Sacrament and its effect. Therefore all present received forgiveness.

 We may wonder, “Was the sequence deliberate? If so, “Why was this so important to Luke?” Was the fact that even the much hated Judas was given grace, a subtle invitation to those who had lapsed from the faith in his churches… those who had “lapsed” and fallen away from the church during persecutions?
 Whether Judas ate of the meal already served, or left immediately without receiving… is a matter of lost record. If not forgiven of sins, Judas met his self-inflicted death in a state that distances himself forever from God. However, if he carried forth his agenda thinking that he was a forgiven sinner who was forwarding his perceived vision for the Messiah, he may have left with the thought of forcing Jesus to publicly reveal himself as the proper leader of the Jews. Or, in keeping with Lutheran theology, if this is a proof text does it mean that Judas stood as we all are in this life... simultaneously sinner and saint?

 

 

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 Also consider in Luke, Jesus reminded those gathered about the reversal of who is the greatest… demonstrating in example that he as the rabbi, was the One who was serving. He therefore set a pattern for their future in ministry. We might speculate that since Judas had already left the gathering by this time, and did not hear the teaching, his absence determined his fall. He failed at working in this last endeavor.
 Later, non-canonical writers wrote that Judas thought that he would force Jesus to reveal his station as Messiah. Additionally, the false “Gospel According to Judas” suggested that he and Jesus had it all planned from the outset. That particular text claimed that the disciple’s calling was to cause crucifixion… so our Lord would wrest power from the temple cult and Roman authority. However, with much canonical resistance, these latter theories and false gospels are not recognized by the authority of the Church.

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Why the Conflict?

We may ask now why the conflict yet exists concerning Judas. We also may ask ourselves, “Why did the disciples argue competitively for influential position in the coming Messianic reign? To answer, I think both the sinfulness of Judas and the jealousies of the other disciples has been revealed to us... so that our attention would fall firmly onto the singular salvation event as planned by God. I contend that a theory that modern sociologists teach was at work, wherein unfolding events occur within history out of either conflict or consensus... or both. While consensus was certain between the Father and the Son, tensions were indeed building in the band of disciples, and furthermore in ancient Jerusalem… toward the focal point in all of history. The chaos revealed that Jesus, the Son of God, had been anointed with divine consensus, toward his being singularly sacrificed for our salvation. No assistance from sinful disciples was allowed to interfere. In certainty, each sinful and argumentative disciple would fall away as the conflict progressed. You see, all... like Judas… would betray our Lord.

 

 

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 I believe the revealing scene for us in Luke thus comes to us in the detail given in the upper room discourse. The conversational pinnacle occurred when Jesus talked with Simon Peter. Note that Jesus had previously declared Simon as the “Rock”. After repeatedly saying that he would suffer betrayal, our Lord told Peter that Satan would “sift” them all… using the plural sense of “you” for those disciples present. This instructs each of us about being judgmental concerning others… and dampens our usual haughty case against Judas. All disciples were to be judged, therefore, and found in the same trespass as the betrayer. 
 In the very next breath, Jesus related to Peter that he had prayed for him singularly… stating “you” and “your faith”. The “Rock” would deny him three times before a rooster would crow, and yet through the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter would be the one to first keep faith… so to assist the infant Church as it moved into the new era of revelation.
 So it is, that I believe that Luke portrayed all disciples as sinfully losing out when they initially picked sides and tried to sidetrack our Lord’s path amid his conflict with the powers of evil. This drama unfolding was all part of the “bait and switch” posed by God against satanic forces.

 

 

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 You see, the disciples would all join Judas at least in subliminal betrayal. This occurred in the divine plan so that evil powers would erroneously believe that that they had surely thwarted God’s salvation.
 Consequently, Satan got faked out! In that way, we see that only divine action accomplished by God through Jesus Christ formed any consensus as to the reality of the Resurrection.

 Finally take note! Most certainly this Resurrection truth revealed by Luke grew later to full effect as he described the disciples on the day of Pentecost. This we note in the “Acts of the Apostles”. In that written biblical history, he pointed out that those who betrayed.., abandoned.., or crucified Jesus… the One who is, was and always will be the Christ of God, stood finally united together with the Father in forgiveness given.

 

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 Together empowered, the disciples witnessed to others concerning what only God had mercifully finished. Sadly, Judas…. overwhelmed in selfish deceit, served as a bad example. In his theft and deceitfulness, he missed out on the grand purpose of that gracious mission. That, I view, was the real tragedy of his loss. Thus it is written, and so it is forevermore.

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God's Divine Warrior...

OUR BIBLICAL study for the Fifth Sunday of Lent is either from the Gospel according to Saint John, or from Saint Luke, depending on your denomination.

  If you so desire to use the lesson from the Gospel According to Saint Luke, access the study at:

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 However, here in keeping with John's penchant for duality, in the reading for this Sunday we gain lessons on both the power of the divine, staged against the onslaught of human sinfulness. Our reading of John's gospel relates…

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. 

 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said, "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"  This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it. 

 Jesus said, "Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me."  (John 12:1-8)

 

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Comparative Readings….

In this week many deviate from the Lukan texts of previous lessons.. Here we have the disciples described by John as gathered together for a sabbatical rest from their mission. They were in Bethany, which locates just outside of Jerusalem. Centered in the story is the Lord Jesus, who had raised Lazarus from the dead. This pivotal anointing event was recorded in all gospel accounts, so as we peruse the gospels, we find similar witnesses of this occasion in Mark 14:3-9, Matthew 26:6-13, and Luke 7:36-50. Given this wide citation then, we wonder if by using comparative reading much can be learned from their combined textual message. We can pick out the emphasis of each author. By this we gain a view of a wondrous scriptural tapestry often missed by a more casual and singular reading We can see that it reveals the particular motives of John.

 First, looking in Mark (written c.65-70A.D.) we find that the event was not in the house of Lazarus, though he may have been present. The happening was recorded by Mark as occurring in the house of Simon the Leper. Subsequently, in John’s later account, the name of Simon is omitted completely. It is as though John wanted to completely ignore any emphasis on Simon and his heritage. Also, in this earlier account, the community of Mark related that the woman broke open a jar of ointment amid the gathered… and “they” reproached her. So here we see a difference from John’s account, in that originally more than one person voiced objection to the use of the ointment. In John, however, we read that only Judas objected.

 This reading thus raises the question about whether the omission of the other objectors was done by the later Johannine writer so to affix all monetary hunger upon Judas alone. The discourse would thus highlight his money-compulsiveness... and his identity as a single, traitorous thief. We wonder today if this was done to give greater status to the apostles, absolving them of any such trespass since they were long gone from the scene by the date of the gospel’s writing?

 

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 Typically, the particular Markan view of the disciples was that they were rather slow-minded, low horizon, belly-button focused sinners. Thus in Mark they are described as completely missing the nuances of our Lord's numerous death predictions. We also notice in Mark, the reading related that Jesus stated that the woman from the streets was accomplishing the anointing in preparation for his burial. This seems to lay evidence that in Mark the disciples also collectively missed the meaning of this anointing. They had to be told once again about the impending death.

 When we turn our attention to the Matthean account (written c.85-90A.D.), we notice no mention was made of our Lord sitting at the table. Subsequently, we do note that Matthew agreed that Jesus’ head was anointed. In agreement with the account in Mark, Jesus said in response..,

“Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."

 Consequently, we see that Matthew’s gospel was more comprehensive in that it included the birth narrative and many other features where Mark did not. This may show that expensive parchment was more available for the church of Matthew, than for the earlier penned Mark.

 

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 Lastly, the Lukan gospel (written also c.85-90 A.D.) offers details that read quite differently. In Luke, the anointing occurred in the house of a Pharisee, and the occasion unfolded much earlier in our Lord’s ministry. As well, the ointment is applied not only to Jesus’ head, but in agreement with John this related that the anointing was specifically applied also to his feet. As well, a question posed to Simon was nested into the account. We wonder then, "Was this Simon the disciple? Or was Simon the Leper originally a Pharisee? Or has the author described a different anointing held in another household?"

 Additionally, the Lukan account closed as the woman of dubious identity had her many sins forgiven. This last act was not mentioned in any of the other gospels, but may have been inserted due to the pronounced Lukan preference for the sinful poor, who were widely scattered across the dispersed Roman Empire. Was this his favoring of those later Gentiles in print... those who were thought to be religiously deficient by the early Hebrew members?

 Also we must note that these deviations in Luke from the other accounts... may be attributed to the fact that the writer was not directly interactive with Jesus, nor present at the anointing event. Luke’s gospel was therefore reconstructed from predecessor materials. We remember that he received the gospel stories from Mark and a multiplicity of other sources. He only remotely described geographic locations and historical relevance in second-hand fashion. However, we note that while not in the same order, the story is told truly. In conclusion, therefore, we have the solid witness of this event in all gospels, which surely occurred collectively through the miraculous prodding of the Holy Spirit.

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How the Story Unfolds for John…

In the anointing of Jesus in Mark, we see the beginnings of the Hebrew priestly ritual pattern found within the tabernacle. In the temple cult of Israel, the ritual procession passed from the altar toward the Holy of Holies, as the oil laver was reached. Once the associate priests were purified, the High Priest then took part. Entering the Holy of Holies alone, the High Priest interceded in the ceremony, but not for his own salvation. He prayed for the whole people of God; indeed for their keeping and blessing. Therefore, it seems that the anointing of Jesus that was done just outside of Jerusalem by a sinner, which was occasioned before his ride into the holy city… fitted the traditional ritual pattern. The supper at Bethany was closely followed by our Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
 The text is remarkable in Luke, because it contains the visit of certain Greeks to the disciples. It is apparent in this scene that John related strongly to his Greco-Roman roots. Why was this so important? In answer, it seems that ancient Greek tales of warrior preparations came into play. In John, the woman from the streets in other gospels... has the name of Mary, who was the sister of Martha and Lazarus. All were members of a household in Bethany. There, she in near wifely-fashion anointed Jesus. This thread follows the ritual pattern we read about in Greek narratives concerning the war preparations of Spartan warriors. Spartan soldiers were anointed for burial before a battle… by their women, and thus sent off bearing shield, spear and armor. All this while hearing from their wives... “Come home carrying your shield or upon it!”

 

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 It seems that John's writing portrays for us Jesus Christ, the Divine Warrior. He was anointed in Greek fashion from head to toe. Jesus was thus prepared for battle even unto death. His death would indeed occur in the war against Satan, which frees us from the rule of evil worldly powers and punishment of eternal death. It seems to my thinking that John understood this mission in Greek warrior fashion, for when we read farther in the chapter we find…

“Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Beth-saida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ 

 Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew went with Philip and they told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

  Thus in the context of this scene unfolding in the Johannine Greek world, Jesus was likely tempted by Greek proselytes in the faith... to come away with them, and be regarded highly as a rabbi and spared any violence. Jesus refused their overtures and revealed himself as being Christ, the Deliverer for all persons.

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Why Now Do We Hear?

We may ask, “Why does our Church lectionary deliberately deviate from the previous week's Lukan narrative in order to bring us this clarity from John?" According to this text, I believe that if we ascribe to John’s penchant toward the symbolic, we easily see that the woman in the text... though unidentified except as a sinner in some gospels... represents all sinners! She represents the Church found in need... we human sinners in both the early Church and now… who are located in every land and time.
 Jesus was shown indisputably described as the Word of God in John's Prolog... located in the beginning of the gospel's first chapter. Therefore the Word became flesh and he came to do battle against evil, to sets us free from bondage to sin and death.

 After the woman applied the oil and spices, we note that Jesus stood like King David of old… and also as a dedicated Greek warrior. Consequently, he carried scriptural prophecy into dramatic conflict for the souls of both Hebrew and Gentile, as he contended against Satan and the demons of this world. Dying on the cross as the bearer and subject of the Law, he became for us the shield of salvation.

 

Gospel of Luke: New International Commentary on the New Testament By Joel B. Green

 

 
 You see, sisters and brothers, our Lord carved a new kingdom using the double-edged sword of Law and Gospel. Therefore John’s community, those who lived in the latter first century A.D. with Hebrew, Greek and Roman populations, could accept this grace. Consequently the gospel spread out very far in their day. The Church was thus formed firmly in the knowledge of God’s redemptive plan and widely related the death and Resurrection of Christ our Lord.
 In particular, we note that in John’s gospel, both the head and feet of Jesus are washed and anointed, and he soon turned and washed the feet of his disciples. As well he anointed them with priestly oil. Now consider this! Just as Jesus did these things to the disciples, he also reveals himself to us through the words of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. Then through the Holy Spirit, he and the Father are baptizing and anointing each person within the Church. Thus we who are those of his saving are called to stand tall... so that we may witness to others that our salvation comes through this faith that was given to us. Thus through baptism we are also anointed for battle! So it is written, and so it shall be.

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