The Divine Lamp

To see “Lecture 1″ CLICK HERE
As I noted in my first “lecture,” I highly doubt I’ll ever lecture on the Passion, but if I did here is an idea of what it might sound like:

26:6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, cb(26,7);26:7 a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. cb(26,8);26:8 But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? cb(26,9);26:9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.”cb(26,10);

26:10 However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? Because she has done a good work for me. cj(26,11); 26:11 For you always have the poor with you; but you don’t always have me. cj(26,12); 26:12 For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. cj(26,13); 26:13 Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her.”cb(26,14);

26:14 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, cb(26,15); 26:15 and said, “What are you willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?” They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver. cb(26,16); 26:16 From that time he sought opportunity to betray him. (WEB Bible)

Our Blessed Lord was on the western slope of the Mount of Olives looking down upon Jerusalem and the temple when he uttered his End Time Discourse and his fourth passion prediction. Some time after this, perhaps as evening was drawing near, he headed east and crested the mount, descending a slight distance down it’s eastern side to the town of Bethany; a place where he has been lodging since his arrival in Jerusalem (21:17). He enters the house of Simon the leper,-possibly the man Jesus healed in chapter 8:1-4,- and he sits down, presumably to take a meal, though Matthew doesn’t tell us this. At some point and time, while he is thus sitting, a woman, possibly Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, enters and breaks the seal on an alabaster jar containing a very expensive ointment which she proceeds to pour over the head of our Lord.

The scene recalls to my mind an event from the infancy narrative; namely, the gifts, or, as Matthew calls them, the treasures of the Magi. Recall what the situation was then. The infant Jesus was facing the possibility of persecution and death and the hands of a ruler who was part Jewish and part Pagan. In the present narrative he is facing persecution and death at the hands of Jewish and Pagan leaders. Then he was presented with gold, a tribute fit for a king; soon he will be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, a paltry sum, the price of a slave; consequently, it is as if he receives an anointing as did the kings in the Old Testament. Then he received from the Magi frankincense, a form of incense used by priests in the temple, the burning of which formed part of the Day of Atonement sacrifices; soon Our blessed Lord would perform the priestly service of offering himself in sacrifice; consequently, he is as it were, anointed as a priest. Then he was presented by the Magi with myrrh, a burial spice; now he is anointed for his death.

The woman’s action raises the indignation of the disciples. This is not the first time St Matthew has used this word in relation to them. Earlier in the Gospel, as a result of the third passion prediction, James and John sought glory for themselves while attempting to avoid the cross they were to pick up and follow Jesus with. This, Matthew tells us, made the other ten disciples indignant, not because they understood or appreciated better than James and John the significance of what was said by Jesus, but because they saw the brother’s action as an assault on their own expected glory. In the present narrative, although Jesus had just a few hours before told them they knew what was about to befall him, the disciples show that they still are not in touch with the reality, the significance, of what is looming. They stand in marked contrast to the woman. Soon they will hear Our Blessed Lord predict that their faith in him would be shaken, and they would be scattered; as a result, they would be unable to perform the function of disciples and anoint their teacher for his burial.

Judas’ betrayal reminds us of how the passion narrative began with the plotting of the leaders. The defection and betrayal of Judas is introduced in the Greek text of verse 14 with what is called and adversative conjunctive, usually translated into English by the words “then” or “now”. As a conjunctive Matthew intends us to see the defection of Judas as closely connected to the woman’s action. As an adversative, he wants us to see the connection as one of contrast and difference.

Judas is described as being one of the twelve, a designation which recalls the commissioning of the Apostles which we read of in chapter 10:

He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. cb(10,2); 10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. The first, Simon, who is called Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee; John, his brother; cb(10,3); 10:3 Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; cb(10,4); 10:4 Simon the Canaanite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.cb(10,5);

10:5 Jesus sent these twelve out, and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. cj(10,6); 10:6 Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. cj(10,7); 10:7 As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ cj(10,8); 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers^*, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. cj(10,9); 10:9 Don’t take any gold, nor silver, nor brass in your money belts. cj(10,10); 10:10 Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food.

Since nothing is told to us concerning the contrary we are to assume that Judas fulfilled this initial mission “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” with fidelity. What has changed? Has he succumbed to greed? That may be part of it; but is there something more? Jesus, in defending the woman who anointed him has just spoken of the Gospel being proclaimed “in the whole world.” Is Judas offended that the Gospel is going to transcend the national and racial boundaries of Israel? Recall that the first time the murderous intention of the chief priests is mentioned in Matthew is when Jesus speaks the Parable of the Tenants to them and follows it up with the statement from Psalm 118 that the stone rejected by the builders would become the cornerstone, which led to the conclusion: “For this reason, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and given over to a people who will produce its fruit” (see 21:33-46).

What I’ve said concerning the motivation of Judas is speculative, the contrast between Judas and the woman is quite clear. Judas had been chosen to proclaim that Gospel which would immortalize the woman’s beautiful deed forever, but as a result of his decision to betray Jesus, he himself would be immortalized by the very same Gospel for his evil deed, in contrast to the woman’s, and to his everlasting disgrace.

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