Maundy Thursday, Cycle B

"The Betrayer"

April 13, 2006

The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel

Saint Luke's Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Lesson: John 13:1-17; 31b-35

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

No one likes a betrayer. A betrayer is one who is not trustworthy-indeed, a betrayer is not to be trusted. A betrayer will be sweetness and light to your face, but then stab you in the back. A betrayer will say one thing, then do another. A betrayer is, perhaps, one of the most disgusted and disdained figures in all of history, whether it's a friend who's a betrayer, a husband or a wife who's a betrayer, a fellow soldier, or yes, even a disciple of Jesus!

On this night, when so much is running through our minds-the Last Supper, the washing of feet, the late night arrest and subsequent kangaroo court to try Jesus, and then, His immanent passion and death-what often does not cross our minds, much, is the fact of Jesus' betrayal by Judas. Certainly, there seems to be a bit more consideration of Judas this year, due to the big press related to the supposed "discovery" of the Gospel of Judas. Which, I'm guessing, was written by a relative of Judas, in an attempt to soften the view of him as a betrayer! This gospel of Judas is no gospel, nor is it to be trusted, because it contradicts the canonical Scriptures-the true Scriptures considered Scripture by the earliest bishops and teachers, and by the Church throughout the ages. Regardless what others might think, Judas was a betrayer-a traitor, who succumbed to the temptations of the evil one. In verse 2, St. John tells us, "The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus." Then, after supper, Jesus himself tells the twelve, "Very truly I tell you, one of you will betray me." And truly, Judas was that one-Judas sold Jesus out for a bag of coins. And from that point on, Judas was known as "the betrayer". After Jesus was humiliated and crucified, Judas' betrayal was so burdensome, that Judas, according to Scripture, went out and hung himself, his bowels bursting out, unable to contain the evil he had done. But throughout history, this was no atonement for Judas' sin-as art, literature and preaching has continued to vilify Judas-to condemn Judas as "the betrayer". In fact, it's interesting to note that Judas came to be traditionally imagined as having red hair and a red beard, first, because in the ancient world, red hair was disliked due to the connection with the red-haired Egyptian god Seth, known to the Greeks as Typhon. And secondly, it's thought that Judas was pictured and described with red hair and reddish complexion to depict him as like a fox. Which is not to say you shouldn't trust red-heads-it is to say that it's hard to forgive a betrayer! People who witness a betrayal find it hard to ever forget the dastardly deed done by the one who betrays. Which is not to say that we ought to continue to look to Judas, and shake our accusing finger at him-it is to say, we are to look to ourselves, and consider whether we, too, might be Jesus' betrayers!

Now, you might find that notion a bit harsh, and unfair. How could we be Jesus' betrayers? Surely Jesus is talking about, and pointing to Judas in our account of the Last Supper. But right off the bat, we have to realize, even among the twelve, Judas was not the only one who betrayed Jesus. Yes, Judas is the one Jesus is talking about here, at the Last Supper-but how long would it be before Peter, the first of the apostles, also betrays Jesus-not once, not twice, but three times! Peter-the Rock on which Jesus would build His Church! Peter, the one who preaches the first Christian sermon in Acts! Peter betrays Jesus, not once, as did Judas-but again and again. So that, perhaps, Jesus has others in mind, when He says, "Very truly, one of you will betray me." He clearly was thinking of Judas-but was Peter's coming betrayal also on His mind? And could Jesus have been thinking there, of you, and me? It's a hard reality to face up to-and yet, very truly, all of us are Jesus' betrayers. All of us betray Jesus at one time or another...in many and various ways. But tonight, just think of two ways that we betray our Lord.

First, with Peter, we refuse to be served. In Peter's case, it was his pride, his arrogance that would not allow Jesus to stoop down, and wash Peter's feet. Peter says to Jesus, "Lord, you will never wash my feet!" Thankfully, after Jesus' harsh words, "unless I wash your feet, you will have no part of me", Peter relents, and allows Jesus to serve him. At the Last Supper, Jesus' service was to kneel down and wash the disciple's feet, in an illustration of self-giving, humble love. At this Lord's Supper, Jesus' service to us, is to offer himself to us, sacrificially, in the bread and wine of His Holy Supper. And when we fail to come; when we refuse to be here whenever our Lord wishes to serve us with His very Body and Blood, broken and poured out for us-what is that, but a betrayal? Our Lord said, on the night when He instituted the Lord's Supper, "Do this in remembrance of me." And yet, though the Church, though our church "does this" at least every Sunday-individual Christians do this, on an average, only three Sundays out of every ten. The unwillingness of Christians to receive the Lord's Body and Blood every Sunday when possible, is nothing but, a betrayal of our Lord's sacrifice. In the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, and in the Rite of Confirmation, we say we will faithfully come to the services of God's House and receive the means of grace-but, I guess faithfully means 30% of the time-at least, among Lutherans that's what it means. "Jesus said, 'Very truly, one of you will betray me."

The second way that we betray Jesus, is by our unwillingness to love others, by serving others. Jesus gives us one new commandment this evening, from which comes the Latin word, "mandatum"-from which comes Maundy Thursday-the Thursday of the Command. The commandment is to love one another, as I have loved you. But Jesus shows how this commandment to love, is to work itself out-in humble, self-giving service-as He, Himself, Christ the King, Son of the Living God-laid aside His divinity and His majesty, to kneel at His disciple's feet, and wash those dirty, smelly, ugly appendages. And Jesus says, just as I have done this to you, you are to do this to others. Aye, and there's the rub.

It's not that most of us are unloving, it's not that most of us are too arrogant to stoop down and serve another. My conclusion is today-we're just too darned busy! I believe most of us today, would like to show our love, by serving others-if only we had the time! Most of us would be happy to serve in the nursery at church, volunteer in the Children's Center, give a few hours at the soup kitchen, help stock the food pantry, take a meal to the neighbors, visit someone who is in the hospital or is home-bound-but we find it hard to have the time, or the energy. Granted, we are, most of us, willing to give of ourselves for our families, our spouses, our closest friends-and that is where love and service is to begin. It's that next step that is often hard for us-to go beyond the love and service that is comfortable and convenient, to loving and serving, when it costs, when it takes time, when it may not work easily into our schedule.

And I know that I'm not telling you something you don't already know. I know that you and I already feel guilty about not loving and serving more. I know that we all struggle with time, and energy, and over-commitment, and needing more hours in the day. So, what's this all about, really? Maundy Thursday is not about making us feel even more guilty. It's not about you and me and what we do, or don't do. Maundy Thursday is about Jesus bending low to wash our feet. Maundy Thursday is about Jesus' humility. Maundy Thursday is about Jesus' willingness to give, not a bit of himself, but His all-for us, and for our salvation. The Passion of our Lord is about Jesus, giving Himself as the Passover sacrifice-as the Lamb of God, who by His death on the cross, takes away the sins of the world. The Passion of our Lord is about His freely given life, at the table, that becomes an altar of sacrifice-and on the cross, that symbol of pain and torture, that becomes a proclamation of victory-all, given without our deserving it-all, given, not because we are good enough, or righteous enough, or loving enough. All, given as a gift of God's grace, in mercy for our fallen world-in love. So that when we have received this gift of grace, in the Lamb's Body and Blood; so that when we have witnessed our Lord's death, for us on the cross, we can't help but respond-again, not to earn or deserve God's love, but because we have been loved-so that we then are free; free, to love and serve one another. So that we will then be freed, from our bondage to time, and energy, and schedule, freed from pressure and stress and calendar-to love and serve others, as we have been loved and served, by Jesus, our Savior. That's what this is all about, and why Jesus breaks the bread, and pours the wine, and washes feet, and dies on a cross...to love us, and to have us love one another.

And he does this, in spite of our many betrayals. Jesus dies for us, in spite of ourselves. Jesus loves and serves and forgives, no matter how often we might turn from Him, and ignore Him, and fail to love each other. Just as Jesus forgave Peter for His betrayals. Just as Jesus might even have forgiven Judas, as his act of suicide, at least, showed remorse. Because, Jesus is all about loving and serving and forgiving, even the most grievous of sins-even the most heinous of sinners...even, you, and I!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.