light and darkness


A Pilgrimage to the Cross

Walking through Lent with Jesus

Monday 18th April

While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?’

                                             Luke 22: 47-48

Jesus’ journey to the cross is nearly over. It’s as if we are watching the final scenes of a play, and what began as a sprawling story, rambling over the hills and beaches of Galilee with eager crowds of five thousand, now narrows in focus and intensity. The stage is black, and a spotlight highlights the action. In the action, and actors, of Jesus’ final hours, this spotlight will reveal truth and deception; men claiming power and authority, and a man who holds authority in his hands; people making choices that lead them away from revelation or towards it. The Light is merciless- the stage paint shows its cracks. And behind it all, the Director has the play under complete control. Those who think they are free to make up their own lines will discover that they are, instead, being fed lines by the crowd, playing to expectations. Those who think they are acting on their own initiative will find that there are bigger forces controlling them.

So here comes Judas- acting as one of the twelve, approaching Jesus with the kiss of brotherhood, or solidarity, or welcome, but not fooling anyone for a moment. If this were a movie, the soundtrack would have given him away long ago. Jesus just asks him where the truth lies- with the kiss, or with the betrayal?

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

                                    John 3: 19-21

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