Lenten Meditation Four - From the Garden to Judgement

Now, from this garden, Jesus is led down the stairs that lead to the gates of hell and the seats of false judgement.  Then Jesus returned to the disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! See, my betrayer is approaching!” While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest Him.” Going directly to Jesus, he said, “Greetings, Rabbi,” and kissed Him. “Friend,” Jesus replied, “do what you came for.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus, and arrested Him.  Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered. Mt. 26:45 What irony unfolds before us. He, who is sinless, he who will be the final judge over all, stands bound by the chains his accusers will one day wear. "Jesus is about to be condemned in the name of good order, national pride, the good of the country, truth, belief in God, theology and philosophy, beauty and symmetry, - really in the name of everything on the face of the earth." (Karl Rahner - Spiritual Exercises pg. 228) These same standards of judgement continued to be applied by people today; people who think they know God because they know the world. For Jesus to say he is the son of God, the barer of God's truth, continues to be judged as blasphemy to this day. To believe he is so is judged as the lot of pitiable fools. When Jesus had said this, one of the officers standing nearby slapped Him in the face and said, “Is this how” You answer the high priest? Jesus replied, “If I said something wrong, testify to what was wrong. But if I spoke correctly, why did you strike Me? Jo. 18:22 At this, the high priest tore his garments and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” “He deserves to die,” they answered. Then they spat in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him, and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit You?” Mtt. 26:65 Yet, even as these blows of false judgement and condemnation rain down upon Jesus, he stands poised before hell's gates, about to call forth into freedom, those imprisoned souls who will listen to his voice. "Christians of all ages have pondered the metaphysical and salvation-historical depths of Jesus' hours spent in prison.      Because of sin and our subjection to death, Jesus really entered into the prison of our finiteness, loneliness and inescapability- into the prison of our hopeless self-deception. Because he has descended into the prison my human reality, the gates are now thrown open - I will not accept it as true, I will not sum up the courage to go out, I think that I will never escape. I feel that my situation is hopeless and yet Jesus is still standing by me. Sooner or later, the same thing will happen to me that happened to Peter in the prison in Jerusalem when the angel of the Lord shook him and said: Get up and gird yourself, put on your sandals and go! (Acts 12:7-8) . . . and the bronze doors of my imprisonment are open." (Karl Rahner - Spiritual Exercises pg. 229)

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